April 6, 1623: This day marks the beginning of Cabernet Franc’s wide establishment from vine cuttings. Cardinal Richelieu is credited for bringing cuttings of the Cabernet Franc vine to the Loire Valley from the Libournais area of southwest France. This led to the establishment of the Cabernet Franc grape variety.

April 6, 1652: On this day, Jan van Riebeeck arrived at the Cape of Good Hope as Commander of the VOC Company, which ruled the Cape of Good Hope from 1652 to 1795. Under the Company’s control wine was introduced in the region and the industry was built by enslaved laborers. The colony of the Dutch United East India Company (VOC) in Southern Africa was situated around the Cape of Good Hope, from which it got its name. A large portion of present-day South Africa was once part of the original colony and the states it was integrated into afterward. It was a Commandment from 1652 to 1691 and a Governorate of the United East India Company from 1691 to 1795. For ships of the VOC dealing with Asia, Jan van Riebeeck built the colony as a resupply and layover port.

April 6, 1988: On this day, Tempranillo wine was pioneered. A wine farmer at a Tempranillo vineyard in Murillo de Ro Leza, located in the La Rioja area of northern Spain, created the first Tempranillo Blanco.

April 6, 2006: On this day, according to reports, Russian health and sanitary authorities instituted a ban of Georgian and Moldovan wines with a deadline of May 1. Pesticides and heavy metals were discovered in the wines, according to investigators. The list of forbidden products was swiftly expanded to include brandy and sparkling wine. For more information, see this archived New York Times article.

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