August 21, 1415: This day marked the Portuguese conquest of Ceuta. This conquest resulted in the massive development of Portuguese wine. While being transported in the caravels, the fortified wines would be matured within the barrels scattered throughout the holds of the galleys, effectively as ballast. Here, the combination of time, heat, and the shaking of the sea would perform a tiny miracle, resulting in a wine of unmatched excellence that was prized and sold for gold. The Portuguese began to learn about and deal with wine aging with this beverage, which they termed “Roda” or “Torna Viagem” wine.

August 21, 1936: On this day, François Pinault was born. Pinault is a French billionaire businessman, the creator of the Kering conglomerate and the Artémis investment firm. Artémis Domaine, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinault and his family, runs a number of Châteaux and vineyards, including Château Latour and Clos de Tart. Artémis is also the owner of Christie’s auction house, a staple venue for wine auctions.

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