August 27

August 27, 1949: Das Volkacher wine festival was launched to celebrate the first grapes harvested at the end of the summer and beginning of fall in Volkach, Bavaria. Local wineries provide amenities, musical performances abound, and there is a ceremonial squeezing of the grapes by notable members of the city council and local aristocracy.

August 27, 1991: Moldova declared its independence from the Soviet Union; the wine-producing country would go on to join the United Nations the following year. The small country produces wines, which Russia has banned as an import in the past due to consumer agency concerns over pesticides.

For more dates in wine history, click here.

 

Hero image: Veni from New York, USA / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.