August 4, 1792: On this day, Percy Bysshe Shelley was born. A romanticist, he is currently most famous for his poem “Ozymandias,” though he also wrote the “The Vine-Shroud,” a grim fragment of a poem describing a grapevine. He was married twice, his second marriage being with Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, considered to be one of the first science-fiction books in history. After his death in 1822, recognition of his achievements in poetry grew steadily, and he became an important influence on the generations of poets that would follow.

August 4, 1925: On this day, Johnny Torrio handed over control of his rackets to Al Capone, who became the most notorious bootlegging criminal during the Prohibition period.

August 4, 1926: On this day, in the Livermore Valley, Georges de Latour made a deal with the Wente family to make high-quality white wines for Beaulieu under the federal permission held by Beaulieu.

August 4, 1929: On this day, the Department of Justice hired a special agent Eliot Ness to curtail the growth of illegal liquor by criminal groups. Ness was recruited to head the Prohibition bureau in Chicago after the stock market collapsed; the stress of the event appeared to enhance people’s need for illicit booze. Al Capone was the target of Ness’ investigation and harassment.The men Ness employed to assist him were known as the Untouchables because they were very committed to their work and refused to accept bribes. The general public became aware of them when significant police operations targeting speakeasies, breweries, and other notorious hangouts made headlines in the media.

August 4, 1970: On this day, Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro was established as a DOC. This is a wine appellation for semi-sparkling (frizzante) red and rosé wines produced using the Lambrusco Grasparossa variety. The appellation is situated in the province of Modena, and in addition to the frizzante type, there is also a sparkling variation known as spumante available. These Lambrusco wines are often more tannic and full-bodied than other varieties of Lambrusco. The wineries frequently use extra acidic grapes (up to 15 percent of the total) to provide freshness to the finished product.

August 4, 1971: On this day, Jeffery Michael Gordon was born in Vallejo, California. He is an incredibly successful former professional stock car racing driver, and is regarded as a key figure in advancing the sport’s acceptance by the public. He owns Jeff Gordon Cellars in Napa Valley, California in collaboration with August Briggs Winery.

August 4, 1983: On this day, Dry Creek Valley AVA was established in Sonoma County, California. It’s one of the smallest in the region, extending 16 miles long and 2 miles wide. Its soils are rocky and drain incredibly well, effectively stressing grapes later in the growing season; this also adds to varietal character. Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel perform well in this AVA. It is home to over 50 wineries, including many properties maintained by E & J Gallo Winery.

August 4, 2005: Alcidini gained its geographical indications (GI) protection products on this day. The vineyard and winery is located in Thailand’s Khao Yai wine area.

August 4, 2006: Red Mountain made the first 1000 bottles of wine under its name. Because there were so many vines planted over a long period of time, the vineyard gradually had to be enlarged, and it wasn’t until 2006 that they finally produced their first thousand bottles of wine.

August 4, 2022: August 4th marks National White Wine Day in the United States.

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