August 6, 1395: Duke Philip the Bold made a declaration to preserve the quality of Burgundy wines. Manure was an organic fertilizer that the duke banned using, which presumably further increased output at the price of quality. Gamay continues to produce more wine now than Pinot Noir did in the 14th century. High-end white Burgundy wines were probably made during this period using the fromenteau grape, a premium variety once known in northeastern France. The contemporary Pinot Gris varietal is presumably the same as fromenteau.
August 6, 1907: On this day, Jules Chauvet was born. Chauvet was a chemist and négociant who dedicated his life to making and selling wine. He was the first person to promote natural wine making in France, and also held respect as a profound wine taster.
August 6, 1981: On this day, Australia saw the first usage of the continuous starting culture production method created by The Yalumba Wine Company.
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