February 13, 1718: George Brydges Rodney was born on this date. Most people will remember his leadership during the American War of Independence for his victory against the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782 when he led the British fleet. It is frequently asserted that he was the commander who invented the strategy of breaking the line. He is an important figure in the history of decanters as he influenced the naming of the first ship’s decanters, which were given the name Rodney decanter after him. A ship’s decanter or Rodney is made of cut glass with the words “Outward Bound” inscribed beneath it. This decanter was likely one of a pair, the other bearing the engraving Homeward Bound. It would have initially been sold to people with an interest in sailing or for use on ships. Admiral Rodney inspired the conical shape, and it would enable the decanter to stay upright in rough seas thanks to its low center of gravity. This decanter is embellished with two rings on the neck and steps cut into the body of the decanter. The stopper is mushroom-shaped, and the underside of the base has a star cutout. It is known that they came in at least two sizes, the biggest one standing at 1 1/2 inches tall.

February 13, 1986: Lodi AVA was established in California. It has more than 100,000 acres of land under vines and produces more wine than Napa and Sonoma combined. Some of California’s earliest Zinfandel vines were found in the AVA, which was created in 1986. Apart from Zinfandel, other grapes that are planted here include Tempranillo, Albarino, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, and Viognier.

February 13, 2015: On this day, to avoid having to sell off its award-winning winery to satisfy its main lender, Deerfield Ranch Winery in Kenwood filed for bankruptcy protection. According to Addison Rex, the 30,000-case operation’s operations manager, the effort aims to reorganize the winery so that all creditors and investors can be paid, not just one bank that provided a loan to the vineyard right as the Great Recession began. The company’s founder Robert Rex’s nephew, Rex, stated, “We’re seeking to address a problematic debt with our lender that was made in 2008. According to Addison Rex, the winery’s owners were unaware of the loan’s conditions, which called for significant annual balloon payments.

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