February 16, 1435: This day marks the earliest recorded mention of Riesling grapes in Germany, from a storage inventory of a small principality.

February 16, 1959: On this day, the re-classification of the red and white wines of the Graves was done. A panel selected by the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine in 1953 classified the Graves wines in the Bordeaux wine-producing region, and the classification was authorized by the Minister of Agriculture in August of that same year. In February 1959, the list was updated with a few additions. Red and white wines are both affected by the reclassification, and all chateaux fall within the Pessac-Léognan appellation, which eventually went into effect on September 9, 1987. Due to the distinction between red and white Bordeaux wines in the 1959 Graves Classification, several chateaux are named twice—once for the production of red wines and again for the production of white wines. It’s significant to remember that just 6 Chateaux were classed for both red and white wine while examining the Graves classification. It’s not the quality of the wine being produced that accounts for the low amount. It happened as a result of several estates that are now well-known for their white Bordeaux wines not creating white wine at the time of the first categorization.

February 16, 2006: Covelo AVA was established. It is an intriguing AVA with only two acres of land under vines. The AVA is located in the northern part of Mendocino County. The AVA boasts free-draining, fertile, deep loam soils that are challenging to viticulture. These soils lead to the prolific growth of vines and thus require rigorous vine management to produce quality grapes. Leaf plucking and crop thinning are the main methods used to manage vines. Common grapes produced in this AVA include Tempranillo, Grenache, Pinot Noir, and Mencia.

February 16, 2011: On this day, the official purchase agreement for the Chateau de Viaud, a French wine producer in the Bordeaux region, was signed by COFCO, China’s largest food import and export organization. The purchase made COFCO the first Chinese wine merchant to purchase a Bordeaux winery. Great Wall, a Chinese wine brand in COFCO’s portfolio, said the acquisition represented a new strategic step toward a worldwide market. Chi Jingtao, vice chairman of COFCO, praised France during the signing ceremony for its international reputation in the wine sector. He claimed that the purchase made by his business was a crucial move to strengthen its network in supply chains, allowing the COFCO Wines & Spirits branch to go global. Former Chateau de Viaud owner Philippe Raoux said he was pleased to see COFCO take over because he thinks the Chinese organization can run and grow the company successfully.

February 16, 2022: International Syrah Day; a celebration of a variety that is well-known all across the globe. It is the grape that has made the Rhone area of France renowned for its outstanding wines, and it is the variety that is the most widely planted grape in Australia, where it is known as Shiraz. In addition, the variety is popular in France.

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