February 24, 1304: Ibn Battuta was born on this day. Ibn Battuta, also known as Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battuta, was an Afro-Eurasian traveler and scholar from the Berber Maghreb who spent much of his time throughout the Muslim world. He logged over 117,000 km (73,000 mi), exceeding Zheng He’s 50,000 km (31,000 mi) and Marco Polo’s 24,000 km (15,000 mi), making him the most prolific explorer in pre-modern times. Ibn Battuta traveled for more than 25 years over the whole Orient during the beginning of the 14th century, stopping in Arab nations, Greece, Persia, India, and China while writing about the cultures he observed. In his writing, he makes 10 references to excessive alcohol consumption, but he frequently talks about wine, grapes, vineyards, must, and raisins (the latter of which is the primary ingredient in dessert wine).

February 24, 2016: Lamorinda AVA was established. It is located in Contra Costa County’s San Francisco Bay Area. The appellation consists of 30000 acres with 139 acres of planted vineyards. The AVA’s soils are thin with high levels of sand and clay compared to surrounding regions. In addition, it’s warmer than southern and northern areas. The AVA experiences cooling experiences from the Pacific Ocean, and its key grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Pinot Noir.

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