February 26, 1859: On this day, Romeo Bragato was born. He developed the wine industry of New Zealand and Australia, introducing new varieties of grapes to both countries.

February 26, 1950: On this day, Jonathan Cain was born. He is best known as the keyboardist and rhythm guitarist for Journey, but he is also a wine connoisseur and is the owner of Finale Wines. The winery was launched in 2007 through collaboration with the winemaker Dennis De La Montanya.

February 26, 1999: On this day, Viré-Clessé AOC was certified. This French appellation only allows for the growth of Chardonnay grapes.

February 26, 2001: Fair Play AVA was established on this day. It is located in El Dorado County, encompassing 350 acres of planted vineyards. The appellation experiences fairly intense temperatures and cool breezes at night. Although Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon also thrive here, Zinfandel is the region’s dominant grape variety.

February 26, 2002: On this day, the first Pinot Noir Summit was held sponsored by the Affairs of the Vines. A varied expert tasting panel evaluates more than 250 North American Pinot Noirs. A blind tasting of the top 30 wines is then conducted at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, California. The Pinot Noirs chosen as the tasting panel’s and the event’s attendees’ favorites receive awards. There are seminars on Pinot Noir and winemaker dinners available.

February 27, 2010: On this day, a devastating earthquake hit Chile. After a terrible earthquake struck Chile, which claimed 800 lives, many wineries had to stop making wine due to damage to their facilities and stock. The largest wine producer in Chile, Concha y Toro, was one of the producers to halt operations for at least a week after some of its wineries, which are situated in one of the worst-affected regions hundreds of miles south of the capital Santiago, experienced significant damage. Concha y Toro CEO Eduardo Guilisasti described it as a “catastrophe” that had hit the “heartland” of Chile’s wine industry. 100 million wine bottles, or approximately a sixth of Chile’s yearly exports worth US$300 million, were thought to have been lost after the 8.8 earthquakes tore through large portions of the Central Valley of Chile. Estimates place the total impact of the earthquake on Chile’s economy at $30 billion.

February 26, 2022: This day marks the beginning of the Slow Wine Fair. It is a celebration for people from all over the world of wine who have come together to form a new worldwide network to bring about a revolution in the wine industry driven by environmental sustainability, landscape conservation, and social and cultural progress in rural areas.

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