January 4

January 4, 1990: Arroyo Grande Valley AVA was established. It is a sub-appellation of the Central Coast AVA located in San Luis Obispo County. The AVA is known for its cool climate, suitable for producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Besides, Zinfandel and Syrah flourish in higher elevations where ocean fog does not reach. Its soils consist of majorly calcareous deposits, limestone with alluvial loams. Excellent drainage and shallow soils lead to strongly concentrated flavors in wines.

January 4, 2021: Starting on this day and lasting through January 5^th, thieves stole $675,000 worth of wine from the Domaine de Rymska Saint-Jean-de-Trézy, and threw bottles at police from a getaway car. In addition to its luxurious accommodations, the Domaine de Rymska Saint-Jean-de-Trézy is a well-known hotel in Burgundy, France, for its attractive rural environment. As you go through the TripAdvisor reviews, you’ll see adjective-heavy sentences praising the wine selection as “amazing,” “breathtaking,” or strong enough to “make you dizzy.” It is known for having a huge wine vault as well. First, a burglar (or thieves) entered the hotel’s cellar and took superb wines valued at an estimated €200,000 ($245,410), but they were able to flee before the alarm went off. The following morning, the hotel was once more the target of thieves—possibly the same ones—who destroyed the wine cellar door and took approximately €350,000 ($429,596) worth of grand crus Burgundy wines. The hotel’s owner awoke during the break-in, ran to his car, and followed the burglars as they sped out of the building.

For more dates in wine history, click here.

Header image: Anita Ritenour — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).