July 4, 907: On this day, in a battle fought at Brezalauspurc, the Hungarians consolidated their hold over the Carpathian Basin by beating the Bavarian army. Following this conquest, the supporters of rpád, the founder of the dynasty that would rule the Kingdom of Hungary until 1301, received what would eventually become the much-lauded vineyards of Tokaj. These vineyards would rank among the most valuable on the planet by the 17th century, prompting the creation of the first vineyard classification system in the world in 1700.

July 4, 1546: On this day, Sultan Murat III was born. From 1574 until his passing in 1595, Murad III ruled as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. During his reign, he fought arduous conflicts with the Safavids and the Habsburg monarchy. Previously independent Morocco was temporarily rendered a vassal state of the empire but would see itself restored in 1582. Sultan Murat III awarded privileges and the right of self-government to the Aegean islands in 1580. The Aegean islanders took advantage of their newfound prestige by returning to wine production, and the island’s wine trade flourished even more quickly than previously.

July 4, 1811: On this day, Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, the savior of Port wine, was born. Port wine is rich, decadent, and nearly extinct due to a pandemic in the late 1800s. Fortunately, some vineyards were spared thanks to the efforts of Ferreira. Affectionately referred to as Ferreirinha, she received vineyards from her family in the early 1800s; her husband was uninterested in the family business and squandered much of her income. He died while Ferreirinha was only 33 years old, leaving her to take management of the vines. She looked after the people who worked on the vineyard for her and pushed the government for increased government support for local viticulture.

July 4, 1826: This day marks Thomas Jefferson’s passing. He was a founding father, president, lawyer, architect, and philosopher of the United States. From 1801 until 1809. He was also the author of the Declaration of Independence and an avid wine drinker. He toured the major wine districts of France, Germany, and Italy while serving as ambassador to France from 1784 to 1789, and the greatest wines from those regions could be found in his cellar at the White House. The Oxford Companion notes that despite Jefferson’s less successful attempts to make wine at his Monticello estate, “He became the great supporter of the idea that the U.S. should be a wine-growing nation,” a goal that took nearly two centuries to realize.

July 4, 2004: On this day, Granmonte Estate Family Vineyard and Winery in the Asoke Valley of Thailand gained its geographical indications protection. Granmonte, located 350 meters above sea level, provides the ideal setting for growing high-quality grapes for winemaking in damp tropical areas.

July 4, 2011: On this day, the movie You will be my Son was released. Directed by Gilles Legrand, this critically acclaimed French tragedy follows an aging winemaker who is disappointed in his biological son, and begins to favor his steward’s son as a successor for the vineyard.

July 4, 2019: On this day, the 17th Australian Wine Industry Trade Convention (AWITC) in Adelaide was the venue for the inauguration of the environmental organization Sustainable Winegrowing Australia.

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