June 28, 1826: On this day, Edward Staniford Rogers was born. In 1851, Rogers started the process of hybridizing American and European grapes, which ushered in a period of “enthusiasm and speculation” for grape producers in the United States. American horticultural authors and nursery operators were drawn to the eastern Massachusetts region in the mid-nineteenth century. Even small-scale work by fruit breeders like Edward Staniford Rogers had the potential to spread throughout the country, influencing current breeding efforts to this day. While working in his half-acre garden at 376 Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts, Rogers exclusively dealt with the cultivation of grapes.

June 28, 1892: On this day, National Prohibition Convention was held in Cincinnati, Ohio, which spearheaded the concurrent events in the prohibition period.

June 28, 1919: On this day, the toasting of the Treaty of Versailles was celebrated with wine, which symbolized the cementing of the agreement after a long period of war. The conclusion of the negotiations, including the contentious war reparations that helped pave the way for World War II, was primarily determined by the French and the British negotiators. Nevertheless, when the Paris Peace Conference was finally over, it was only natural to raise a glass in celebration. One result of the treaty was France’s final annexation of the wine region Alsace-Lorraine. Germany’s wine areas lie directly over the French border in Alsace-Lorraine, which used to be the country’s greatest wine region. It has been transferred between France and Germany several times throughout history.

June 28, 1940: On this day, Nazi solders invaded Bordeaux, one of the most significant wine regions in France. The occupation and looting of the region was organized by Reichmarschall Goering, who was a wine connoisseur and fan of Bordeaux wines prior to the war. While it began as rambunctious theft, the procedure quickly settled down. The Third Reich received the profits from the sale of the wine, which the Germans organized through the appointment of some of their best wine experts. Each expert was given control of a specific wine region, such as Champagne, Bordeaux, or Burgundy, and they set up a trade in wine by purchasing it at bargain prices from the French and selling it for top dollar abroad.

June 28, 1960: On this day, John Albert Elway Jr. was born. Elway is the president of football operations for the Denver Broncos, and the owner of the California winery 7Cellars. 7Cellars’ proceeds go to Team Rubicon, an organization that lets veterans use their skills to help their fellow citizens in the event of a natural disaster.

June 28, 1973: On this day, the Winegate Scandal broke in Bordeaux, France. Eight inspectors from the state tax department visited the Cruse cellars to investigate illicit wine activities. On reaching the cellars, the inspectors were thrown out by the Cruses, who claimed to be too busy for the inspection. However, the inspection took place after a while, and the wines were compounded. A trial later in 1974 led to the Cruses’ conviction of doctoring two million bottles of wine and repacking them as AOC Bordeaux. The scandal significantly influenced the Bordeaux wine industry as demand declined and wineries experienced losses. Nonetheless, the scandal shook the Bordeaux wine industry, leading to several strict wine production measures.

June 28, 2005: On this day, “The Emperor of Wine: The Rise of Robert M. Parker, Jr. and the Reign of American Taste was published”. Following the rise of wine critic Robert Parker, the book discusses his career and reputation from its early stages to his current status as one of the most influential voices in the world’s wine industry, both for consumers and producers.

June 28, 2007: On this day, Challenge Millesime Bio was founded. The official contest of the Millésime Bio wine show is Challenge Millésime Bio. It is a prominent worldwide competition for organic wines. In the 2020 edition, 450 jurors evaluated 1612 wines, with 479 receiving medals. There were 177 golds, 207 silvers, and 95 bronzes among them. Enologists, sommeliers, wine merchants, and non-industry wine fans make up the tasting teams.

June 28, 2011: The joint venture that Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines Company and Paragon Vineyard Company held over Edna Valley Vineyard decided to sell Edna Valley Vineyard to E. & J. Gallo Winery. As a supplier of grapes for the Edna Valley Vineyard wines, Gallo would keep working with Paragon. While concentrating on Chardonnay, Edna Valley Vineyard produces a variety of wines. The 62 acres, 44 of which were planted with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the winery’s name, and other assets were all included in the acquisition price. The distance between the vineyard and winery in San Luis Obispo and the Pacific Ocean is only 5 kilometers. With this acquisition, Gallo would increase its footprint and real estate holdings in the famed Central Coast wine region of California. Santa Ynez Valley’s Bridlewood Estate Winery, which is owned by Gallo, was acquired in 2004. Gallo bought the William Hill Estate Winery in Napa in 2007.

June 28, 2018: On this day, Hokkaido Prefecture gained its Geographical Indication (GI) status from the Japanese National Tax Agency. As of the beginning of the year 2021, Hokkaido is home to 47 different wineries. They use between 2,000 and 2,500 tons of grapes each year to make wine that is entirely manufactured from Japanese grapes, and the majority of this production takes place in Hokkaido. These grapes originate not only from the vineyard but also from grape farmers located in the surrounding area.

June 28, 2018: On this day, Nadagogo wine in Kobe City (Nada Ward and Higashinada Ward), Ashiya City, and Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, attained its Geographical Indication status. In general, the seishu (sake) produced in Nadagogo (literally “five villages of Nada”) has a flavorful aftertaste and a harmonious combination of the many components that make up its flavor. Among them, seishu that has been aged until fall has a pleasant flavor and a taste that is not overpowering, and as a result, it has a sake quality that you will never get bored of drinking.

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