March 6

March 6, 1475: Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born. Commonly referred to as Michelangelo, he is one of the most influential artists in Western history, having painted, sculpted, and designed several pieces that are among the most venerated artworks in the world. One such sculpture is of the god Bacchus (or Dionysus to the Romans), patron deity of wine, vegetation, and festivity.

March 6, 1858: The Marqués de Riscal vineyard was established in Spain. The Marqués de Riscal city of Wine is situated in Elciego in the region of Alava. It currently operates as a hotel, providing visitors with the opportunity to learn about the history of the bodega.

March 6, 2007: Ernest J. Gallo died. A businessman and philanthropist from America, Ernest J. Gallo, and his partners co-founded the E & J Gallo Winery. The grandparents of Gallo moved to America from Italy. Giuseppe Gallo, also known as Joseph Edward Gallo Sr., was Gallo’s father. His mother was Assunta Bianco Gallo, also known as Susie Bianco Gallo. His father was the owner of the Gallo Wine Company, a distributor of wine, together with his uncle Michael. The Biancos, on his mother’s side of the family, were vintners. In Jackson, California, and Oakland, California, Gallo’s father ran boarding houses for miners and saloons, respectively. Gallo lived in Hanford, California, with his maternal grandparents, Batista Biancos, when he was a year old. Gallo moved back in with his parents around the age of 6.

For more dates in wine history, click here.

 

Header image: Nicolás Pérez Gimilio — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).