November 22, 1847: The settler ship John Wickliffe departs from London for New Zealand. Its arrival is considered the founding day of the Otago region. Central Otago in particular has become an area famed for the quality of its wines. Pinot Noir is the most well-known grape in Central Otago, but the area also produces Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling. It is home to many wineries, including Mondillo Vineyards, Greylands Ridge, Carrick Wines, Black Ridge Winery, Bald Hills Vineyard, and many more.

November 22, 1912: On this day, Doris Duke was born. Duke was the daughter of the tobacco and energy magnate James Buchanan. She was a wide-ranging philanthropist, founder of multiple charities, and a patron of the arts. She kept a significant collection of wines at both of her estates. She passed away in 1993, and her will was the basis for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

November 22, 1933: On this day, Philippine de Rothschild, a French vintner and actress, was born. She was the only daughter of Baron Phillipe de Rothschild, and ran his Châteaux after his death, including Château Mouton-Rothschild. As chairwoman of Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A. she nearly doubled the wine sales of the company within a 12 year period. She passed away in 2014.

November 22, 2000: Breider Hans passed away on this date. German viticulture specialist Professor Dr. Hans Breider attended the universities of Münster and Innsbruck to study biology and genetics. He worked at the Kaiser Wilhelm Facility for Breeding Research in Müncheberg from 1936 until his conscription into the Second World War. From 1947 to 1950, he served as the director of the Alzey grape breeding institute (Rheinhessen). He began managing vine breeding at the Bavarian State Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture in Würzburg (Franconia) in 1950. From 1959 until 1973, he served as the institute’s director. At the Bayerischen Landesanstalt für Wein-, Obst- and Gartenbau in Würzburg, Breider is credited with developing one of the rarest grape types known as Ortega in 1948. Ortega was later in 1981 released with varietal protection. José Ortega y Gasset, a Spanish poet, and philosopher was the subject of Breider’s decision to name the variety. When compared to Müller-Thurgau, Ortega normally ripens 20 degrees Oechsle earlier, is less vulnerable to frost, and reaches relatively high must weights. So, sweet wines, which are thought to get better with aging, are frequently used with it. Wines from Ortega feature a strong extract flavor with muscat and peach aromas. The varietal, which is extremely sparingly planted in Germany, has been well established in Kent, England’s vineyards. With its ability to produce white wines with sharp acidity and gooseberry floral flavors, it seems to thrive in the chilly temperature conditions of England. The variety was at risk of going extinct completely, but Biddenden Vineyards in Kent planted it a few years ago, and the results have been positive. It might be the British wine industry’s next great thing.

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