November 24

November 24, 1713: Junipero Serra was born. As a missionary, Serra undertook a new task in 1749: Spreading his religion throughout the New World. He first went to Mexico with Francisco Palóu, an old classmate. Serra flew into Vera Cruz before making the 250-mile trek to Mexico City. Along the way, he suffered a leg injury that would keep him in pain for the rest of his life. Serra enrolled in Mexico City’s College of San Fernando, a missionary school, but he soon left. In 1751, he offered his services to the missionaries in Pame Indian territory known as Sierra Gorda. Serra aimed to boost the local economy while preaching to the locals. In 1769, wine and vines were introduced to San Diego, California, by Father Serra and his padres. The grape he brought is called the Mission Grape in our country. By way of the western coasts of North and South America, Catholic missionaries brought a variety of Vitis vinifera from Spain that they used to produce sacramental, table, and fortified wines. Before European settlers in Los Angeles introduced some traditional European varieties to their vineyards in the 1830s, it was the only grape growing in California. Serra’s religious legacy has become controversial due to his role in the violent subjugation of the indigenous population.

November 24, 1897: Charles ‘Lucky’ Luciano, the New York Mafia leader who profited enormously from bootlegging, was born November 24, 1897.

November 24, 1982: Suisun Valley AVA was established. It is one of the oldest AVAs in California, located in the western part of Solano County; it’s part of the North Coast AVA encompassing 15000 acres of land. The AVA produces several grape varietals but is popularly known for Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah.

November 24 every year: Wines of Chile launched Carmenere Day to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Carmenere’s rediscovery. The grape had been mistaken for Merlot in Chile’s vineyards until the French ampelographer Jean-Michel Boursiquot identified it there on November 24, 1994.

For more dates in wine history, click here.

 

Hero image: FRPGCHILE / CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.