October 1, 1938: On this day, Paul J. Gillette, an American wine expert, and writer were born. He was the host of Enjoying Wine with Paul Gillette, one of the first national television programs on wine. Gillette authored multiple screenplays, novels, and even non-fiction books, including a 1965 exposé on the Ku Klux Klan. He passed away on January 6, 1996.

October 1, 1949: On this day, the People’s Republic of China was formally established in Tiananmen Square in front of a crowd of 300,000 people by Red Army (communist forces) leader Mao Zedong, who was also waving the newly constructed Chinese flag. Following this historic event, various wine-making grape types were imported from Bulgaria, Hungary, and the Soviet Union and were extensively cultivated in China.

October 1, 2010: On this day, in the morning, farmer Robert Cavaille discovered that 30 tonnes of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes had been stolen the previous night. Police believed that a “wine mafia gang” from Russia or Eastern Europe had used a motorized harvester. Unfortunately for Cavaille, the raw fruit that went into making the wine was not covered by his insurance.

October 1, 2015: This date marked the publication of Tasting Wine and Cheese: An Insider’s Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing. If there is something that has as many varieties as wine, it is cheese, which is why the pairing of wines and cheeses is so popular. In Tasting Wine and Cheese Adam Centamor decodes your taste and teaches you how to taste, appreciate and evaluate wine and cheese so that you can combine them in unique flavors.

October 1, 2019: On this day, The World Atlas of Wine, authored by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, was published. The World Atlas of Wine is a reference work that presents a significant volume of information on the regions of the world where wine is produced. A widely popular publication, it has received multiple editions to update it for new maps and regions, increasing its cartographic richness. For more on Jancis Robinson, see our other posts.

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