Today Special : National Wine Day
We don’t typically need an “official” reason to celebrate over a bottle of wine but today we have one – it’s National Wine Day, celebrated annually on May 25. The growing number of wineries across the US coupled with the proliferation of social media options has prompted more creative ways to celebrate with wine for people of all (legal drinking) ages and beverage preferences. Whether you host a wine tasting at your place to try the latest rosés or meet friends for an evening of professionally paired food and wine, the celebration begins as soon as the cork is popped. Cheers!
WHEN IS NATIONAL WINE DAY 2022?
Wine lovers celebrate the fermented drink’s many types on National Wine Day on May 25.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL WINE DAY
Wine has been enjoyed by humans for thousands of years. The natural likeness for this drink is not only because it tastes wonderful, but also because of its nutritional value and psychotropic effects.
Wine has also had a significant impact on the economy and the shaping of societies. Out of all the alcoholic beverages, it is the trade of wine that allowed exploration of different cultures and paved the way for philosophical and religious ideas to spread. Wine is cited frequently in the “Bible,” from the time of Noah to Jesus, indicating its integral role. Wine-making was also seen as a sign of a provident economy, as only provident societies could accommodate a well-established wine industry. In fact, it is often debated that the foundations of western society were built on wine.
The wine enjoyed in the olden days is a distant relative to the wine enjoyed today. Red, pink, green, white, and blue grapes were used by the Egyptians to prepare the drink. Palm dates, figs, and pomegranates were often added to the mix too. So the taste was completely different from what we know. Using different fruit to make wine is similar to how it is prepared using grapes, except that sugar is also added to aid the fermentation process.
The exact origin of National Wine Day is unknown, but the earliest references date back to 2009. It is a day for wine enthusiasts to unite and celebrate our favorite fermented fruit juice.
Since its establishment in 1812 by Spanish missionaries, California’s wine country in the northern Bay Area of northern California has dominated American wine production and our personal vision of the elegant American vineyard. There were a mere 25 wineries in this area of California in 1974. Today, there are over 800!
While California still leads U.S. wine production and is now home to over 4,000 wineries state-wide, wineries exist across the U.S. with at least three in every state. In fact, the most frequently visited winery today is the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, with over one million people annually.
This availability of wineries enables us to visit the rolling hills of a beautiful vineyard closer to home. Yes, it is very likely one is near you, within range for a fun day trip or weekend getaway. So, pack your bags and set your G.P.S. to the winery closest to you!
NATIONAL WINE DAY ACTIVITIES
- Cool down with a sangria bar : What better way to celebrate the beginning of summer than with friends over a sangria bar? Sangria is an easy, make-ahead beverage with wine as its base. Red, white and rosé recipes abound but don’t limit yourself to the obvious. Peach and blueberry lemonade sangria stand-out at any party.
- Buy a new gadget : Chances are, if you’re making plans for National Wine Day, you don’t consider yourself an amateur. Aficionados need gadgets. Enhance the holiday with an electric wine bottle opener or a wine aerator.
- Know your glasses : The extensive variety of stemware can be confusing. Why so many choices? The shape of the bowl controls the amount of air reaching the wine surface which impacts the taste and aroma. Celebrate National Wine Day by researching the recommended glass to use based on wine type and impress your friends with your new-found knowledge.
5 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT WINE BOTTLES
- Size matters : There are over a dozen different sizes of wine bottles, many named after Biblical kings or other historical figures.
- Who’s the king? : At 30 liters, the largest wine bottle size is named “Melchizedek” or “Midas” holding 200 glasses of wine.
- Sealed with a cork : Almost 70% of wine bottles are sealed with natural cork; the majority of this cork comes from Portugal.
- Judging a bottle by its cover : There are over 60,000 wine labels in the market today.
- It takes a lot of grapes : One bottle of wine holds an average of 600 grapes.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL WINE DAY
- We love varietals : While there are 5 basic types of wine (red, white, rose, sparkling and dessert), there are thousands of varietals of wine grapes. The options you have for trying a new wine are practically endless. You’ll never get bored in your pursuit for trying something new in the wine world.
- We savor life with wine : Wine is not the type of beverage you drink quickly. You sip it, savor it, linger with it. Which means, you are likely lingering with whomever you’re sharing the wine. Taking your time to enjoy a glass of wine allows you to enjoy other things with it – people, scenery, food.
- Wine allows you to travel the world in a bottle : Each bottle of wine tells a unique story. If you close your eyes, wine’s aromas and flavors can transport you to faraway lands, giving you hints about the soil and weather the grapes grew in, the landscape of the country the wine originated in, and what was happening in the world at the time the wine was bottled. The best part? You don’t even have to get on a plane to travel the world!
