National Wine Day is celebrated in the United States on May 25th every year. This is not to be confused with National Drink Wine Day, which was created by Todd McCalla who started this day in 2007 to spread the love and health benefits of wine. He has since also started National Margarita Day in 2009 and it is celebrated (at least by Todd) on February 22. Todd is from Ohio and wanted to create the feeling of the Caribbean in the dead of winter, so he created National Margarita Day as a reason to invite his friends to enjoy this Mexican cocktail while the snow fell.
National Wine Day celebrates wines from every country.
Some historians report that people have been drinking wine since 6000 BC, when agriculture cropped up in the region that became the country of Georgia in the early 11th Century. Today’s Georgia borders Armenia and Turkey to the South and Russia to the North. It’s had a long and storied history of war and independence from Russia in 1991. From ancient times, Georgians have imbibed in wine. And toasting is a very serious business. There are said to be over 150 toasts in Georgia and when you raise your glass, you use one or more to proclaim your celebration.
Yet, wine is enjoyed in different ways depending on the culture and traditions of a country. The wine culture in the past has been tied to the country’s own ability to cultivate grapes. In fact, China is a late-bloomer when it comes to drinking wine, as it took the relatively recent opening of global markets to make wine a “thing” in one of the world’s superpowers.
How would they celebrate National Wine Day in other countries?
While National Wine Day started in the U.S., it is easy to imagine it being celebrated around the world. In France, wine is so much a part of the culture, it is said that babies are given a pinky dipped in wine to suckle even before they taste breast milk. With this dedication to wine, it’s no wonder the names of France’s various regions are synonymous with well-known wines like Champagne and Bordeaux.
In Spain, they are partial to sparkling wine and it is common to combine red wine with Coca Cola to get the fizz factor. And, of course, they are known for Sangria, which is chilled red wine that includes slices of fruit and brandy. If you want the real deal, you can look for bottles marked “true Sangria,” as this term in Spain is as sacred as a “Champagne” label is in France.
Austria is known for gluhwein, which is served on cold evenings. The name roughly means glow-wine, referring to the orange glow of furnace-heated rods that were used in mulling. This red wine was combined with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise and citrus fruits. Though we probably wouldn’t serve gluwhein on National Wine Day in May, many Americans have now adopted this delicious wine tradition around the Christmas holidays.
In Israel, you find kosher wine, which means the wine production must be overseen by a Sabbath-observant Jew, and receive a seal of kosher certification by a rabbi, agency, beth din or a Jewish court of law. Plus, the kosher wine must not be used in circumstances outside the Jewish faith. To get around this requirement, you can boil the wine and turn it into meschuval wine, which prevents it being used in idolatry.
And, in Japan, you can get your wine fix by eating Wine Kit Kats candy bars. Really. Walmart is even selling them! Now, that’s a new way to celebration National Wine Day!
Beside drinking wine, May 25th is a great time to learn how to select and preserve wine.
National Wine Day is a great day to drink wine, but also to learn how to select and preserve wine so that you always have a bottle at the ready. If you’re really serious about taking a deeper dive into wine, New England offers a wide variety of wine classes from those that give you a quick understanding of how to select the right wine for your favorite dishes to a more serious education, found at Boston Wine School or through the Master of Wine Expert degree available at Boston University.
Wine preservation in your home…
National Wine Day is the perfect time to start a wine collection. While building a wine cellar in your home may seem like a very cool thing to do, it may not give you the environment needed for perfect preservation of whites, reds, Champagne and other wine specialties. Yet, simply sticking your whites in the refrigerator and keeping your reds in your wet bar cabinet, certainly isn’t the way to preserve the wine from your favorite varietals.
If you’re looking for a versatile, fool-proof way to store and preserve your wines, look no further than the world’s top refrigeration manufacturer: Sub-Zero. According to the engineers and designers at Sub-Zero, an American-made brand, “Sub-Zero wine storage units are more than just coolers; they are guardians against heat, humidity, vibration, and light – the four enemies that can rob wine of its complexity, character and taste.” You can select your wine storage like you choose your wine, with attention to where and when you will drink and how you want the experience to feel.
Sub-Zero Wine Storage comes in undercounter, column and over-and under with wine storage above and refrigerator drawers below.
Learn four things about preserving wine this National Wine Day…
- Heat is your enemy. Excessive heat and unstable temperatures harm wine. So, Sub-Zero maintains wine’s preferred cool habitat in independent zones, ensure both red and white can be serve at their optimal temperatures.
- Humidity control is key. Too little moisture in the air makes corks dry and shrink, causing wine to oxidize. Too much, and both corks and labels peel and rot. Sub-Zero’s dual evaporators – one for each storage zone – maintain steady, moderate humidity.
- Light must be shielded. Light can affect the aging of wine, especially the invisible ultraviolet light that can penetrate wine bottles. Sub-Zero’s UV-resistant bronze-tinted glass shields wine to preserve its good taste.
- Vibration can ruin a delicate wine. Mechanical vibration can damage wines like a pinot noir. Sub-Zero’s quiet compressor lets wines rest undisturbed. Bottles are cradled in rustproof, coated-steel shelves that glide smoothly in and out for easy access.
Explore the world’s finest wine storage in person.
Celebrate National Wine Day with a visit Clarke to explore how wine storage can be seamlessly integrated into your kitchen, library, wet bar or any other space in your home. At a Clarke Showroom, you’ll have all your questions answered by a Clarke Consultant who is impeccably trained in wine storge. You’ll see various models built into spaces designed by the region’s finest designers.
