First winery established

The oldest-known winery is founded in what is now Armenia.

Greek wine takes root

The ancient Greeks perfect wine and use it for trade, religion, and health. As they conquer new lands, they plant grape vines, including in Spain and Italy.

Don't drink the water

For many years, Europe had no steady supply of clean drinking water causing the public (including children) to drink wine, instead.

Spanish wine debuts in the New World

The Spanish bring wine to the Americas as a completely new alcoholic beverage.

New varieties of wine emerge

Vineyards in California, Australia, and South America start producing wines to rival those from Europe.

15% of Americans love wine and cheese%2c while 12% like to pair wine with their meal—cheese or no cheese.

YOU CAN HAVE A WHOLE BOTTLE?

12% of Americans say they have finished an entire bottle of wine by themselves. 8% of Americans say wine is their alcoholic beverage of choice.

In honor of this holiday, some restaurants offer a special deal on, you guessed it, red wine! Instead of going for a single, heavy meal, consider a tapas crawl. Small plates are shareable and they won't make you drowsy (although red wine contains melatonin, so you might have to fight the urge to catch some z's.)

There are too many types of sangria for you to make by yourself. Instead invite your friends to bring over their own sangria recipes so you can taste and compare. Have everyone suggest a flavor, and settle on a recipe that combines the best of each idea.

Make a meal using red wine. You don't have to look very hard to find recipes for wine-based apps%2c entrees%2c and desserts. We have a feeling that the pairings will be spot on.

A five-ounce glass of wine is fat-free%2c cholesterol-free%2c and only 100 calories. But other than helping to keep you slim and trim%2c red wine keeps your brain sharp. Resveratrol is in the skin of red grapes%2c and it's the mortal enemy of beta-amyloid — a protein that's a contributing factor to Alzheimer's. So%2c a glass of wine here and there can slow down the formation of this baddie. Looks like they weren't kidding when they said%2c “Let's drink to your health.”

Sangria is a refreshing way to cool off in the summer. It's also a great way to expand your taste buds' horizons. There's literally no end to the variety%2c with some recipes containing bitters or Italian amaro liqueurs. Being that it's National Red Wine Day%2c you probably want to stick to red wine-based sangria. (But%2c if you sneak some white wine into the party%2c we won't think any less of you...okay%2c maybe just a little!)

Drinking a glass of red wine isn't the only way to celebrate. Wine not only pairs well with food but it's a key ingredient in some seriously tasty dishes. There are standard dishes like Spaghetti Bolognese that have red wine infused in the sauce. If you're a more more adventurous foodie%2c try some cabernet apple slaw. You'll also be happy to know that red wine is a nice complement to spiced pear bread pudding.