National Wine Day: What Is It and When

When is National Wine Day? Well, believe it or not, it’s not so easy to answer that question.

That’s because while there is a legit National Wine Day, there are also nearly a dozen other iterations of a wine holiday.

So, let’s pour out a glass and get to know all of these wine-related holidays throughout the year–and I’m not even talking about New Year’s Eve (when we raise a glass of bubbly) or a Passover seder (where we’re flicking drops of red wine during the Haggadah reading).

Table of Contents

When is National Wine Day

As I mentioned at the start of this article, there are a number of food and drink holidays that could qualify as National Wine Day. Unfortunately, none of them seem to come with free food or drink as these national food days do.

However, the actual National Wine Day, without any other qualifiers, is May 25 every year.

Why May 25th? No one knows.

However, maybe it’s because that date is always close to Memorial Day weekend, when people tend to begin imbibing for summer.

Then again, wouldn’t it make sense to be National Beer Day at that time? National Beer Day, by the way, is in early April every year.

A related holiday is World Drink Wine Day. That occurs in February around the globe. It is only here in the United States that we celebrate National Wine Day on May 25.

Other wine-related holidays

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By my account, there are at least a half dozen other wine-related holidays that you could conceivably celebrate throughout the year.

I’ve outlined them below, along with any history of the holiday that I could find.

Finally, two of my favorite wines both have their special day in May, along with National Wine Day. Those varieties are Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.

wine on table while playing cards — Photo credit: Leah Ingram.

Now onto the list of national and international days of wine (but not roses).

International Riesling Day

In case you didn’t know, Riesling is a German wine known for its fruity notes. International Riesling Day is always March 13.

According to the Australian blog Traveling Corkscrew, this is the legit date Riesling wine was founded. That article on International Riesling Day says Germany first recorded the Riesling grape on March 13, 1435. Then, in 2019, the Wines of Germany decided to make it official, with this Riesling wine holiday.

Malbec World Day

The Wines of Argentina, an official organization, created Malbec World Day as a way of celebrating that country’s most popular wine export. They call it Argentina’s star varietal.

International Sauvignon Blanc Day

According to In Good Taste, Sauvignon Blanc wines got their start in France. However, New Zealand is now where the most Sauvignon Blanc wine originates.

When is International Sauvignon Blanc Day? It is May 6.

FYI, In Good Taste sells a wine advent calendar during the holidays. What a unique gift idea for a wine lover.

Pinot Grigio Day

I’d never tasted Pinot Grigio until my brother in law, John, insisted we serve it with dinner on the day I married his brother, my husband. I’ve been a Pinot Grigio fan ever since.

In case you didn’t know, Pinot Grigio is from Italy.

Also, if you ever wondered about Pinot Grigio vs Pinot Gris, well guess what? They’re cousins.

So, when is Pinot Grigio Day? It’s May 17.

National Drink Wine Day

You can celebrate National Drink Wine Day every day that you enjoy a glass of your favorite variety. Or, you can imbibe on the actual National Drink Wine day, which is February 18 every year.

Here is advice on the best wine glasses to own.

National Red Wine Day

There are a number of different kinds of red wine, each with their own national holidays. For example, I’ve already described World Malbec Day. However, these red wines also have their own celebration day:

Pinot Noir (August 18)
Cabernet Day (Thursday before Labor Day, so it could be late August or early September)
Merlot Day (November 7)

Now as far as National Red Wine Day overall, it is August 28.

National White Wine Day

August 4 is the official National White Wine Day. However, you can also celebrate your favorite kind of whites on their special holidays. To recap, they are:

Sauvignon Blanc Day (May 6)
Pinot Grigio (May 17)
Chardonnay Day (Thursday before Memorial Day)

This In Good Taste article explains how and why Washington State produces some of America’s best Chardonnay vintages to date.

National Mulled Wine Day

You would think that a day celebrating mulled wine would be during a cold-weather month. You would be wrong.

Strangely, we’re supposed to celebrate National Mulled Wine Day on March 3. I guess it’s still cold enough in March for it. However, I would have thought this would have been a November or December holiday.

I mean, as I was researching this article, whenever I came across recipes for mulled wine, they were always connected to Christmas. Go figure.

National Wine and Cheese Day

Finally, when I think about pairing food and wine, I tend to think of wine and cheese. So how fun is it that there’s a National Wine and Cheese Day. It’s celebrated on July 25.