May the Fourth (and Mom) Be With You
You know, May is all about the Force and Mother’s Day. So this month’s wines are brought to you by Luke Skywalker, Hercules (really), and Mom.
Let’s start with Mom. Our wines this month are, literally, from “Mother Earth”. Both come from Greek producer Gai’a, named for that ancestral MOM of life and earth.
Gai’a Notios White Nemea 2022 is a blend of 3 grapes, in equal parts. Moschofilero (a clone of the fileri group of grapes) and Roditis Alepou are endemic to Greece’s Peloponnese (of which Nemea is part), and both are pink-skinned. Assyrtiko is iconic of Santorini, but this white-skinned grape is also grown in the Peloponnese. The Roditis Alepou originates from the mountainous area of Aigialeia on the Gulf of Corinth, at an altitude of approximately 1000m, while the Moschofilero is grown on a plateau of 450m. The grapes are hand harvested and fermented in stainless steel. Altogether, the result is a crisp, acidic, and aromatic wine with lovely lemon and apple, and a nice, long finish.
Gai’a Notios Red Nemea 2022 is made from 85% Agiorgitiko and 15% Syrah. Agiorgitiko, the mainstay of Nemean reds, is grown in a steep-sloped vineyard in Koutsi at ca 450-550m elevation. The grapes are low yield and grown without irrigation, resulting in concentrated flavors. The stemless grapes are fermented in stainless steel with 6 days of skin contact. The wine rests in oak barrels for 45 days before bottling. The result is a young tasting wine with plums and bright cherry, black pepper, and some dark smokiness from the Syrah.
Gai’a Wines was founded in 1994 by Agriculturalists Yiannis Paraskevopoulos – who also holds a PhD in Enology, and Leon Karatsalos. The “Notios” label, which means “the Southerner”, was started in 1996. Their wines are made in both Santorini and Nemea; the Notios line has grapes from Nemea.
So, thank you Mother! What of Star Wars? Hercules? That is more convoluted, of course, but let’s begin.
What makes *you* love a particular wine? I know it is now cliché to say, but my pleasure comes from the taste (of course), but also the story. What makes a good story? Well, I think it is the personal connection that a good story conjures. For me, that is often an underlying theme of mythology, history, or the bonds made via the personal experience of travel. Pop culture can also elicit strong associations between a story and a wine – such as for this month’s Star Wars theme. Yes, this is a Star Wars theme. But, that theme is writ very, very broadly.
As a kid in the 70’s, I rode my bike to the theater to see (the original!) Star Wars – which I loved. I went back for The Empire Strikes Back, but after that I was much more smitten by Clash of the Titans and Raiders of the Lost Ark; I was always drawn to the adventures within ancient myth and archaeology. I can’t even remember if I saw Return of the Jedi, and episodes I-III are a blur. I realize that puts me in the minority, and makes me an odd choice to write this post. But, I know enough people who adore the franchise, and it is hard to not be impressed by the loyalty and love of its fans. Nonetheless, I have adapted the Star Wars theme to one closer to my own heart: ancient mythology. This isn’t too far-fetched, as there are numerous mythological themes and plot devices that run through the series.
On a very specific level, my husband and Star Wars fan, Evan, likens Darth Vader and the corridors of the Death Star to the Minotaur with his maze. Thus Luke Skywalker would align with Theseus, and each of them had help from the daughter of a ruler (Princess Leia and Ariadne) to manage the maze and confront the beast. Such precise comparisons are bound to be inexact, but the plights of both Luke Skywalker and Theseus command a more general analogy and reference to the archetypal Hero Saga (e.g. Rubino 2011)
Generally speaking, a Hero Saga involves one fated to roam strange lands following trouble on the home front for an important quest or trek. Common elements of the journey include uncertainty, odd or uncertain parentage, exile, the trope of confronting monsters (whether inner demons or physical manifestations), supernatural or divine aid, and return (success). Struggles between good and evil - or darkness and light – are pervasive, if not mandatory. Even upon a successful journey and return, the forces of Light and Dark are still at play. Thus the outcome of Theseus’ journey to slay the Minotaur was also tragic; he was successful, but failed to raise a white flag on his boat for the journey home. Upon seeing a black flag, his father killed himself and the hero created evermore chaos and trouble at home.
But, here we follow the saga of Herakles (Hercules), because our wines are from the Greek region of Nemea. Herakles (like Luke Skywalker) had troublesome paternity (Zeus, Darth Vader) and both had super-natural help in training to overcome the myriad challenges they would face. Their sagas diverge, though, as Herakles’ journey was prescribed as punishment for murdering his wife and children in a moment of (Hera-induced) insanity. As penitence, Herakles was tasked with performing 12 labors for King Eurystheus of Mycenae, which took him 12 years. The first labor performed was in Nemea. There, Herakles was required to slay the powerful lion that resided in a cave on Mount Tritos and bring back its skin to Eurystheus at Mycenae – some 15-20 km away. He did so. In so doing, he also brought into existence the wine that was drunk by another mythical hero, Agamemnon, while at his palace at Mycenae.
Does that mean Herakles brought wine to Greece? Certainly not. Greece is part of the Ancient Wine World. There is chemical evidence for wine-making in northern Greece dating to ca 4300 BC from a place called Dikili Tash. While such early evidence will surely be found in other parts of Greece, we must content ourselves in the Nemea region with written evidence from Mycenae, dating to ca 1600-1100 BC; mentions of “wine” occur in that palaces Linear B tablets. From where did the palace wine come? Linear B tablets fail to geo-locate it for us, but we have a few clues that it was the Nemean plain. First, we are told that Agamemnon’s wine was Flisian (Phlisian) – which ancient land was famous for its wine. The ancient wanderer and travel writer, Pausanius, tells us that the town of Phlius is just west of Nemea, and that it had a sanctuary to Dionysus. Second, we are told that Agamemnon drank the “blood of Herakles” wine. That is a bit of a misnomer, as the blood stemmed from the lion, not the man, but whatever. It is averred that the dark color of the Agiorgitiko grape, which is the red of Nemea, is due to the blood of the slain lion. Ergo, Agamemnon drank Agiorgitiko. Moreover, Flisian wine was referred to as “the Blood of Herakles”. Our faithful Pausanius notes that the cave of said lion was just 15 stades (e.g. furlongs. 1 stade = 1/8 mile) from Nemea. That is, the lion’s cave on Mount Tritos was a mere 1.875 miles from the sanctuary of Nemea, in the Flisian plain. Finally, the lion was slain by Herakles around 1300 BC… very much within the time frame of Agamemnon’s rule at Mycenae. Agamamnon drank “Blood of Herakles” Agiorgitiko from Nemea, “created” by our hero. But what about the name? Agiorgitiko stems from Agios Georgios, or St. George. This comes from a small church/monastery that previously lent its name to the town of Nemea. Despite the fact that St. George only found his way to the region a couple millennia following Agamemnon’s putative rule, the grape is formally called Agiorgitiko. Nonetheless, “Blood of Herakles” is maintained in the informal lexicon.
Dark Side vs Light Side
Now that the origins are clear, we get back to our larger theme. Because this is Star Wars themed, we need a Dark Side and a Light Side to our Force (i.e. wine). It is fairly clear that the Notios Red is our “Dark Side” wine, stemming as it does from blood of the slain lion. But Red? Not Black? Well, George Lucas, himself, used red for evil, as an “aggressive” color. That isn’t so sinister, but he did put red on the Emperor Palpatine, the Dark Lord. Of course, all I see is Emperor “Palatine”. Rome’s Palatine Hill housed emperors beginning with Augustus, but who is most like this Sith Lord? Caligula didn’t live there, but Livia did, and she was evil. Maybe Palpatine was based on Livia? (Sidenote: if you are finished watching Star Wars, I highly recommend “I, Claudius”… ) Back from our digression - even the Dark Side has some good, right? And the good is all in the flavor of this strikingly colored, dark, and spicy gem of a wine.
What of the Light side? Our Notios White blend, of course! What is in a color? Even I remember Princess Leia’s white dress – though her ammonite-spiral hair was far more iconic. Speaking of ammonites, this relic of the Aegean Sea is included in Gai’a’s logo. White dress, Ammonite hair – is there any other proof needed that this wine is our Light Side of the Force? Drinking it will solidify that notion, of course, with its airy, floral notes, light and bright citrus, and fresh-as-a-daisy feel.
Enjoy your wines, hug your mom if you can, and May the 4th be with you.
*RUBINO, C. (2011). LONG AGO, BUT NOT SO FAR AWAY: ANOTHER LOOK AT “STAR WARS” AND THE ANCIENT WORLD. The Classical Outlook, 89(1), 1–4. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43940227
