In Homer’s epics, great heroes, kings, and queens ruled from citadels and palaces, where one commodity proved essential for daily life: wine. Although the epics are semi-mythical, excavations confirm a Greek Bronze Age where wine played a key role. Join archaeologist Catherine Pratt as she leads us on a journey to Mycenaean Greece and the palace of Pylos. She explores the remains of wine drinking, production, and trade between faraway lands and reveals how wine was essential in gift-giving, hospitality, religion, and much more. Wine educator Diego Meraviglia then introduces the evening’s tasting selection featuring wines from the Peloponnese and the islands of the eastern Mediterranean. Following the presentations, guests will enjoy an evening of wine, food, and conversation in the Villa’s Inner Peristyle gardens as well as after-hours access to the exhibition The Kingdom of Pylos: Warrior-Princes of Mycenaean Greece.
This program is generously supported by the Getty Museum Villa Council.