The famous sculpture: “Pluto and Proserpina” by Bernini located at the Borghese Gallery in Rome, Italy My favorite class in college was Mythology, and my favorite story was the plight of Persephone as she was trapped in Hades after she ate 6 pomegranate seeds the King of the Underworld offered her. Basically, Hades had his sights set on the beautiful mortal and tricked her (how many love stories involve a little trickery?!) by having her eat the fruit.
Libra Wine logoPersephone’s mother, Demeter, searched high and low for her and found out she was in Hades, presumably never to return. Demeter implored Zeus to intervene as mediator, and struck a deal that Persephone had to spend six months a year (one month for each pomegranete seed) with the god of the underworld in Hades. These six months represent winter, as Persephone’s mother Demeter is the goddess of agriculture, and her sadness leads to the cold winter months.
Where does Libra fit into all of this? Persephone was transported by Hades’s grand chariot which represented the constellation Libra, the “balance” between the underworld and the mortal world of humans.
Libra wines, first edition (stock photo from website)Bill and Linda Hanson, (and their daughter Lily) proclaim to live “in balance” and make their wines to reflect that value. Their first release includes a Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and a dry Riesling. We tried the Pinot Noir and the Riesling, and both had “very good” QPR ratings.
The Wines:
2008 Riesling – Crisp, simple but not boring, perfect with chicken curry and Chicken Mirabella (with olives, garlic, dried plums and spices). Dry, strong acids make it a very good food wine and very good QPR at $14.
2007 Pinot Noir – Again, simple but not dull, very smooth and subtle. I enjoyed this wine because it was not over the top, it had subtle nuances that showed up on day 2. European in style, it was light and drinkable like a German Pinot Noir. It didn’t have that Oregon Pinot “smoke” that I do not enjoy. Also a good QPR.
Available at Zupan’s markets.
Libra Wine: http://www.facebook.com/pages/LIBRA-WINE
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