Celebrating the harvest

From time immemorial we have celebrated the harvest bounty by ritual offerings to the gods.

Prior to consumption, ancient Egyptians offered a portion of deliberately spilt wine to Bes, their most popular household god. During their period of ascendancy, the Greeks similarly made offerings to Dionysus. And the Roman Empire continued this tradition by honouring their god Bacchus. In our day we celebrate the grape harvest with the rites of Beaujolais Nouveau and Wassail.

But wine was not the only offering. First brewed in China around 2000 B.C., tea was consumed for its medicinal and refreshment properties. An elaborate ritual developed to recognize the importance of tea within the Chinese culture. When introduced into Japan in the 6th century A.D., tea was reserved for the priest class. By the 13th century, however, the samurai class had developed a unique tea ceremony of almost 50 steps, which can be either be a formal ceremony or a demonstration of love and respect.

Another splendid example of man’s desire to offer a unique beverage to placate the gods is the MesoAmerican discovery of the cocoa bean, used in a beverage to honour Aztec and Mayan gods. It was also used as a payment of tribute tax owed to the dominant cultures.

Coffee did not come on the scene until the 13th century when (apparently) a goat herder observed his animals reacting oddly after consuming some red beans. Upon tasting the beans he got the first drivethrough buzz. He then offered some beans to monks who threw them into a fire. They were enchanted by the wonderful smell of the roasting coffee beans. When the monks added boiling water to ground-up roasted beans, a brand new daily ritual ensued.

While we may not appreciate all of the above at the same time, we continue to honour the gods that gave us these gifts.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
I came across a fun sparkling wine this week that will leave you pixielated. Created by Dan Sullivan of Rosehall Run, the name of this cheeky wine is Pixie. This multifunctional, lip-smacking treat is made from Riesling, Chardonnay, and Zweigelt grapes. Since it is carbonated, it can easily slip into the category of a celebration wine. It has a pretty, pink colour and bubbles that tickle your nose. The Riesling component predominates the palate and finishes it with a hint of freshly shelled almonds.

A hand-crafted label and a welcomed alcohol content of only 9.5 per cent, make this wine perfect for a fun brunch or pre-dinner sipper. At $17.95 per bottle, it is definitely worth stocking up on this wine for the soonto- arrive holiday season.

Pixie is only available at the tasting room at Rosehall Run, located at 1243 Greer Rd., in Hillier.