Hermes

HERMES was the great Olympian God of animal husbandry, roads, travel, hospitality, heralds, diplomacy, trade, thievery, language, writing, persuasion, cunning wiles, athletic contests, gymnasiums, astronomy, and astrology.

That’s a well-rounded, versatile Olympic God.

My daughter and I did a marathon together a few years ago. To commemorate this event, we got a tattoo of a wing right below the ankle. The wing symbolizes this God. He was often depicted with winged boots or shoes, because among the many things he is known for, one is being fleet of foot. This of course would be a very helpful attribute while running a marathon.

What does all of this have to do with wine? I have no idea, but I really liked the label and the correlation to my tattoo. Oddly enough, I couldn't find out anything about this wine in terms of the winemaker or where it comes from in Greece, except that is imported by a company in New York.

It is recommended to be served chilled - specifically a half hour in the fridge before serving. I like chilled reds, especially in the warmer months. Since I'm in Phoenix and it's 70+ degrees. I'm thinking that qualifies.

Hermes retails for $9.99 at Total Wine. According to the label, it's a red, dry, table wine and is made with the Agiorgitiko grape. Wow, what a name! A little bit of research yielded that this grape is one of the two widely grown heat-resistant Greek winemaking grape varieties, the other being Xynomavro. It can take on a large range of characteristics, from soft to very tannic, depending on factors in the growing and winemaking processes.

It's really quite nice. It's light-bodied, but nicely flavored with gentle cherry notes and maybe a bit of chocolate - oh wait, I had a Thin Mint - maybe that was the chocolate....bahahah!! Actually no...I noted the chocolate notes before I indulged in a Thin Mint.

Also, chilling it makes it seem quite smooth. It's definitely a stand alone wine. Easy to drink and fun with a little tartness at the end that finishes quickly.

The label recommends red meat, appetizers and cheese. Hmmmm....that's a rather non-specific recommendation. I actually ate my dinner before the wine, and of course I didn't have any of that.

I would and will, buy this wine again. It's a great buy for those red wine lovers who like a lighter wine.

So, for next week.....I have no clue, but until then...Cheers!!