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Bacchus Uncorked:

Drinking (and Eating) with Greeks and Persians

Getty Villa – Auditorium and Outer Peristyle Garden

Sat-Sun, July 9-10, 2022, 5-8pm

Tickets: $90, includes wine and appetizers. 21 and over.
Parking fee: $20; $10 after 3:00 pm.
This program is offered on July 9th and again on July 10th from 5:00–8:00 p.m. Tickets are for a single date.

Wine was an important symbol and valuable social lubricant for Greeks and Persians alike in the period from 600–350 BC. Historian John W. I. Lee explores drinking practices and related food through the eyes of Xenophon, a Greek mercenary in Persia who wrote many stories of food and drink. Following his talk, wine educator Diego Meraviglia introduces the selection of wines to be served that are inspired by Persian and Greek traditions. Enjoy a summer evening sipping wine while taking in the Villa’s architecture and gardens.

This program complements the exhibition Persia: Ancient Iran and the Classical World on view through August 8, 2022.

Planning your visit
The Getty Villa Museum is open to the general public from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Check-in for this program opens at 4:00 p.m. in the auditorium lobby, and the auditorium opens at 4:30 p.m. for seating. The Cafe is open for lunch service from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., and the Getty Store is open until 5:00 p.m. Click here for more information.

Wine tasting takes place in partially covered outdoor spaces; please dress accordingly. Plan to arrive early to visit the exhibition Persia: Ancient Iran and the Classical World as the galleries will not be open during wine tasting.

About John W.I. Lee

John W.I. Lee is professor of history at UC Santa Barbara. He grew up in Asia and Hawai’i, studied history at the University of Washington (Seattle), and received his PhD in history from Cornell University. His publications include A Greek Army on the March: Soldiers and Survival in Xenophon’s Anabasis (Cambridge University Press, 2008), The Persian Empire (The Great Courses, 2012), and The First Black Archaeologist: A Life of John Wesley Gilbert (Oxford University Press, 2022).