Bacchus Uncorked: Drinking Like a Persian King

Bacchus Uncorked:

Drinking Like a Persian King

Getty Villa – Auditorium and Outer Peristyle Garden

Sat-Sun, June 11-12, 2022, 5-8pm

Tickets: $90, includes wine and appetizers. 21 and over.
Parking fee: $20; $10 after 3:00 pm.

Wine-drinking etiquette at the royal court of Persepolis and other ancient Persian capitals influenced the drinking rituals at courts from Egypt to India. Historian Touraj Daryaee explores the historic diplomacy of wine and surveys coveted ancient wines from Afghanistan to Iraq, regions once well known for wine production. He traces the early evidence of winemaking in the Caucasus and Iran, highlighting texts and objects associated with drinking in the Achaemenid, Arsacid, and Sasanian Empires of 500 BCE to 650 CE. Following his presentation, enjoy sipping distinctive wines while taking in the sculpture and flora of the Villa's 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 Touraj Daryaee

Touraj Daryaee holds the Maseeh Endowed Chair in Persian Studies & Culture and is the director of the Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies & Culture at the University of California, Irvine. He is the editor of The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History (Oxford University Press, 2012) and the forthcoming Food for Gods, Food for Mortals: Culinary and Dining Practices in the Greater Iranian World (with Shervin Farridnejad, UCI Center for Persian Studies, 2022).