Semeli Thea Mantinia
Moschofilero from Mantineia
Nemea’s wine scene cannot be considered without Semeli Estate.
A winery operating since 1979 in Koutsi, Nemea, it focuses on Agiorgitiko, as well as other indigenous and international varieties.
The Semeli Estate portfolio also includes Moschofilero sourced from its homeland, Mantineia. The “SEMELI THEA MANTINIA – FINE LEES CONTACT” 2023 (PDO Mantineia) comes from a 25-year-old vineyard at an altitude of 650 meters, where it remained on its lees for 6 months. It is a youthful, straw-yellow wine, with abundant typical varietal characteristics such as rosewater and Turkish delight powder, embraced by tropical fruits like pineapple and kiwi.
The citrus blossoms, lemon zest, and peach that follow and intertwine with the lively, refreshing, and crisp acidity, and the medium-plus duration with a pleasantly sweet aftertaste, create an exquisite result ideal to pair with fried fish, white meats, and ceviche.
A visit to the impressive winery is a must for anyone in Nemea.
Απολαύστε το με…
G.F. Handel (1685-1759)
Semele
Semele, especially when she is a goddess, has a well-established work in the world of classical music: Handel’s oratorio Semele (1744), which, as has been repeatedly proven on stage, is actually an opera, and is now regularly staged everywhere. I myself had the opportunity to see it in 2004 in an amazing production at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. The opera ends with Semele’s incineration by Jupiter’s thunderbolts and fire, but it has a happy ending, as it leaves a great gift to humanity: Semele and Jupiter’s son, Dionysus, the god of wine. Anyone who saw that performance left it intoxicated.
The most famous excerpt, however, is not from Semele but Jupiter’s love aria Where’er you walk… You can watch it here from the Garsington Opera Festival.
Like every Baroque aria, it seems simple when you see it in the score, but much more complex when the performer sings it. It’s a bit like wine, which evolves from a simple juice into a complex flavor that is revealed in tasting and drinking.
Here you can watch the entire 2004 performance in decent video quality, featuring the incomparable Annick Massis in the title role:
Les Musiciens et les Choeurs du Louvre-Grenoble
Musical Direction: Marc MINKOWSKI
Stage Direction: David Mc VICAR
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, 2004
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