Wine Poetic: Viking Skalds

​Wine Poetic is where the worlds of wine, spirits, poetry, and history converge. In this wine and poetry immersive, the life and work of a noteworthy poet is explored alongside a selection of site-specific wines (and at times, spirits & other ancestral libations) from the same country of origin.

​Selected poems bleed into mini lectures, which segue into guided tastings and generative writing exercises--all of which fuel rousing discussions and incredible poetry to be written and felt in equal measure. Every gathering is an opportunity to hone one's craft, discover new histories, enliven the palate, and redefine the poetic experience - all in community with others. Check out our Wine Poetic are.na channel for a full archive of our previous symposiums/workshops.

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For our next Wine Poetic installment, PSNY & GNOSES are thrilled to partner with Brooklyn-based & - the only producer of mead in New York City - to present the mysterious lives plus select works of the Viking Skalds: poets, historians, and world class navigators of the high seas.

The tasting will feature 3 distinct cuvées of Enlightenment mead and costs an additional $20, to be paid directly to Honey's upon check-in. Additional glasses will be available for purchase. Honey's offers a wide selection of alcoholic and N/A beverages. Bottles of mead will also be available for purchase after the workshop, with prices ranging from $25-$30.

The program will include:

• ​​An oratory overview of the Viking Skalds, their history and prominence, plus a lens into Norse mythology led by writer and Wine Poetic co-creator, Darby Wagner.
• Selected readings, plus generative memorization & writing exercises.
• A generative discussion on the cultural and historical significance of mead, plus a guided tasting and discussion of the selected pairings, facilitated by Darby and led by Enlightenment's Lead Brewer, Harris.
• ​Discussion questions that explore the (in)visible threads between mead, Norse mythology, Skaldic poetry, and the poetics of the evening.
• An immersive tasting experience inside the production and aging facility of Enlightenment Wines Meadery (same address as Honey's - 93 Scott Ave).

​Please bring a journal, an open mind & appetite, and a writing utensil of your choice.

Enlightenment Wines & Honey's are ADA ACCESSIBLE! Assistance will be provided for all those in need. Please contact Tova at [email protected] so we can plan accordingly.

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Wine Poetic was co-created by writer, experience designer, and 'rogue' sommelier, Darby Wagner - founder of GNOSES - and poet, educator, and COO of The Poetry Society of New York, Jackie Braje.

"When properly recited in appropriate surroundings, Viking-Age poetry can taste like cold
iron on the tongue, its complex rhyme schemes building upon one another like layers of frost—treacherous but beautiful. We gain something old and true in this language, even if only understood in translation..." (Neil Price, The Childlren of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings)

Host or Publisher The Poetry Society of New York