Nino &
the Vines
Nino &
the Vines
2:54
24 Sep 2020
We know Georgia is the birthplace of wine, as radiocarbon evidence identified residue in fermenting pots going back 8,000 years. But as you wander around modern-day Georgia, you notice just how thoroughly grapevines are woven into our culture. Beyond vines literally growing on almost every home and business, everything from government buildings to the state seal has an appearance of vines as important, decorative elements.
One story that is dear to the culture and spans back nearly two millennia is the epic “Saint Nino & the Vines.” Nino lived in Jerusalem in Roman times a few centuries after Christ. At this time, Rome was slowly losing its pagan religion and becoming Christian. Nino was left with an old woman as her father went off to become a monk. The woman, named Sara, schooled young Nino in the Christian faith, including all the stories of Christ’s life and the Roman soldier who won Christ’s robe in a lot after his death. That Roman, legend tells, carried Christ’s robe to the country of Georgia.
Nino prayed fervently, day and night, becoming a devout follower of Christ. Her thoughts often wandered to the fate of Christ’s robe. She knew it was in Georgia, and surely, she thought, it must not be lost. Sara, her religious mentor, told her the holy robe was in the hands of tribes of pagans and the godless in the land northeast of Jerusalem. This bothered Nino. At this point, Mary, the mother of God, appears to Nino and instructs her to head north and seek out the robe. In her vision, Mary cut vines from her grave and wove them into a cross, which was handed to Nino as a sort of shield against “visible and invisible enemies.” And so, Nino ventured north, carrying the cross given to her by the Virgin Mary made from holy vines, essentially introducing Christianity to the country of Georgia. The story connects the divinity, winemaking, and the beloved Saint Nino and established what is today the modern Georgian national identity. And if you decide to come and visit our country someday, you’ll notice “Nino” is the most popular name for women in modern Georgia.
We know Georgia is the birthplace of wine, as radiocarbon evidence identified residue in fermenting pots going back 8,000 years. But as you wander around modern-day Georgia, you notice just how thoroughly grapevines are woven into our culture. Beyond vines literally growing on almost every home and business, everything from government buildings to the state seal has an appearance of vines as important, decorative elements.
One story that is dear to the culture and spans back nearly two millennia is the epic “Saint Nino & the Vines.” Nino lived in Jerusalem in Roman times a few centuries after Christ. At this time, Rome was slowly losing its pagan religion and becoming Christian. Nino was left with an old woman as her father went off to become a monk. The woman, named Sara, schooled young Nino in the Christian faith, including all the stories of Christ’s life and the Roman soldier who won Christ’s robe in a lot after his death. That Roman, legend tells, carried Christ’s robe to the country of Georgia.
Nino prayed fervently, day and night, becoming a devout follower of Christ. Her thoughts often wandered to the fate of Christ’s robe. She knew it was in Georgia, and surely, she thought, it must not be lost. Sara, her religious mentor, told her the holy robe was in the hands of tribes of pagans and the godless in the land northeast of Jerusalem. This bothered Nino. At this point, Mary, the mother of God, appears to Nino and instructs her to head north and seek out the robe. In her vision, Mary cut vines from her grave and wove them into a cross, which was handed to Nino as a sort of shield against “visible and invisible enemies.” And so, Nino ventured north, carrying the cross given to her by the Virgin Mary made from holy vines, essentially introducing Christianity to the country of Georgia. The story connects the divinity, winemaking, and the beloved Saint Nino and established what is today the modern Georgian national identity. And if you decide to come and visit our country someday, you’ll notice “Nino” is the most popular name for women in modern Georgia.
