This week’s “Cogill Wine and Film, A Perfect Pairing” on ReVolver Podcasts Gary and I raise a delicious, delightful glass to “Wonder Woman,” as she deserves a very good bottle. To pair with this daughter of mythology, a wine from Greece from the oldest wine company in the country, Boutari. More on both below.  To listen to the show, follow the link here and click “Episode 48.”

The Film: “Wonder Woman”

“Wonder Woman” arrives just in time to rescue the movie going public from the cinematic nonsense and stereotypes about women spewed in abundance by the bottom feeding, “Baywatch.”

Gal Gadot jumps off the screen as an Amazon princess living on a secluded island filled with beauty, discipline, and a screen-load of powerful equals who are doing just fine without men, thank you. Robin Wright (House of Cards) trains them, defends them, and even dies for their safety.

Chris Pine (Hell Or High Water, Star Trek) arrives through a mysterious fog like an alien from another planet and before you can say, “War To End All Wars,” the princess and the soldier are off to fight the Germans.

At it’s core, “Wonder Woman,” is about innocence, compassion, and the ability to look past the darkness and see love on the horizon. It’s not a female thing, it’s a human thing, and it runs deep in Gal Gadot’s performance.

She would also take out “The Rock” in one short round.

Director, Patty Jenkins (Monster) hits all the right notes until the finale, where “Wonder Woman” resembles all the other super hero movies with a showdown between good and evil using electro magnetic firepower. It’s a tedious sequence and unenlightened compared to the rest of this fine film.

Can I also say I like the guitar riffs on the “Wonder Woman” theme song? It’s a compelling sound in a compelling movie that speaks volumes about the importance of doing what is right in a world gone mad.

Play that “Wonder Woman” theme song one more time and bring on Patty Jenkins, Gal Gadot, Connie Nielsen, and Robin Wright. These woman are equals, always have been, always will, and if the wrong headed thinking that dreamed up “Baywatch,” would pay attention for a nano-second, they would figure it out, step aside, and act accordingly.

I’ll see this one again.

The Wine: Boutari Wines of Greece

To pair with this mythological “Wonder Woman,” Greek wines seemed to be the logical match. A few years ago traveling with New Wines of Greece I had a chance to visit the islands of Crete and Santorini, as well as Northern Greece and loved it.

In Crete we visited what is thought to be one of the earliest wine press, and olive oil press, in the world, dating back over 3500 years. It was a rudimentary in its simplicity, as it was mind blowing in that the press was still in tact as was the building where it stood. Dating to 1600 BC in Vathypetro, just a few kilometers outside Heraklion, the capital of Crete thought to have been developed by the ancient Minoan civilization of the region as they were one of the first cultures to be deeply connected with wine.

The worlds oldest wine press, dating back to 1600 BC

Looking out from this historic place there was a mountain where it is thought that Zeus spent his evenings with Europa. Mythology tells that Zeus was enamored of Europa (=the wide-eyed) and decided to seduce her, eventually leading her to the island of Crete. He revealed his true identity to her and Europa became the first queen of Crete. Minos, the legendary king was their son.

So, to pair with Diana, the daughter of the Amazon queen and Zeus, Boutari Wines, the oldest operating winery in Greece. The Boutari Company began in 1879 in Naoussa. Today with over 134 years of experience in the wine business, it is one of the top wineries in the country, leading the way around the world as an ambassador of Greek wine. Though owned now by Terlato, Christina Boutari is the face of the company as Exports Manager & dedicated “ambassador” of Boutari Winery in the USA, and pretty amazing.

Their winery in Crete specializes in earthy, dense reds like Kotsifali, Mantilari, Syrah and Mavrodafni, from northern hillside vineyards protected from the “livas”, the hot summer wind from the south, and benefits from the cool “meltemia” winds off the Cretan sea helping rich reds maintain freshness and acidity.