Black Wine on Gor


The Black Wine Contradiction, "If black wine isn't traded, how come everybody and his brother in the books is drinking it?"

Black wine is coffee. Stronger, bitter, but coffee.
It was extremely strong, and bitter, but it was hot, and, unmistakably, it was coffee.
Assassin

Beans presumed to be brought from earth originally
"Perhaps it is from Earth?" she asked.
"Originally, doubtless beans were brought from Earth," I said, "much as certain other seeds, and silk worms and such, but I doubt very much that the ship I saw last night had in its cargo anything as trivial as the beans for black wine."
Assassin

Soon I smelled the frying of vulo eggs in a large, flat pan, and the unmistakable odor of coffee, or as the Goreans express it, black wine. The beans grow largely on the slopes of the Thentis mountains. The original beans, I suppose, had been brought, like certain other Gorean products, from Earth; it is not impossible, of course, that the opposite is the case, that black wine is native to Gor and that the origin of Earth’s coffee beans is Gorean; I regard this as unlikely, however, because black wine is far more common on Earth than on Gor, where it is, except for the city of Thentis, a city famed for her tarn flocks, and her surrounding villages, a somewhat rare and unusual luxury.
Slave Girl

"What is that I smell?" I asked.
"Black wine," said she, "from the Mountains of Thentis."
Assassin

Thentis does not trade the beans for black wine
"Actually," I said to Elizabeth, "this is very rare. Thentis does not trade the beans for black wine. I have heard of a cup of black wine in Ar, some years ago, selling for a silver eighty-piece. Even in Thentis black wine is used commonly only in High Caste homes."
Assassin

Men have been killed trying to smuggle beans out of the Thentian mountains
I grinned, and washed down the eggs with a swig of hot black wine, prepared from the beans grown upon the slopes of the Thentis mountains. This black wine is quite expensive. Men have been slain on Gor for attempting to smuggle the beans out of the Thentian territories.
Beasts

Sleen used to sniff out black wine beans being taken from Thentis
Aside from these common uses, sleen are put to other uses, too. In Thentis, for example, sleen are used to smell out contraband, in the form of the unauthorized egress of the beans for black wine from the Thentian territories.
Slave Girl

Simply brought from kitchen in thick heavy clay bowls in a Slavers House, in Ar
In short order two bowls, steam cuffing out of them, were brought and placed on the table.
I sat there staring down at them, and Elizabeth did, too. Then I picked up one of the thick, heavy clay bowls. Since no one was looking, we knocked the bowls together and put them to our lips.
Assassin

In a metal tankard, in the camp of men from Ar
My master extended to me his metal tankard. Gratefully I filled it again with the steaming black wine.
Slave Girl

Poured from a pot into the tankard
I, grasping the pot with a rag and both hands, poured him a handled, metal tankard of the steaming black brew, coffee or black wine.
Slave Girl

In goblets, perhaps (3 goblets on tray, appear to be used whether men wish the water or the black wine)
"Master," said Peggy, approaching the table, kneeling beside it, bearing a tray. She placed the tray on the table and removed three plates of bread and meat from it, a dish of assorted cheeses, a bowl of dates, a pitcher of water, a pot of black wine, steaming, and tiny vessels of sugars and creams, and three goblets. On the table too, she placed small spoons of silver from Tharna for use with the black wine, and at each place, a kailiauk-horn-handled eating prong from distant Tura. Finger towels then and a silver fingerbowl too, she placed on the table. The bowl was also of Tharnan silver. When she had placed these things on the table, she looked about still kneeling, and saw me close the door to the room, locking her within with us. She suddenly trembled. She knew that she was a slave and that absolutely anything could be done with her.
Rogue

In a tiny cup, in the Tahari
"It was my loss," smiled Ibn Saran, lifting to his lips a tiny, steaming cup of black wine.
Tribesmen

In the Tahari, poured from a tall silvered pot
From one side a slave girl, barefoot, bangled, in sashed, diaphanous, trousered chalwar, gathered at the ankles, in tight, red-silk vest, with bare midriff, fled to him, with the tall, graceful, silvered pot-containing the black wine. She was veiled. She knelt, replenishing the drink.
Tribesmen

The silver pot kept warm on a brazier
The girl in whose charge was the silver vessel, filled with black wine, knelt beside a tiny brazier, on which it sat, retaining its warmth.
Tribesmen

tray of sugars, to be added to black wine
She carried a tray, on which were various spoons and sugars. She knelt, placing her tray on the table. With a tiny spoon, its tip no more than a tenth of a hort in diameter, she placed four measures of white sugar, and six of yellow, in the cup; with two stirring spoons, one for the white sugar, another for the yellow, she stirred the beverage after each measure. She then held the cup to the side of her cheek, testing its temperature; Ibn Saran glanced at her; she, looking at him, timidly kissed the side of the cup and placed it before him.
Tribesmen

Two slaves, together, serving black wine. One pours, the other adds sugars & cream
She rose swiftly to her feet. She knelt, head down, before me. She poured, carefully, the hot, black beverage into the tiny red cup. I dismissed her. Beneath her veil I had not been able to read the lettering on her collar, which would tell who owned her. I supposed it was Suleiman, since she was serving in the palace. The other girl, the white-skinned, red-haired girl, also in vest, chalwar and veil, and bangles and collar, lifted her tray of spoons and sugars. But I turned away. She was not summoned. The girls, white-skinned, were a matched set of slaves, one for the black wine, one for its sugars.
Tribesmen

The two slaves, their chains removed, now returned, and began to serve the black wine. The voluptuous slave of Aemilianus, whom he had not yet named, placed the tiny sliver cups, on small stands, before us. The lovely little slave in bluish gauze, whom I had not yet named, holding the narrow-spouted, silver pouring vessel in a heavy cloth, to retain its heat and protect her hands, poured the scalding, steaming black fluid, in narrow, tiny streams, into the small cups. She poured into the cups only the amount that would be compatible with the assorted sugars and creams which the guest might desire, if any, these being added in, and stirred, if, and as, pertinent, by Aemilianus' slave, who directed the serving.
...
"Master?" asked the girl in yellow gauze, who had been Shirley and now belonged, for the moment nameless, to my friend Aemilianus, of Ar's Station.
"Second slave," I told her, which, among the river towns, and in certain cities, particularly in the north, is a way of indicating that I would take the black wine without creams or sugars, and as it came from the pouring vessel, which, of course, in these areas, is handled by the "second slave," the first slave being the girl who puts down the cups, takes the orders and sees that the beverage is prepared according to the preferences of the one who is being served.
"Second slave," said the slave of Aemilianus
"Yes, Mistress," said the girl in bluish gauze. She was extremely careful not to spill a drop. Black wine, except in the vicinity of Thentis, where most of it is grown on the slopes of the Thentis range, is quite expensive. Also, of course, clumsy slave girls are often whipped. The expression "second slave," incidentally, serves to indicate that one does not wish creams or sugars with one's black wine, even if only one girl is serving.
Guardsman

Thentis jealously guards its black wine, but nonetheless we see it in various places on Gor, generally afforded by men of wealth & power.

In the largest Slavers House in Ar
"What is that I smell?" I asked.
"Black wine," said she, "from the Mountains of Thentis."
I had heard of black wine, but had never had any. It is drunk in Thentis, but I had never heard of it being much drunk in any of the other cities.
Assassin

In the palace of the Pasha, in the Tahari
"I regret," said Ibn Saran, "that we could not travel together to Kasra, and then Tor."
"I was called away swiftly," said I, "on matters of business."
"It was my loss," smiled Ibn Saran, lifting to his lips a tiny, steaming cup of black wine.
Tribesmen

In Port Kar, in the House of Samos, First Slaver / First Captain
"The arrogance of Kurii may yet prove their undoing," said Samos.
He sat, cross-legged, behind the low table. On It were hot bread, yellow and fresh, hot black wine, steaming, with its sugars, slices of roast bosk, the scrambled eggs of vulos, pastries with creams and custards.
Beasts

In Victoria, a delicacy not often purchased
"You may serve the black wine now, in small cups, Lola," said Miss Henderson. "Yes Mistress," whispered Lola.
This was a delicacy. I had purchased, some days ago, but we had not yet served it. In a few Ehn Lola returned with the tray, with the vessel of steaming liquid, the creams and sugars, the tiny cups and the small spoons for mixing and measuring.
Rogue

When using two girls to serve black wine, one pours the black wine. The other, who directs the serve, adds and stirs in any wanted creams or sugars.

"First slave" is the slave who puts down the cups, takes the orders, and stirs in creams and sugars. One indicating he wishes black wine "first slave", desires that creams and sugars be added.

"Second slave" indicates the desire to have it without creams and sugars, the way it comes from the pouring vessel, which is handled by the "second slave".

Even when only one girl serves black wine, the terms are often used in certain areas
The two slaves, their chains removed, now returned, and began to serve the black wine. The voluptuous slave of Aemilianus, whom he had not yet named, placed the tiny sliver cups, on small stands, before us. The lovely little slave in bluish gauze, whom I had not yet named, holding the narrow-spouted, silver pouring vessel in a heavy cloth, to retain its heat and protect her hands, poured the scalding, steaming black fluid, in narrow, tiny streams, into the small cups. She poured into the cups only the amount that would be compatible with the assorted sugars and creams which the guest might desire, if any, these being added in, and stirred, if, and as, pertinent, by Aemilianus' slave, who directed the serving.
....
"Master?" asked the girl in yellow gauze, who had been Shirley and now belonged, for the moment nameless, to my friend Aemilianus, of Ar's Station.
"Second slave," I told her, which, among the river towns, and in certain cities, particularly in the north, is a way of indicating that I would take the black wine without creams or sugars, and as it came from the pouring vessel, which, of course, in these areas, is handled by the "second slave," the first slave being the girl who puts down the cups, takes the orders and sees that the beverage is prepared according to the preferences of the one who is being served.
"Second slave," said the slave of Aemilianus
"Yes, Mistress," said the girl in bluish gauze. She was extremely careful not to spill a drop. Black wine, except in the vicinity of Thentis, where most of it is grown on the slopes of the Thentis range, is quite expensive. Also, of course, clumsy slave girls are often whipped. The expression "second slave," incidentally, serves to indicate that one does not wish creams or sugars with one's black wine, even if only one girl is serving.
Guardsman

I lifted the tiny silver cup to my lips and took a drop of the black wine. Its strength and bitterness are such that it is normally drunk in such a manner, usually only a drop or a few drops at a time. Commonly, too, it is mollified with creams and sugars. I drank it without creams and sugars, perhaps, for I had been accustomed, on Earth, to drinking coffee in such a manner, and the black wine of Gor is clearly coffee, or closely akin to coffee. Considering its bitterness, however, if I had not been drinking such a tiny amount, and so slowly, scarcely wetting my lips, I, too, would surely have had recourse to the tasty, gentling additives with which it is almost invariably served.
Guardsman

Susan then approached the diners. "Black wine, Masters?'
she asked.
"Yes," said Drusus Rencius.
"Yes," said Publius.
Susan then turned to me and snapped her fingers. "Sheila," she called.
"Yes, Mistress," I said. I took the vessel of black wine, removing it from its warmer, and put it on its tray, that already bearing the tiny cups, the creams and sugars, the spices, tbe napkins and spoons. I then carried the tray, with the black wine, hot and steaming, to the table and put it down there. Susan then, as "first slave," took the orders and did the measuring and mixing; I, as "second slave," did the pouring. Afterward~ I returned the tray 'to the serving table, and the vessel of black wine to its warmer I then joined Susan, kneeling beside her in the vicinity of the serving table.
Kajira