Immerse yourself into the world of SOTW

In 2322, the long saga of human history exists in the aether, accessible by multitudes of people across the galaxy. From the furthest planet-outposts, to the planet-homes in the Pleiades and Alpha-Centauri, to the First Planet - Earth - humanity’s story has been recorded and uploaded to the blockchain. The oldest stories like the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Rig Veda, and the Iliad are there, as well as the new ones such as the First Long Voyage, the Tragedy of the Last Lithium Mine, and the Return to Eden Project (RTEP). Ancient knowledge, interstellar technology, anti-gravity patents - all of it is available, connected by the Galaxy's web.

Different groups serve as custodians of different branches of knowledge. Among the most important are those who preserve the ancient knowledge of Earth, the Mother Planet, which, as a result of the RTEP, had largely returned to a state of wilderness by 2200. As a result, the history and the techniques of the cultivation and management of things that grow on Earth are held with particularly high regard. One of the groups that manage this information is the SOCIETY OF THE WINEGROWER (SOTW), which is tasked with keeping the knowledge of planting and tending vineyards, harvesting the fruit of those vines, and producing wine.

Before going in-depth on the Society of the Winegrower, allow us to give you a quick recap on the years leading up to 2322. Of the many events between the advent of the blockchain and the establishment of the SOTW, perhaps none is as significant as the Return to Eden Project, initiated in the year 2163. Many historians consider this moment, not unjustly, a watershed moment in human history, on par with the fall of the Roman Empire, or the democratic revolutions of the nineteenth century. There are even planets that mark 2163 as Year Zero, and reckon their calendar accordingly; for instance, it is the year 159 A.R.E. on Belciade 3 in the Pleiades System.

The decision to leave Earth, humanity’s first planet, and allow it to return to its primordial state was not an easy one. The proposal was first brought to the UN in the year 2154 by a consortium of visionaries who, given humanity’s potential to move easily about the galaxy and the viability of existing human settlements on dozens of exoplanets, presented the project as a win-win for the entire human population and for the First planet itself. Naturally, a proposal of this scope was met with great resistance. A coalition of leaders from nearly every country on Earth highlighted the astronomical financial cost, the logistical nightmares, the political battles, among many other issues.

However; in the end, the plan was proven to be feasible and all objections were overcome, and in 2163 the Return to Eden Project was officially launched. Entire nations (in some cases regions) were loaded onto spacefaring vessels, and humanity struck out for the reaches of the galaxy. Other than a few minor hiccups (descriptions of these will be saved for another forum), the plan went off without a hitch. As humanity settled on new worlds, Nature was allowed to reclaim the Earth. Forests expanded their cover over fields once planted with crops; rivers toppled the levies and damns that constrained them; beasts of prey expanded in population and domain as they retook their ancestral lands. Within a century, the First Planet was unrecognizable.

It is worth noting that a small human population remained behind. Within the proposal for the RETP was a clause stating that, after a century, a small but highly regulated tourism industry would open to human populations on other worlds. This was a compromise reached by the two opposing parties during the ratification process that allowed the project to get passed the UN special council. Naturally, there would need to be a small population of stewards left behind on Earth to manage these minute human settlements. Now, it is possible for a human to return to Earth and witness the planet in its natural state - an experience that comes highly recommended, but as with other issues, is not fit for detailed description here.

Now that we have outlined the major historical event leading up to the year 2322, let us spend some time on the Society of the Winegrower, a most prestigious institution of our current day. From a time before the records of history, through the time of the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, through the Succession of Industrial Revolutions, and finally far into the galaxy, vineyards have been cultivated, and wine made from the treasured grapes grown therein. In 2322, this long tradition is kept alive by the members of the Society of the Winegrower, a task that they perform with great pride.

The Society is comprised of a number of chapters, each dedicated to the methods of particular wine-producing regions from across the Mother Planet. These, among many others, include Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne in France; Tuscany, Piedmont, and Sicily in Italy; California, Oregon, and Washington in North America. Each chapter of the Society is represented by members who commit themselves to the spirit and traditions of each region.

The first chapter in the Society was the Chapter of Burgundy. Inspired by the Benedictine and Cistercian monks, who in Medieval Times mapped and tended the world-famous vineyards of the region, the Chapter of Burgundy is composed of these future-monks, known as WINEGROWERS, who, like their historical counterparts, are dedicated to a life in connection with the vine and the soil, and the wonderful fruits they produce across the galaxy. The names of their vineyards, the vines they plant, the wines they produce - all of it is inspired by the lauded wines of Burgundy.

In time, more and more chapters joined, such as the Chapter of Bordeaux, represented by the Future-Barons and Future-Baronesses, or the Chapter of Napa Valley and its Space-Hippies. In time, the wine-pioneers of the outer galaxy had begun to form chapters, joining the Society to represent their wines on newly settled planets. In time, these too would join the Society to tell their stories of making wine across the galaxy...

The story goes on forever, and as the world of the Winegrower expands, the opportunities for the members of the Society of the Winegrower do as well. The many years between the arrival of the blockchain and the establishment of the Society have been very eventful, and by all accounts, the future will be just as much! Join us to see where exactly that future will lead.