With Star Wars: The Force Awakens about to hit theaters, I’m sure many people are asking themselves, what wine should I drink to celebrate the premiere? My suggestion – approach the wine you choose for the premiere based upon your favorite Star Wars character or characters.

Here are my suggestions, all of which are from California, the home of Hollywood, of course:

Obi-Wan Kenobi – He is a legend, he (or at least Alec Guinness) is European, he is old, and he lives in the shadows of the Jedi / Sith who he trained. Who more represents Obi-Wan (“Ben”) Kenobi than Miljenko (“Mike”) Grgich? Mike Grgich is the legendary wine-maker and owner of Grgich Hills, who produces some of the best, bad-ass, interesting, and most European of California wines. Yet he lives, to some extent, in the shadows of Chateau Montelena. Chateau Montelena, of course, is the winery that Mike Grgich put on the map as its winemaker when it won the famed 1976 blind wine tasting, the Judgment of Paris. (I’m not saying that Chateau Montelena is Darth Vader, of course, but they did fund that awful movie Bottleshock just to try to sell their winery.)

Yoda – It may seem odd to choose one of the larger producers, but bear with me, this will make sense. If favorite character of yours, Yoda is, recommend B.V. (Beaulieu Vineyard), I do. Yoda survived the transformation of the Old Republic into the Galactic Empire, just like B.V. survived the implementation of Prohibition. B.V.’s legendary winemaker, Andrew Tchelistcheff, is arguably the greatest winemaker who ever lived, just like Yoda is the greatest Jedi who ever lived. Both passed away many years ago. And, both were really short. “Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? And well you should not.”

Princess Leia – Princess Leia is something special. She is not a winery, she is the presence that makes wine great. Therefore, she must be the winemaker Heidi Barrett. Nothing she makes is affordable, but then again, neither are Princess Leia’s tastes. While I’d love to recommend Screaming Eagle, Heidi Barrett’s most famous winery, how many of us can afford a $2,500 bottle? (If you can, please please come over to my house with a bottle.) I’ve had only one glass of it in my life, and I’m pretty proud of just that. So, putting aside Screaming Eagle, let’s go with a bottle of David Arthur Vineyards on Pritchard Hill. Heidi Barrett was there at the beginning of her career, their wines are awesome (like Princess Leia), and they are expensive but not so ridiculously pricey as to be unaffordable. “If money is all that you love, then that’s what you’ll receive.”

Luke Skywalker – Young, unproven, but has great promise. My first thought is the upstart winery, Ty Caton Vineyards, in Sonoma Valley. Sonoma Valley is a veritable Tatooine compared with its neighbor, Napa Valley, which is much more like Coruscant. (The name of one of my favorite Napa wineries, Corison, always reminds me of the name of the planet Coruscant.) Ty is a young guy, still learning the ropes, but his wines improve every year. His wines can be rash, a bit unpredictable, but grow wiser and more powerful with every vintage.

Han Solo – Han is unrefined but sexy. You never know what he’s going to do. If you cherish unpredictability and entertainment, what is better than Saarloos & Sons from Santa Barbara? Once the wine is all but sold-out, they’ll price it at $300, because why not? Deep down, there’s substance and depth under it, but their wine is unabashed, and tough, but reluctantly good.

R2-D2 and C-3PO – They are always together, and they are a bit formulaic. Yet, we love still love them. What wines are more predictable (but also the type of wines you’d love to hang out with) than Folie à Deux and Napa Cellars? They share a tasting room on Highway 29 in Napa. They’re part of a much larger scheme than they seem to comprehend (part of the Sutter Homes Winery conglomerate), and they keep us happily entertained, even if we may dream of bigger (and more expensive) wines.

Padmé – Idealistic, courageous, but perhaps a touch naïve delicate and sensitive. Ehlers Estate donates much of their profit to charities, and insists on being fully sustainable and organic. Their wines are pricy, but beauty is expensive. If Padmé is your favorite Star Wars character, open up an Ehlers.

Chewbacca – Chewbacca is hairy, tough, strong, and memorable. What better wine to drink in honor of Chewbacca than Enkidu from Sonoma Valley? Enkidu is named after the central figure from the historic Epic of Gilgamesh, the story of the hairy wild man raised by animals, who becomes Gilgamesh’s constant companion. And Enkidu goes well with a big juicy steak, just what Chewbacca would want to eat.

Jar Jar Binks – If Jar Jar Binks is your favorite Star Wars character, odds are you are under 21, so are you sure you can buy wine? If you’re over 21, might I recommend a nice box of Franzia?

Photo Credit:

• Featured Image – multiple characters: Jose Mª Izquierdo Galiot
• Obi-Wan Kenobi – Thunderchild7
• Yoda – Chris Isherwood
• Princess Leia – Jose Mª Izquierdo Galiot
• Luke Skywalker – Spielbrick Films
• Han Solo – Robert McGoldrick
• R2-D2 and C-3PO – Greg Lunzer
• Chewbacca – Spielbrick Films
• Jar Jar Binks – Caleb Wagoner