Do you remember a few months ago when we talked about all the Italian expressions and sayings connected to food? Well, of course we said that food is a main component of Italian culture and tradition, so, why wouldn’t it be part of its language too? Well, there is another feature that is sometimes forgotten, but very important as well: vino! Oh, Italian wines are well-known all over the world and celebrated, but what about all the knowledge that comes from Italian wine expressions and sayings? In this time of celebration, let’s open a bottle of wine, take a look at some of those picturesque sayings in this article, and share this “ancient” knowledge.
Let’s start with a classic l’acqua fa male e il vino fa cantare – water is bad for you and wine makes you sing. Well, I believe there’s no need for an explanation for this one. To cheat a little let’s remember another classic, the famous in vino veritas, the Latin proverb often used in Italian that reminds us that with a glass of wine always comes out a glass of truth.
To remind all of us how great wine is we can’t forget: Il vino di casa non ubriaca – the house wine doesn’t make you drunk – is an invite to enjoy the simple pleasures of life; and il vino fa buon sangue – wine makes good blood – because as you all know a glass of wine per day improves you heart health (or at least that’s what they say, and I like to believe them).
Talking about sizes we have: nelle botti piccolo c’è il vino buono – the good wine is in small barrels – is a reminder that we shouldn’t be tricked by appearances and that more often than not, something great comes from something that doesn’t look as great. This expression is often used to celebrate people who are simply not very tall and how their tiny size makes them even better and greater.
Wine is also about friendships and trust: Chi non beve vino in compagnia o è un ladro o una spia – who doesn’t drink wine when in company is either a thief or a spy – clearly refers to the fact that if you avoid drinking when out with people, you must have something to hide; and per fare un amico basta un bicchiere, per mantenerlo non basta una botte – to make a friend you only need a glass of wine, to keep them, a barrel is not enough. Oh isn’t that the truth!
But also, amicizia stretta dal vino non dura da sera a mattino – a friendship created with a glass of wine doesn’t last from the night to the next morning – meaning that friendships that were made during a crazy party, often last for that party and that’s it. You know, that random person that became your BFF at your cousin’s 21st birthday party, that you have never seen again and didn’t even know their name.
But those wine expressions also give very concrete advice: se il vaso è mal lavato, il buon vino è sciupato – if the glass is poorly washed, the good wine is wasted – reminds us of how wasted a masterpiece be, if we neglect even just a small detail. Non puoi avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca – you can’t have both a full barrel and a drunk wife, – well, you gotta choose what you want in life, you can’t have it all. But also vino su birra bene sta; birra su vino mal ti farà – wine before beer is okay; beer after wine will make you sick. Try it and tell me if it is true.
But I think I want to say goodbye with a more “Christmassy” tone here, to celebrate December and its atmosphere, but, above all, justice the Italian way. Let us conclude with a chi non piace il vino, il Signore faccia mancare l’acqua – to whom doesn’t like wine, God will deny water to.
Buon Natale to you all!