Words and Wine – Our Favourite Quotes About Italian Wine

Many people see wine as an art form. After all, creating a great Italian wine is about so much more than crushing grapes, ageing the juice, and then drinking it. The best producers pour their hearts and souls into their wines. And the end results aren’t just drinks. They’re pieces of art that tell you all you need to know about the land that they came from.

If we see Italian wine as art, it should come as no surprise that artists throughout the centuries have had a lot to say about the wines that they love. In this article, we’re going to share some of our favourite quotes about wine and talk about what they mean to us.

“One should always be drunk. That’s all that matters…But with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you chose. But get drunk.”­ – Charles Baudelaire

We adore this quote because it isn’t really about getting “drunk”.

It’s about passion.

Baudelaire talks about how wine, much like poetry or virtue, is something to be passionate about. He’s encouraging anybody who listens that they should find that one thing in life that they care about and pursue it.

Enjoy it.

Love it for everything that it is and allow it to bring joy into your life.

“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.” – Benjamin Franklin

We think that everybody can agree with the great inventor here. After all, we’ve all had those days where we felt rushed off our feet. Coming back home feeling stressed out, we head straight for a bottle of Italian wine and pour a glass.

All of the tension melts as we enjoy the beautiful drink.

Franklin’s love of wine stemmed from its ability to slow him down and help to relieve him of the stress of his work. We believe that is why so many others love Italian wine too.

“I pray you, do not fall in love with me, for I am falser than vows made in wine.” – William Shakespeare

In an interesting tie back to our article about whether wine is a truth serum or not, the great Shakespeare’s quote from As You Like it reveals that too much wine is a potentially dangerous thing. Sometimes, it can set tongues wagging in ways they would not normally wag.

Interestingly, the great bard is almost preaching responsible drinking before the concept truly existed. He’s telling us that wine is to be enjoyed, rather than consumed to the point where it makes us vulnerable and, by extension, could cause issues for other people.

“Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.” – Ernest Hemingway

Leave it to one of the greatest writers of modern times to deliver a quote that perfectly encapsulates everything that Italian wine sets out to be.

Here, Hemingway tells us that wine is so much more than a drink to be consumed. It is a complete sensory experience that is only made possible through a combination of nature and human ingenuity.

He also tells us that every wine we drink is different, offering its own sensations and sensory experiences. Ultimately, Hemingway wants us to know that wine is to be savoured.

“Beer is made by men, wine by God.” – Martin Luther

While this quote may seem a little like it’s deriding beer, it’s really a simple statement by a religious man. Wine is often seen as the nectar of the gods. In fact, many ancient civilizations had gods dedicated solely to wine.

Perhaps it makes sense to see wine as a product of some higher power.

Again, we think back to the sensory experiences that wine provides. No other drink has the same power to enrapture and engage that Italian wine has. We believe this quote is less a literal statement and more an observation of the true power that a great wine has over the drinker.

“Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink, I feel shame! Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this wine, they might be out of work, and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, ‘It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.” – Jack Handey

The famed American humourist delivers again with a quote that can’t help to raise a smile.

Still, it makes the important point that every wine that we drink is the result of a lot of hard work by producers who have dedicated themselves to their passion. While Handey makes a joke about the effects of over-consumption on his liver, he’s really saying that wine is to be appreciated simply because it takes a huge amount of effort to make.

Nothing good in life comes easily.

This is something we should all remember when enjoying our wine.

“Wine can be a better teacher than ink, and banter is often better than books” – Stephen Fry

Where Shakespeare warned against the dangers of imbibing too much wine, Fry points out that the ability of wine to spark conversation is one of its greatest traits.

After all, there is a reason why wine is often served during gatherings.

The conversations that wine inspires can be some of our greatest sources of learning. Never underestimate the power of coming together with friends to enjoy a bottle.

The Final Word

So many weird and wonderful things have been said about wine that it would be impossible to include them all here.

Instead, we have a small collection of quotes that stick in our minds, for one reason or another. Our hope is that each will inspire you to appreciate the Italian wines you drink on a deeper level. After all, as we said at the beginning of the article, a great wine is truly a work of art.