Champagne, if you are seeking the truth, is better than a lie detector. It encourages a man to be expansive, even reckless, while lie detectors are only a challenge to tell lies successfully.
—Graham Greene (1904–91) British Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer
Beauty is often worse than wine; intoxicating both the holder and beholder.
—Johann Georg Ritter von Zimmermann (1728–1795) Swiss Philosophical Writer, Naturalist, Physician
Wine gives a man nothing. It neither gives him knowledge nor wit; it only animates a man, and enables him to bring out what a dread of the company has repressed. It only puts in motion what had been locked up in frost.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
One should write not unskillfully in the running hand, be able to sing in a pleasing voice, and keep good time to music; and, lastly, a man should not refuse a little wine when it is pressed upon him.
—Yoshida Kenko (1283–1352) Japanese Poet, Essayist
I have lived temperately … I double the doctors recommendation of a glass and a half of wine a day and even treble it with a friend.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
If penicillin can cure those that are ill, Spanish sherry can bring the dead back to life.
—Alexander Fleming (1881–1955) Scottish Bacteriologist
To succeed you must add water to your wine, until there is no more wine.
—Jules Renard (1864–1910) French Writer, Diarist
Bacchus, that first from out the purple grape Crushed the sweet poison of misused wine.
—John Milton (1608–74) English Poet, Civil Servant, Scholar, Debater
And we meet, with champagne and a chicken, at last.
—Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689–1762) English Aristocrat, Poet, Novelist, Writer
When men drink, then they are rich and successful and win lawsuits and are happy and help their friends. Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.
—Aristophanes (447–386 BCE) Greek Comic Playwright
Friendship is the wine of life: but friendship new… is neither strong nor pure
—Edward Young (1683–1765) English Poet
You need not hang up the ivy branch over the wine that will sell.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
Wine and youth are fire upon fire.
—Henry Fielding (1707–54) English Novelist, Dramatist
What is man, when you come to think upon him, but a minutely set, ingenious machine for turning with infinite artfulness, the red wine of Shiraz into urine?
—Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen) (1885–1962) Danish Novelist, Short-story Writer
Give me women, wine and snuff Until I cry out hold, enough You may do so san objection Till the day of resurrection; For bless my beard then aye shall be My beloved Trinity.
—John Keats (1795–1821) English Poet
Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the water they loved to drink. This good man, Noah, having seen that all his contemporaries had perished by this unpleasant drink, took a dislike to it; and G-d, to relieve his dryness, created the vine and revealed to him the art of making wine. By the aid of this liquid, he revealed more and more truth.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
No one that has drunk old wine wants new; for he says, The old is nice.
—Steven Wright (b.1955) American Comedian, Actor, Writer
Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse – and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness –
And Wilderness is Paradise endow.
—Omar Khayyam (1048–1123) Persian Mathematician
Nothing equals the joy of the drinker, except the joy of the wine in being drunk.
—French Proverb
Con pan y vino se anda el camino With bread and wine you can walk your road.
—Spanish Proverb
Give me wine to wash me clean of the weather-stains of care.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Reality is an illusion that occurs due to a lack of wine.
—Anonymous
The wine-cup is the little silver well,
Where truth, if truth there be, doth dwell.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Fill every glass, for wine inspires us,
And fires us With courage, love and joy.
Women and wine should life employ.
Is there ought to else on earth desirous?
—John Gay (1685–1732) English Poet, Dramatist
Wine invents nothing; it only tattles. It lets out all secrets.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
For singing till his heaven fills,
Tis love of earth that he instills,
And ever winging up and up,
Our valley is his golden cup,
And he the wine which over flows
To lift us with him as he goes.
—George Meredith (1828–1909) British Novelist, Poet, Critic
Souls of Poets dead and gone, What Elysium have ye known, Happy field or mossy cavern, Choicer than the Mermaid Tavern? Have ye tippled drink more fine Than mine hosts Canary wine?
—John Keats (1795–1821) English Poet
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry; but money answereth all things.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Away with you, water, destruction of wine.
—Catullus (84–54 BCE) Roman Latin Poet
During one of my treks through Afghanistan, we lost our corkscrew. We were compelled to live on food and water for several days.
—W. C. Fields (1880–1946) American Actor, Comedian, Writer