L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano A s crazy as it may seem, that's the truth. Psycholo- g i s t s s a y t h e y can understand our personality type based on t h e w i n e w e p r e f e r . Research carried out at the U n i v e r s i t y o f M a c e r a t a (Marche) and the University of Verona (Veneto) with a sample of 1,200 people aged between 18 and 87 showed just that. Participants were given a version of the Big Five Inventory — a test that focuses on the five funda- mental dimensions of person- ality, extraversion, agreeable- n e s s , n e u r o t i c i s m , conscientiousness, and open- ness — and asked what was their favorite wine. Results s h o w e d t h a t p e o p l e w h o enjoy red wines are in gen- eral quite reflective, but also more realistic and attached to traditions. They also tend to be less likely to be adventur- ous but like romanticism. Apparently, emotionally sta- ble people like rich, full-bod- i e d r e d s l i k e C a b e r n e t Sauvignon or Syrah, while people who are mentally open like stronger flavors and reds rich in tannins. Interesting. Let's see if we can find out more. A study from the National Wine and G r a p e I n d u s t r y C e n t e r a t Charles Sturt Univerity, Aus- tralia, sheds further light on the subject. If you like Chi- anti, you probably enjoy your routine and don't really care much about wine at all; if, on the other hand, your favorite is Brunello di Montalci- no you may be a tad too full of yourself — their words, not mine. Barolo is the wine of those who are direct, stub- born, and always speak their mind. If, on the other hand, you ask for nothing more than an evening with a good bottle of Amarone della Valpolicella you probably enjoy solitude and are a bit mysterious. I f L a m b r u s c o i s y o u r p i c k , t h e n y o u m a y h a v e issues letting go of your past and of happy times that are not going to come back. Do you enjoy Bordeaux? Then you are cosmopolitan and like making new friends, but if you are a woman, it means you're into sports and physi- c a l a c t i v i t y . L a s t b u t n o t least, Pinot Noir, the wine of those who like challenges. And what about w h i t e wines? Well, according to the Australian study, white wine lovers are usually hon- est, straightforward, and tend t o b e m o r e c a r e f r e e t h a n those who like reds. They enjoy partying, staying with friends, and spending time outdoors. There are some p e c u l i a r i t i e s , t h o u g h , d e p e n d i n g o n w h a t y o u select: for instance, if you like Chardonnay best, then you may be seeking reassur- a n c e a n d p e a c e ; i f y o u pour Vermentino in your glass, you probably like the sea, the summer and all that y o u c a n d o o u t d o o r s . Gewurtztramier, it seems, is a good choice for a first date, while Riesling is your wine if you are super-orga- nized and hate unexpected events. Last but not least, let's t a k e a l o o k a t s p a r k l i n g wines. It seems that women and younger people, in gen- eral, are most fond of bol- licine. These are wines for creative, fun individuals. If you like Franciacorta, you have high-end tastes and a lifestyle to match, while those w h o g o f o r V a l d o b b i - adene enjoy their habits and the sense of security that comes with them. If cham- pagne is your most beloved tipple, then you are fun-lov- ing and want to show off a lit- tle. You may wonder what's the point of knowing all these d e t a i l s a b o u t p e o p l e a n d their favorite wine, besides having something quirky to tell your friends next time you meet for an aperitivo. In truth, it all boils down to one word: business. Identifying with a certain accuracy the specific target market of a product can help wineries to develop strategically their advertisement campaigns and reach people who are more likely to enjoy a specific t y p e o f w i n e . T h e r e i s n o point to try and sell cham- pagne to a solitary philoso- pher type, get them a bottle of strong red. And if you have to supply wine for a college reunion, go for Lambrusco. So, what do you think? Are t h e s e r e s u l t s a c c u r a t e ? What's your favorite wine, and do you find yourself in the personality type associat- ed with it? T o d a y ' s w o r d i s e p p u r e ( a i - puh-rai). Eppure comes from the L a t i n p h r a s e e t pūre, which means "and even so." This phrase was com- p o s e d o f t h e c o n j u n c t i o n e t , m e a n i n g "and," and the adverb pūre, meaning "purely" or "truly." Over time, it evolved into the word eppure in Italian and gained the meaning of "how- e v e r , " " n e v e r t h e l e s s , " o r "despite" ("despite all") in English. Eppure is frequently used to convey a contradiction or a difference between two state- ments as in, for example, non m i p i a c e l a p i z z a , m a n e m a n g i o u n a f e t t a o g n i tanto ("I don't like pizza, but I have a slice every now and t h e n " ) , o r h o s t u d i a t o moltissimo per l'esame ma ho solo ottenuto un voto suf- ficiente ("I studied hard for the exam, but I only earned a passing grade"). In addition, eppure can be used to introduce a conclu- sion or concluding remark, as in sono andato alla festa senza grandi aspettative, ma alla fine mi sono divertito molto ("I went to the party with low expectations, but in the end I had a lot of fun"). Eppure is frequently used i n c o l l o q u i a l l a n g u a g e , a l t h o u g h i t c a n a l s o b e employed in official circum- stances. To prevent making t h e t e x t o r c o n v e r s a t i o n heavy, it's important to use the word wisely and not over- do it. Eppure is very useful and adaptable and it allows f o r t h e c l e a r a n d c o n c i s e articulation of contrasts, con- tradictions, and conclusions. Famous in Italian is the sentence attributed to science icon Galileo Galilei who, according to tradition, would have uttered it when forced to abjure heliocentrism in front of the Inquisition: Eppur si m u o v e , " B u t i t m o v e s ! " Galileo apparently said. Of course, he referred to Earth and how it moves around the Sun. Hai dimenticato di com- prare le uova. Eppure te lo avevo scritto! Y o u f o r g o t t o b u y e g g s , even though I wrote it to you! La torta non è buona per niente. Eppure ho seguito la ricetta! The cake didn't turn out well. However, I followed the recipe! Sono stanchissimo, eppure h o d o r m i t o t u t t a l a n o t t e come un bambino. I am very tired, despite having slept all night like a child. LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Word of the day: eppure — I thought I was right! Italian curiosities: tell me your wine, and I'll guess your personality! If you prefer red wine, you may have a strong resolute character (Ivan Mikhaylov/Dreamstime) Photo: Rido/Dreamstime

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