Wine in music

Music and wine have always been a winning combination. Because with the right music, everything takes on a different feel, even the glass you're sipping. Take, for example, a Primitivo di Manduria, being enjoyed on the sofa, with soft lighting and Eric Clapton playing in the background... unbeatable. If wine becomes the theme of your favourite songs, then it all makes sense and the circle closes, perfectly.

Here, then, is our top list of songs, Italian and others, that have celebrated the nectar of Bacchus. Because you can find inspiration in the glass, but these notes will also help a lot...

What is "Felicità (Happiness)"...?

If you ask around, everyone will say "un bicchiere di vino con un panino (a glass of wine with a sandwich)" – that is one of the world's great certainties. Because Al Bano and Romina Power knew full well that they were creating a timeless classic. And what better thing to sing about than the most natural and simple combination? Bread, salami and Lambrusco. And if you want the posh version, bread, mortadella and Prosecco Millesimato is the winning alternative.

Maturity, like an aged wine

What could be more poetic than imagining one's life as a wine? Young and unripe at first, then gradually becoming more mature and fuller. If it's Frank Sinatra singing, there's no lack of fullness. In his famous song "It Was a Very Good Year", Frank reflects on that particular moment in his life, saying that he was "in the autumn of my years" and felt like a "vintage wine". Well, if ageing has the same effect as on Amarone, there's no need to worry.

1969: the year when wine disappeared (only in the song, luckily...).

"So I called up the Captain / "Please bring me my wine" / He said, "We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty-nine": an iconic verse from an equally legendary lyric. It was 1976 and the Eagles were singing Hotel California, a song that would become the soundtrack for an entire generation. Its true meaning has been the subject of various hypotheses and conjectures, but what is certain is that wine is one of the main elements. This is the right rhythm for a Barbaresco: intense, to be discovered slowly and enjoyed in a very long sip.

A bottle of red wine, and off you go

Any self-respecting playlist must include that great artist Eric Clapton. And here he is, with his "Bottle of Red Wine", to be listened to at maximum volume while you prepare your gourmet burger, with caramelised onions, salad, Piedmontese toma cheese and home-made mayonnaise (the music comes from American blues, and the cuisine has to match). For the wine, stick to strong, spicy flavours that can hold their own. For example, a Chianti Riserva would be perfect.

Uncork the bottle and...

When you open the wine you know the evening will take the turn you wanted, with the atmosphere warming up and moods relaxing. And on this we all agree, including the young Irishman Ed Sheeran, who sings happily in his carefree "Barcelona": "Oh, get up, up on the dancefloor tonight / I've got two left feet and a bottle of red wine". Well, that invitation is hard to refuse, especially if the wine is a fresh Lugana or an extremely drinkable Spumante Ribolla Gialla.