The wine of the Castelli makes you sing and makes you fight — a vivid summary of the double effect of the strong white wines from the Castelli Romani hill towns. Used to explain (or excuse) both festive exuberance and unexpected conflict after a session of drinking Frascati or Marino wine.
The Castelli Romani — the chain of hill towns in the Alban Hills southeast of Rome including Frascati, Marino, Castel Gandolfo, Genzano, and Velletri — have been producing wine since antiquity, when the volcanic soil of the extinct Alban volcano (Colli Albani) was recognized as exceptionally fertile. Roman aristocrats built their villas in the hills partly for the wine: Cicero's villa was at Tusculum, and the wines of the Alban Hills were praised by Horace and Pliny the Elder. The Sagra dell'Uva di Marino — held every October — features the famous 'miracolo del vino,' when the town's main fountain flows with wine rather than water, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. The Castelli wines are characteristically high in alcohol and low in acidity, producing the rapid intoxication and emotional volatility the proverb describes. Romans have been both celebrating and regretting this combination for two thousand years.
The Sagra dell'Uva di Marino, held annually since 1924 (interrupted only by the two World Wars), celebrates the local legend of the 'miracolo del vino' — commemorating the 1571 Battle of Lepanto, during which the townspeople's prayers to the Madonna were answered, causing the local fountains to reportedly flow with wine.
A Roman host warns guests before serving Frascati at a summer lunch
Attenti — er vino de li Castelli fa cantà e fa litigà. Bevete piano.
Careful — the wine of the Castelli makes you sing and makes you fight. Drink slowly.
A Roman recalls a memorable Sunday outing
Siamo andati a Marino per la sagra. Er vino de li Castelli fa cantà e fa litigà — abbiamo fatto tutte e due.
We went to Marino for the festival. The wine of the Castelli makes you sing and makes you fight — we did both.
A Roman sommelier explains the Castelli wines' character
Tredici gradi, acidità bassa, si beve facilmente. Er vino de li Castelli fa cantà e fa litigà — non è per i deboli.
Thirteen degrees, low acidity, goes down easily. The wine of the Castelli makes you sing and makes you fight — it's not for the weak.
A Roman uses it to explain an argument at a family lunch
Non era colpa nostra — er vino de li Castelli fa cantà e fa litigà, e c'era il Frascati del nonno.
It wasn't our fault — the wine of the Castelli makes you sing and makes you fight, and there was grandfather's Frascati.