Vino, in a Nutshell

I remember the first time I heard the word "vino." Like a unilingual Texan caught in a conversation with a couple of Japanese folks, I was both mesmerized and frustratingly befuddled. As the dialogue continued, I deduced that the intellectual's codeword "vino" was synonymous with my inferior vocabulary's noun "wine." This did not bode well for the remainder of the colloquy, however. I was no vino aficionado.

Have any of you been caught in the middle of such a debacle? Were you comfortably enjoying a social event when-all of a sudden-veteran wine lovers surrounded you and began spouting off facts and figures all about various sorts of wines? Don't fret! Do your homework and you will eventually become a vino expert. Begin by arming yourself with the following facts.

Okay, so vino is simply another way of saying "wine." Well...yes, and no. It has become just that in many American wine conversations. But if you want to get technical with your wine buddies, explain this (especially if your wine buddies are from the United States). In America, "vino" is an informal term to describe the vinous beverage. In other words, stick with the word "wine" when speaking with heads of state, wine enthusiasts you're trying to leave an impression on, and Alex Trebek.

However, in several languages around the world, "vino" does specifically mean "wine" (i.e. Italian, Portuguese [vinho], or Spanish). In fact, both "wine" and "vino" come from the same Latin root word, "vinum.

" So they obviously are quite similar, but no cigar.

So, is it ever wise to use the word "vino" in an American party setting when trying to impress the wine ladies or men? Yes. Okay, so what do you say? Send out a wave of irresistible vino know-how with this statement: Specifically, in the American English language, "vino" is an Italian red table wine. For example, think Chianti, the immensely famous medium bodied red Italian wine; or Barolo, the crown jewel of the Italian Piedmont region. Both are Italian red wines, and thus both should be called "vino" in the specific English sense. (You may find it less confusing to just be specific and call it "Chianti" or "Barolo." Even so, this is a good piece of information to remember.)

Thus, in the formal sense, use "vino" to describe any red Italian table wine. In an informal sense, use "vino" to substitute the word "wine." Either way is perfectly fine. I wouldn't get too carried away with it. After all, my blog is called "Let's Talk About Vino," and I talk about a lot more than Italian red wines. The only reason I have armed you with all this wine trivia ammo is so you can show that you do indeed know your stuff when it comes to vino. Thus, when wine bullies try to push you around with their immense vino knowledge, you have something to retaliate with. But, like with any weapon, use cautiously.