Probably the best known and most quoted saying about wine. However, the original was written in ancient Greek, as it is attributed to the Greek poet Alcaeus (*630 BC) from the island of Lesbos and means "There is truth in wine". It expresses the fact that under the influence of alcohol, people are more willing to tell the truth or openly give in to their feelings than when they are sober. The phrase was often used in connection with "in aqua sanitas", which means "in water lies health".
Other similar quotes from unknown sources include"After wine comes true speech" (China), "In comes the wine, out comes a secret" (Babylonian Talmud), "If you are drunk, tell the truth" (Persia) and "What the sober man thinks, the drunk man blurts out" (Russia).
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Markus J. Eser
Weinakademiker und Herausgeber „Der Weinkalender“