GATTUSO: MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY
Italians use hand gestures a lot, especially in the south of the country, but rarely the head as fish-shop owner Gennaro Gattuso did against Spurs.
Born in the south, Gattuso’s hand has also gotten him into trouble: In a UEFA Champions League group stage match against Ajax in September 2003, he was sent off during second-half injury time after slapping Ajax striker and current team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimović in the face with the back of his hand. (Wikipediia)
All ties in nicely with a bottle of Primitivo that I recently received as a present. It is called Parlare Italiano and the label illustration is a series of hands in various poses.
Anyone who watches Italian football regularly will know a few of these gestures. Perhaps the most common is where you press your hands together as if in prayer, then move them up and down. You usually do this with the ref when he has ruled against you. Like most gestures it can mean different things: Why don't you listen to me? or You’re going to be the death of me! It is also a favourite gesture among Italian mothers.
Interesting, isn’t it. Found it in a very informative book on Italian Wine called, believe or not, Vino Italiano!
A bit more interesting really than this bottle which comes from the hot region of Puglia, Italy’s heel. It is made from the Primitivo grape, which has proven strong links to America’s Zinfandel and is the most consumer friendly grape of the region.
Colour is a fairly dark red and there is an aroma of dark fruits. On the palate, this softly structured wine is fruity, reasonably flavoursome with good acidity and just a bit more to it than a simple quaffing wine. Just a little bit.
Parlare Italiano, Primitivo Salento, 2008, 13.5%, **/***
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