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JOHN AND OLIVIA:<br />
GREAT MINDS DRINK ALIKE<br />
BY <strong>FR</strong>ANK ROUSSEAU,<br />
OUR CORRESPONDENT IN LOS ANGELES<br />
PHOTOGRAPHS: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED<br />
Olivia and John were friends both on and off-screen. This year<br />
marks the 45 th anniversary of the romantic musical comedy<br />
‘Grease’ in 1978, when they got us all dancing and singing to its<br />
catchy score. When they got together to talk about “the carefree<br />
times of their youth”, these talented artists would often do so over<br />
a glass of wine. A drink the duo loved to indulge in, just like some<br />
old-school rock…<br />
What is a good wine according to John Travolta?<br />
I would imagine it is quite simply a wine you enjoy, without thinking<br />
too much about it, or asking how much it costs. Without asking, “Is it a<br />
vintage or not?” “What is its provenance?” “Has it received any awards?”<br />
“Has it been showered with praise by the critics?” You know, I have<br />
travelled an awful lot in my life and I have occasionally drunk wines served<br />
in a pitcher. Believe me, those unpretentious wines had more honourable<br />
flavours than some bottles with prestigious labels that sell for a fortune.<br />
It’s a bit like books. Sometimes you are influenced or attracted to the back<br />
cover, by the great photos on the cover or a well-written presentation,<br />
but once you find out more by flicking through the pages, you are a bit<br />
disappointed. I have learnt not to judge a book by its cover…<br />
Is it your humble Italian origins that taught you that?<br />
Maybe! My father was the son of an immigrant from Naples. In our family,<br />
we liked good things but our finances did not allow us to be spendthrifts.<br />
When my father would bring a bottle of wine home, he made sure he had<br />
bought something ‘good’ without breaking the bank. I think it would have<br />
given him gut ache to spend too much. So when Italian friends or cousins<br />
returned back to the United States with Parma ham, local cheeses and<br />
some bottles of Italian wine in their luggage, right under the noses of the<br />
American customs officers, it was a bit like Christmas had come early. My<br />
father had a soft spot for Taurasi, a wine from the Campania region. Not<br />
to mention Limoncello, the liqueur made from lemon zests. That’s when<br />
he could enjoy some good things without feeling guilty…<br />
You told me one day that drinking wine was more effective than<br />
holding a hand out to someone…<br />
Wine is so much more than just fermented grapes! It is a token of conviviality.<br />
Have you never noticed that when you share the same passion with<br />
116<br />
SUMMER 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE <strong>FR</strong>ENCH EXPERTS ON WINE
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