Italian to English translation needed?

Question

"Nella botte piccola c'è sta il vino buono." It's an Italian saying.

I myself translated it into English as: "Good wine saves in small barrels" but it sounds a bit awkward, I guess.

Answer 1

Good things come in small packages.

Answer 2

"In small cask there is good wine"

Answer 3

"Nella botte piccola c'è sta il vino buono" literally means "In the small barrels, there rests good wine."

nella = in the

botte = barrel

piccola = small

c'è = there is

sta = rests

il vino = the wine

buono = good

For "Good wine saves in small barrels," I would say "Il buon vino si tiene nelle botti piccole."

il = the

buon = good

vino = wine

si tiene = saves itself / keeps itself

nelle = in the

botti = barrels

piccole = small

I'm no good with idioms, though. There could totally be a "detto" that I'm just not aware of that says exactly what you're looking for.

Answer 4

other languages don't translate exactly into english.

Answer 5

I think you're puzzled because of a misunderstanding on my previous answer :)

I wrote "Nella botte piccola c'è/ci sta il vino buono" but actually I meant you have to use "c'è" or "ci sta"; so the proverb is:

"Nella botte piccola c'è il vino buono"

or

"Nella botte piccola ci sta il vino buono"

Both "c'è" and "ci sta" mean "there is": "A Roma c'è il Colosseo" = "In Rome there is the Coliseum".

"ci sta" is not the most "elegant" form, but is correct and often used.

Answer 6

In the (nella) small (piccola) botte (bottle) there is (c'e sta) the good (buono) wine (vino)