The term 'He Wrote of 'Sour Grapes'' refers to the ancient Greek storyteller AESOP. AESOP is best known for his fables, which often feature animals and end with a moral lesson. One of his most famous fables is 'The Fox and the Grapes, ' in which a fox tries to reach some grapes that are too high for him to reach. When he realizes he can't get them, he decides they must be sour and walks away, saying 'sour grapes.' This phrase has come to mean someone who speaks negatively about something they can't have.