Italy: Barolo vs. France: Bordeaux. EDGE: France. It’s all about Chateau Latour. Simply put, Latour is the best wine made anywhere on this planet earth (and unless they’re growing grapes on the moons of Jupiter… make that in this star system).
Italy: Brunello di Montalcino vs. France: Burgundy. EDGE: Italy. OK. I have a big weakness for Valdicava. The ’01 Vintage maybe the second or third best wine I have ever had.
Italy: Campari vs. France: Lillet. EDGE: Italy. Sure it looks like medicine, and yes it’s bitter. But served with cold club soda and an orange slice it kills a thirst and doesn’t kill your taste for dinner (and a terrific wine). And besides, it looks like medicine… isn’t medicine good for you?
Italy: Zabaglione vs. France: Creme Brulee. EDGE: France. Toughie. I love them both. I just love the contrast between the caramelized “crust” and the creamy fill. Gotta have Creme Brulee.
Italy: Federico Fellini vs. France: Francois Truffaut. EDGE: France. On “paper” Fellini takes the prize; but I find the film Fahrenheit 451 so compelling. Scary stuff, maybe more for the Bradbury book behind it. Still, Orwellian and chilling.
Italy: Ferrari vs. France: Citroen. EDGE: Italy. No one makes better looking automobiles than Italy. Even Fiat is better looking than 90% of the cars made.
Italy: Osso Buco vs. France: Boeuf Bourguinon. EDGE: Italy. I actually prefer this dish with a Rhone; but it is oh so good with Barbera, too.
Italy: Anzio vs. France: Normandy. EDGE: France. Actually you could throw in the Invasion of Sicily and it wouldn’t add up to D-Day… still the most amazing military achievement in History.
Italy: Coliseum in Rome vs. France: Cave Paintings in Lascaux. EDGE: France. You can’t go back much further in antiquity to find an equal representation of human expression.
Italy: Linguine con Vongole vs. France: Steak Frite. EDGE: Italy. I changed my mind three times on this one. There is something supremely satisfying about tiny little clams cooked in the shell sitting in a bed of fresh linguine with garlic & oil with a glass or two of Soave Classico or a Sancerre.
Italy: Romeo & Juliet vs. France: Henry V. EDGE: France. Here we have locations for two of Shakespeare’s plays. What could be better than the fields of Agincourt, site for one of History’s greatest Battles?
Italy: “Il Canto Degli Italiani” vs. France: “La Marseillaise”. EDGE: France. I like the Marseillaise better than our National Anthem! At least you can sing it… Metropolitan Opera stars can’t sing our Anthem! Besides what do they sing in Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca? Enough said.
Italy: The Roman Empire vs. France: The First Empire. EDGE: Italy. You can toss in the Second Empire and the First Republic and it’s still Italy.
Italy: Il Tricolore vs. France: Le Tricolore. EDGE: France. Rumor has it that Lafayette stole the colour scheme from our Flag; but for sure the French flag and its scheme has been the inspiration for many other Nation’s flags, including Italy’s (which was created after Unification in 1848… some 54 years after France’s Flag was first hoisted).
Italy: Little Italy vs. France: Little France. EDGE: Italy. Do you enjoy strolling thru the New York’s French Quarter looking for onion soup? Not!
Italy: Andrea Bocelli vs. France: Maurice Chevalier. EDGE: Italy. Yes, different styles of music; but both are popular representations of music from their respective periods and Bocelli has not needed to switch to singing in English to enhance his popularity here.
Italy: Joe Dimaggio vs. France: Greg LeMond. EDGE: Italy. One of the best players ever… ever. LeMond has the distinction of being the first American to win the Tour de France. A great honor… but hey! We’re talkin’ Joe D heah!
Italy: Aldo Vanucci vs. France: Jacques Clouseau. EDGE: France. Two tremendous roles portrayed by Peter Sellers. In After the Fox he played a crook with big ideas, and he carried out his heist in the guise of the great Italian Film Director Federico Fabrizi. Hysterical. Still not good enough to surpass Inspector Jacques Clouseau of La Sûreté.
Italy: High Renaissance vs. France: Impressionism. EDGE: France. Yes, Michelangelo was great, as was Raphael & da Vinci; but all those fussy religious themes are glorified poster art… I’ll still take Monet, Manet, Degas & Renoir (Besides, I think her smile was over rated).
Italy: World Cup vs. France: World Cup. EDGE:Pick’em. Sorry. What a ridiculous way to settle a Championship that is decided but once every four years. A “Shootout”? Why didn’t they put Zidane and Materazzi in the center of the pitch by themselves… Materazzi could have repeated his insult, “your mother wears combat boots”… and then the winner would be declared after a hair pulling & eye gouging fight.