ITALY’S SOCCER VICTORY SPARKS HOPES OF TRIUMPH IN THE BATTLE BETWEEN FRENCH AND ITALIAN WINES

Wine like soccer? In the World Cup, France made us suffer, but ultimately succumbed to the desire and determination of Italy, and the “Azzurri” won the world soccer championship. At Berlin, the Italian national team beat France and, for the fourth time, has proven to be the best in the world.
The analogy can be made that in the world of wine competition, French wine is still the model, but Italian wine has a greater desire to affirm itself. And in the meantime, on the most important international markets, like the U.S., Italian wine has already surpassed French wine in both volume and earnings, though France still holds first place for higher value per bottle. These are the theories of www.winenews.it, one of the main reference sites of the Italian wine world. And the analogy continues with the relationship of force, which on the playing fields, as in the vineyards, ends up annulling things, and as the World Cup taught us, it is really the determination that makes the most difference in the end. Gianluigi Buffon closed the door on the French continuously, as lively as the bubbles in a Franciacorta or a Trento Brut.
The granite defense of Fabio Cannavaro was truly dependable, like a good bottle of Taurasi, and he managed to hold back Thierry Henry, who was as inspired as a Champagne Millésimé. Zinedine Zidane’s class is exceptional (aside from the head-butt to Materazzi), comparable to that of a great Bordeaux. Rino Gattuso who truly a winner, as authentic and pure as a Chianti Sangiovese. And Andrea Pirlo was as good as an aged Barolo, contrasting with the austere omnipresence of Patrick Vieira, a player of a different era just like a great Borgogna. Franck Ribary’s strikes were not enough (though still as good as a grand Chateauneuf du Pape) against the enthusiasm and freshness of Fabio Grosso, a true Nero d’Avola, capable, just like the wine, of capturing international success with forced passes ahead. And, lastly, there is coach Marcello Lippi, the knowing condotttiere and demiurge of a group to whom he knew how to transmit that rage and determination that is decisive for a final victory.
He is known to be an enthusiastic fan of Brunello di Montalcino, a wine similar to him in that it has a decisive character and a powerfulness that has made it one of the best wines in the world. The Italian World Cup victory was a victory of those who were the hungriest, noted Lippi, and this appetite could be the secret weapon of the Italian wine world as well, more dynamic and entrepreneurial than the French wine world, which is still often stuck in its glorious past. And the success of the Italians in soccer could have a direct effect on the entire Made In Italy world, starting with the wine & food sector. It is not an absurd hypothesis to think that there will now be an increase in image, as well as sales, for the Italian wine & food sector after the conquest of the most coveted sports championship in the world.