Does Italy really produce finer wines than France?

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi made the Idea on a trip to Italy's Verona earlier this week.

"Italian wine is better than the wine in France," he said, although it wasn't clear how much Chianti he'd had at the time.

His claim certainly caught the attention of the French media, which seem shocked at his words.

Renzi had said something similar to France's President François Hollande at a recent meeting between the pair, to which the French head of state simply replied "but ours is more expensive".

Hollande and Renzi, sharing a laugh (perhaps about wine...)

For the record, the number one place went to the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, which sells for an average price of $13,166.

A glass of red wine at the Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte vineyard in Leognan, southweste France.

But wine experts in France think Renzi was wrong, even "stupid", to even try and compare the two.

"You can hardly compare a group of wines 'nation per nation' as each time it's a different story when you drink a particular wine," he tells The Local.

He added that French wine wasn't better in general, either.

"If a French minister ever said French wines are better, I would find that very stupid because wine production in France is a mixed bag, there are a lot of uninteresting wines alongside the great stuff," he said.

"That might be the same for the Italian wine scene, I don't really know. Most, if not all, French politicians who speak about the 'French wines' in general don't fully grasp the different level of quality beyond the the AOC (the origin); they're more into branding, I think."

"I'd take a mature vintage of a Grand cru Chablis, from Vincent Dauvissat," she said.

French winemaker Louis Moreau surveys his Chablis designated vintage vineyards.

"Italian wine is fascinating for its diversity, for their grape varieties that you can't find anywhere else," she told The Local.

"French wine, on the other hand, is classic. To me, it still is the benchmark for quality and reflection of terroir that most other winemaking countries seek to emulate... you only need to look at Champagne really to appreciate this."

She added that while Italy could boast "a voyage into the exotic" and traditional grape varieties that "rival the best of Bordeaux, often at a fraction of the price", she'd still prefer something from France.

"There's nothing quite like a dry, refreshing Côtes de Provence rosé on a hot summer afteoon no matter where in the world you are. No one does rosé like France, even the Italians," she said.

While it may be a futile game to try and compare the wines of two different countries, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy them both.

France

- Château Bouissel, Le Bouissel, Fronton, Southwest France, France 2011, for a Red Blend under £15

- Château la Tour de l'Evêque, Pétale de Rose, Côtes de Provence, Provence, France 2014, for a Rosé over £15

- Piper-Heidsieck, Brut, Champagne, Champagne, France 2006, for a Sparkling over £15

Italy

- Fattoria Dianella, Il Matto delle giuncaie, Rosso Toscana, Tuscany, Italy 2013, for Red Italian Varietals under £15

- Rivetto, Leon, Barolo Riserva, Piedmont, Italy 2009, for Red Italian Varietals over £15

- Tiefenbruer, Feldmarschall von Feer zu Feberg, Alto Adige/Südtirol, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy 2013, for White Single-Varietal over £15