Paris Judgment Shock: California Wines Defeat France
British wine merchant Steven Spurrier organized a blind tasting in Paris on May 24, 1976, pitting California wines against top French Bordeaux and Burgundy. French judges, including sommeliers, winemakers, and restaurant owners, ranked Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon first among the reds and Chateau Montelena's 1973 Chardonnay first among the whites, beating legendary wines from Mouton Rothschild and Meursault-Charmes. Only one journalist, George Taber of Time magazine, attended. The results humiliated the French wine establishment and legitimized New World winemaking overnight. Wine regions in Australia, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa subsequently gained international credibility. The tasting is considered the most influential event in modern wine history.
May 24, 1976
50 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on May 24
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