The Judgment of Paris is a famous wine competition that was held in 1976 in Paris, France. The competition pitted French wines against Californian wines in a blind tasting, and the results shocked the wine world. The Californian wines were judged to be superior to their French counterparts in both the red and white wine categories, marking a significant moment in the history of wine.
The competition was organized by British wine merchant Steven Spurrier, who invited several renowned French wine experts to taste and evaluate the wines. The wines were tasted blind, meaning that the judges were not aware of which wines were French and which were Californian. When the scores were tallied, it was revealed that the top red wine was a Californian Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, and the top white wine was a Californian Chardonnay from the Chateau Montelena Winery.
The results of the competition were seen as a major upset, as French wines had long been considered the best in the world. The Judgment of Paris showed that American winemakers were capable of producing wines of equal quality to those of France, and it sparked a renewed interest in American wines. Today, the Judgment of Paris is widely regarded as a turning point in the history of wine, and the wines that won the competition are still highly sought after.
Article Written by: Austin Texas Wine Society
