This day 26 years ago created a monumental shift in the world of wine – and changed the way California wines were perceived forever.
If you’ve ever seen the movie Bottle Shock (2008, available on Amazon Prime video) – and if you haven’t, put it on the list to watch this long weekend – you will understand that in the 1970s, California’s wine industry was budding, but not taken very seriously. After being impacted by 14 years of Prohibition (1920-1933) followed by World War II, California wines were more low-end bulk or at best just not taken seriously. They lacked the quality and panache that European, especially French, wines had ….or so everyone thought.
Steven Spurrier, an Englishman running a wine shop and wine school in Paris, wanted to drum up some business so decided to do something radical. More of a stunt, actually, but it was strangely genius. On May 24th, 1976, he organized a tasting of six top California cabernets and chardonnays to celebrate the American Bicentennial. He pitted the California wines against tried-and-true quality wines: four Bordeaux reds and four white Burgundies.
The judges were among the best tasters in France, and everyone obviously assumed the French wines would naturally win. How could New World California wines even go head-to-head with what everyone knew ass some of the best wines in the world.
Well, to quaote one of my favorite movies, Young Frankenstein, “Well, they were wrong then, weren’t they?”
The wine critics chose a California wine over the French for both the red and white flights. The tasting became known as the Judgment of Paris and “shocked” the world by shattering the myth that fine wine came only from Europe. The response of the French judges to the results was that the California wines would not age and the French wines would win if tasted again in 30 years…which did occur in 2006. California wines again showed their quality at this reenactment.
And So Which California Wines Won?
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 – took the top score for red
Chateau Montelena ’73 from Napa took the top score for chardonnay
You might recognize these names…especially Stag’s Leap, which rocketed to success after this tasting.
So today, enjoy a California wine and maybe rent the movie…celebrate how far these wines have come and celebrate the quality of wines in the USA.
And don’t forget, on Thursday June 9th I have a California Love wine tasting event Click Here to Sign Up
Want to know more? Read the original Time Magazine article from 1976 HERE
