Judgement of Paris - Round 1

May 24, 1976, was the day that shook the wine world to its roots. That was the day of the famous (or infamous if you’re French) Judgment of Paris, where nine French wine experts picked a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chardonnay from California over French wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy in a blind tasting. 
 
Arranged by British wine merchant Steven Spurrier and American wine expert Patricia Gastaud-Gallagher to commemorate the American Bicentennial, the event pitted upstart boutique California wineries against their far more mature and famous French counterparts. The winning Cabernet Sauvignon was a 1973 Stag’s Leap, a winery that was founded in 1970. It bested a 1970 Cab from Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, which had been making wine for centuries. The winning Californian Chardonnay retailed for $6.50 at the time. 
 
Once the results were announced, one French judge tried to reclaim her vote and others claimed that the French wines were too young and didn’t show their full potential. The event wasn’t covered in the French media until months later and treated as a stunt. In fact, the only media outlet that covered the event was Time Magazine. When the reporter reached Jim Barrett, the owner of the California Chardonnay that beat out a slate of White Burgundy wines, he was quoted as saying, “Not bad for kids from the sticks.” 
 
The event was held again in 1978, twice in 1986 and two more times in 1996, which included a number of judges from the original blind tasting panel, and in each case the California wines took the top spots. 
 
It turns out the French wines didn’t age as well as the dismayed French judges thought they would. The 2nd place 1970 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild that several French judges said was too young in 1976 placed 6th at the 30th anniversary of the original blind tasting. Ouch.