Judgment of Paris

Judgment of Paris, famous blind tasting comparing hand-picked California and French wines organized in Paris in 1976 by British wine writer, then Parisian caviste, Steven Spurrier. Much to the fury and embarrassment of the renowned French tasters, California surprised everyone by winning hands down. The French claimed that this was simply because new world wines mature faster, but a repeat tasting held 30 years later simultaneously in London and Napa had much the same result. The tasting made the reputations of producers such as Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Mayacamas.