The real Judgement of Paris
As America marks 250 years of independence, wine lovers toast a victory that put U.S. wines on the world stage.
The Judgement of Paris of 1976 turned out to be a noteworthy and revolutionary event in the winemaking world. Many experts have wondered if the contest exposed the French for leaning on their reputation and had perhaps let some bad habits creep into their processes.
If you research “The Judgement of Paris,” you’ll find it refers to two very different but distinctly famous historical events. One was a mythological tale that led to the Trojan War. The other, a 1976 wine competition that revolutionized the wine industry when California wines beat out French wines in a blind tasting.
“This year, we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4,” says Jim Sperk of the Northern Ohio Wine Guild. “Many wine enthusiasts recently celebrated another anniversary on May 24. The Judgment of Paris, officially known as the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, was a wine competition commemorating the U.S. Bicentennial. U.S. wines were invited to compete in blind tastings against some of the best French wines, both reds and whites. If you’ve ever seen the movie ‘Bottle Shock,’ you know the Hollywood version of the story.”
“Six California wineries entered Chardonnays against the best white Burgundies,” he explains. “Six other California wineries pitted their Cabernet Sauvignons against the finest Bordeaux wines. France, often regarded as producing the world’s best wines, lost to Napa Valley wines in both categories in the final tally.”
The contest results were tremendous. The world took note that the U.S., despite being just 200 years old, could produce wines capable of rivaling a 2,500-year winemaking tradition.
“It was certainly a plus for the U.S.,” says Jim. “And also, a boost for wines from Australia, New Zealand, Chile and other countries. The contest results were proof that high-quality wines could be produced outside of Europe. Wine drinkers became curious about these other ‘New World’ wines.”
The Judgement of Paris of 1976 turned out to be a noteworthy and revolutionary event in the winemaking world. Many experts have wondered if the contest exposed the French for leaning on their reputation and had perhaps let some bad habits creep into their processes.
“Many experts also feel that French wines have improved as a result of The Judgment of Paris,” says Jim. “But for Americans, May 24 is one more day to celebrate.”
For information about the Northern Ohio Wine Guild, contact Jim Sperk at tinymoonwines@usa.net.
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