Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine

Written by George M. Taber

Narrated by Sean Runnette

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History houses, amid its illustrious artifacts, two bottles of wine: a 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon and a 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. These are the wines that won at the now-famous Paris Tasting in 1976, where a panel of top French wine experts compared some of France's most famous wines with a new generation of California wines. Little did they know the wine industry would be completely transformed as a result, sparking a golden age for viticulture that extends beyond France's hallowed borders to Australia, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand, and across the globe.



Then Paris correspondent for Time magazine, George M. Taber recounts this seminal contest and its far-reaching effects, focusing on the three gifted unknowns behind the winning wines: a college lecturer, a real estate lawyer, and a Yugoslavian immigrant. At a time when California was best known for cheap jug wine, these pioneers used radical new techniques alongside time-honored winemaking traditions to craft premium American wines that could stand up to France's finest.



With unique access to the main players and a contagious passion for his subject, Taber renders this historic event and its tremendous aftershocks in captivating prose, bringing to life an eclectic cast and magnificent settings. For lovers of wine and anyone who enjoys a story of the entrepreneurial spirit of the new world conquering the old, this is an illuminating and deeply satisfying tale.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jun 30, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452673431

George M. Taber

George M. Taber is the author of Judgment of Paris, the 2006 wine book of the year for Britain's Decanter magazine. His second book, To Cork or Not to Cork, won the Jane Grigson Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals and was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for best book on wine and spirits and the Andre Simon Award for best wine book. Before turning to writing wine books, Taber was a reporter and editor for Time.

Reviews for Judgment of Paris

[juva_3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Let me start by saying I don't know much about wine, so this book was clearly not aimed at me. However, I'm not sure who the audience is for it. The part that talks about the famous Paris tasting in 1976 was fascinating. The intensive history of the California wine industry was a little dry but also fairly interesting. The crazy amount of detail the author provides in his overview of all wine traditions the world over was a little much.

The author himself admits that wine names are almost impossible to remember and then goes on to sling a large number of wine names and wineries around along with their history and details of how they are made and the general price. My head was swimming! I like the history but didn't care for the rest.

[johncouke · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is more than just the story of the 1976 Paris tasting. It is also a great read for wine novices, as it covers most wine-making regions and grapes used around the world, as well as the process of growing grapes and making wine, with a particular focus on the history of wine production in Napa (and California in general).

[cerfercat · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A very detailed account of wine-making in California. But it got bogged down too much in this detail for my tastes and, ultimately, I stopped reading three-quarters of the way through.