On May 28th, 1976 a panel of eleven judges gathered at the intercontinental hotel in Paris, France to taste two blind flights of wines (Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon) from Bordeaux, Burgundy and California.
Stephen Spurrier was a wine merchant and owner of L'Academie du Vin, a wine education school in Paris. He knew he was taking some risk blind tasting French and American wines, but never expected what would happen next. American producers would rank #1 in BOTH flights.
Chateau Montelena and Stags Leap Cellars shocked the judges.
Of course controversy ensued. Judges denounced the results, the French wine press dismissed it, and Spurrier was blamed for disgracing top burgundy and bordeaux producers. France contended that if you tasted the wines again at 10-years or 20-years it would be different. In 2006, with 30-years of age on the Cabernets, a reprise of the tasting had American wines win again ... with Ridge Monte Bello taking top honors.
How will it play out at 50-years?
Photo Credit: Bella Spurrier
Over the coming years the full impact of the outcome of this tasting would be felt. Napa would expand plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon dramatically from est. 4,800 acres to over 24,000 acres today. Growing regions from Walla Walla to Maipo Valley would adopt Cabernet Sauvignon at an increasing rate.
The concept of the superiority of France as the premier wine producing power in the world would be shaken for consumers, sommeliers and distributors who would become more open to wines from all over the world.
Photo Credit: Bella Spurrier
