35th Anniversary of "The Judgement"

On May 24, 1976 the trigger was pulled on the California wine explosion.   That's the day Chateau Montelena beat the French Chardonnays and Stag's Leap beat the French Cabernets at their own game.

The Judgement in Paris was a wine competition to put the upstart Californians against the people who owned fine wine sales, the French.   California won.   There's a fun movie about this event called Bottle Shock.

The judges were French wine experts.  On hearing the results one of the judges demanded her ballot back so she could change it.   The French were not happy and have been making excuses ever since.  The tasting was repeated with the same wines for the 30th anniversary of the tasting and while the same wines didn't win California wines did--again.

The winners on display
in the Smithsonian