Judgment of ParisThe only reporter present at the mythic Paris Tasting of 1976 for the first time introduces the eccentric American winemakers and records the tremendous aftershocks of this historic event that changed forever the world of wine. The Paris Tasting of 1976 will forever be remembered as the landmark event that transformed the wine industry. At this legendary contest—a blind tasting—a panel of top French wine experts shocked the industry by choosing unknown California wines over France’s best. George M. Taber, the only reporter present, recounts this seminal contest and its far-reaching effects, focusing on three gifted unknowns behind the winning wines: a college lecturer, a real estate lawyer, and a Yugoslavian immigrant. With unique access to the main players and a contagious passion for his subject, Taber renders this historic event and its tremendous aftershocks—repositioning the industry and sparking a golden age for viticulture across the globe. With an eclectic cast of characters and magnificent settings, Judgment of Paris is an illuminating tale and a story of the entrepreneurial spirit of the new world conquering the old. |
Contents
PROLOGUE | 1 |
A DRIVING DREAM | 16 |
The Little Wine Shop in Cité Berryer 77 | 17 |
The New Eden | 29 |
THE AWAKENING | 43 |
California Dreamer | 45 |
Starting Over in America | 57 |
A Revolution Begins | 68 |
Voyages of Discovery | 155 |
California Wines at the Tasting | 165 |
French Wines at the Tasting | 185 |
A Stunning Upset | 197 |
THE NEW WORLD OF WINE | 211 |
The Buzz Heard Round the World | 213 |
A Dream Fulfilled | 225 |
The Globalization of Wine | 230 |
The Swashbuckling Wine Years | 73 |
In Search of a Simpler Life | 83 |
An Apprentice Winemaker | 91 |
The Rise of Robert Mondavi | 100 |
Launching a New Winery | 106 |
A Case of IndustrialStrength Burnout | 115 |
The Rebirth of a Ghost Winery | 123 |
Making the 1973 Stags Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon | 131 |
Making the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay | 142 |
THE JUDGMENT OF PARIS | 153 |
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Common terms and phrases
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References to this book
The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty Julia Flynn Siler Limited preview - 2007 |