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

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

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.

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

Although non fiction with a known ending, it was well written and tells the story well. It is MUCH better than the Hollywood-ized movie "Bottle Shock" based on this book. Recommended.

This is an excellent and easy read. Part drama and part biography, it is highly recommended for anyone interested in the story behind this historic event, or the history of the rise of Napa as a great Wine producing region, including short biographies of the major participants. It is a nice mini-reference to several of the major wine regions in the world. Also, for anyone who was introduced to this event by the movie Bottleshock, it gives you the real story on which the movie was loosely based.

This was a gift to a very good friend.He states that he is reading the book and enjoying it.I felt that the service I received from Amazon and the vendor were excellent.

Do not approach this account hurriedly or you will be disappointed, as the journalist leaves no stone unturned. For those who appreciate plodding character and plot development over surprise. Tabor gives away the ending at the beginning. Sip it, savor its layers, appreciate its complexities and you will find yourself recalling it in dozens of conversations for weeks afterward. The book creates its own world and it continues to beckon long after the act of reading is done.

Not bad for a used book. Some wear and tear but was nice enough to give as a Christmas gift.