The Judgement of Paris

A blind tasting in Paris in 1924 crushed the myth that only France could produce world-class wines and opened the global market to New World equivalents

Andrew J. Linn

Malaga

Friday, 1 November 2024, 11:39

The aftermath of a wine-tasting that became known as The Judgement of Paris - held in Paris in 1924 - made history. Organised by Britain's Stephen Spurrier, the blind tasting pitted high-quality Californian wines against France's best. Unsurprisingly, expert French judges, imagining they would reaffirm Frances's supremacy, were shocked to be informed they had just selected Californian wines, which came out top in both red and white categories. California's Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' Cabernet Sauvignon and Chateau Montelena's Chardonnay beat their French counterparts. This result crushed the myth that only France could produce world-class wines and opened the global market to New World equivalents.

The event was reported by Time magazine and is now widely viewed as a pivotal moment that democratised the industry, proving that excellent wine could come from anywhere in the world. History shows this to be more than proven, and the earth-shattering event undoubtedly did more to promote US wines than anything else up to that date.

But the present situation in which Californian wines find themselves may set the clock back. We read this week that its wine industry faces an unprecedented crisis after another year of declining sales. According to the trade association, growers are abandoning their vineyards while others struggle to sell last year's production.

Major wineries, like Gallo, are reducing operations, uprooting vines to cut costs. Sales fell 4.4% over the past year, with rosé and red wines hit hardest. Fortunately, while some observers suggest distributors may soon restock, many wineries are securing grape sources for next year despite current market caution.

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