The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 , also known as the Judgment of Paris , was a wine competition , to commemorate the United States Bicentennial , organized in Paris on 24 May 1976 by Steven Spurrier , a British wine merchant, and his American colleague, Patricia Gallagher , in which French oenophiles participated in two blind tasting comparisons: one of top-quality Chardonnays and another of red wines ( Bordeaux wines from France and Cabernet Sauvignon wines from California ). A Napa County wine rated best in each category, which caused surprise as France was generally regarded as being the foremost producer of the world's best wines. By the early 1970s, the quality of some California wines was outstanding but few took notice as the market favored French brands. Spurrier sold predominately French wines and believed the California wines would not be favored by the judges.
42-541: Monterey is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in eastern Monterey County , California . It was recognized on July 16, 1984 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) , Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by the Monterey Winegrowers Council to establish the "Monterey" viticultural area. The designated area within the multi-county Central Coast AVA expands almost
84-484: A particular area can possess distinctive characteristics. Consumers often seek out wines from specific AVAs, and certain wines of particular pedigrees can claim premium prices and loyal customers. If a wine is labeled with an AVA, at least 85% of the grapes that make up the wine must have been grown in the AVA, and the wine must be fully finished within the state where the AVA is located. The boundaries of AVAs are defined by
126-409: A state or county appellation, at least 75% of the grapes used to make the wine must have been grown within the boundary of the appellation, and the wine must be fully finished within the state in which the appellation is located. Some states have more stringent rules, such as California , which requires 100% of the grapes used to make the wine be from California and that the wine be fully finished within
168-584: Is sandy loam and most regions require irrigation from the Salinas River . As the largest AVA in Monterey County, the region is home to considerable variations in microclimates and soil types with the dominant soil being loam based. In areas closer to the cold Pacific currents, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Chardonnay are the predominant varieties, while in the warmer inland valleys further south, Bordeaux varietals are most often grown. Chardonnay
210-465: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area ( AVA ) is a designated wine grape -growing region in the United States , providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know about the geographic pedigree of their wines, as wines from
252-460: Is an allusion to the ancient Greek myth . Red wines White wines The eleven judges were (in alphabetical order): Blind tasting was performed and the judges were asked to grade each wine out of 20 points. No specific grading framework was given, leaving the judges free to grade according to their own criteria. Rankings of the wines preferred by individual judges were based on the grades they individually attributed. An overall ranking of
294-462: Is distinguished from surrounding areas by the composition of its soils, elevation, topography, and the marine influences from the Pacific Ocean, specifically, wind, rainfall, fog and climatic variances. Its valley floors are flat and several miles wide with 1,000 feet (305 m) elevated slopes creating an ideal topography for viticulture. It expands from the southern shores of Monterey Bay to
336-486: Is not always the case. See map on the right showing the outline of the Paso Robles AVA , California's largest in total area, and the eleven distinct AVAs contained within it. In 2018, the second session of the 115th Congress recognized the contribution of American Viticultural Areas to the economy. The Blunt-Merkley Resolution passed unanimously. It noted that an AVA allows vintners to describe more accurately
378-729: Is the predominate varietal composing approximately 50 percent of the vines in production. “Monterey” is the name of a peninsula, a city, a bay, and a county. The name “Monterey” originated in the days of the Spanish rule of Mexico . In 1602, explorer Sebastian Vizcaino named the bay in honor of the Conde de Monterrey , Spanish viceroy of Mexico . In 1770, the Spanish established Presidio of Monterey and Franciscan friar Junípero Serra founded missions at Jolon , Soledad and Monterey , which are cities in present day Monterey County. Named
420-524: Is the predominate varietal throughout this region, accounting for more than 50 percent of the vines currently in production.. In its cooler northern area, Riesling and Pinot Noir are popular, while in the warmer southern inland valleys, Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Rhone-styles like Syrah and Petite Sirah, and even some Zinfandel are mostly grown. 36°20′47″N 121°17′52″W / 36.34631°N 121.29791°W / 36.34631; -121.29791 This wine region article
462-540: The Carmel and the Salinas valleys containing five smaller American viticultural areas: Arroyo Seco, Hames Valley, San Bernabe, San Lucas and Santa Lucia Highlands. The northern portion is a cool growing region with a very long growing season. Daytime temperatures rarely exceed 75 °F (24 °C) in most parts of the region, although the southern segments of the AVA can measure 100 °F (38 °C) at times. The soil
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#1732771899755504-589: The Cole Ranch AVA in Mendocino County , California, at only 60 acres (24 ha). The Augusta AVA , which occupies the area around the town of Augusta, Missouri , was the first recognized AVA, gaining the status on June 20, 1980. There are currently 276 AVAs spread across 34 states, with over half (154) in California. An AVA may be located within one or more larger AVAs. For example,
546-660: The Santa Clara Valley AVA and Livermore Valley AVA are located within the boundaries of the San Francisco Bay AVA , which is itself located within the Central Coast AVA . In such cases, the wine may be labeled with any of the relevant AVAs, but winemakers generally label wines with the most specific AVA allowed for each wine. Smaller AVAs are often perceived to be associated with smaller production and higher quality wines, though this
588-718: The Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), a component of the United States Department of the Treasury . The TTB defines AVAs at the request of wineries and other petitioners . Prior to the TTB's creation in 2003, the Treasury’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) received and handled petitions for viticultural areas, wine production and labeling. Section 4.25(e)(2) of the regulations (27 C.F.R. § 4.25(e)(2)) outlines
630-510: The white wine category scored by renown French oenophiles . The identical vintage ranked 1st in a repeat event at the San Francisco Wine Tasting of 1978 During the 1982 Monterey AVA petition, there were approximately 36,000 acres (14,569 ha) devoted to viticulture, 14 registered wineries, a 15th under construction, and three proposed viticultural areas, namely, Arroyo Seco, Carmel Valley and Chalone. In addition to
672-726: The Bordeaux wines in the competition were from the 1970 vintage, identified by the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) as among the four best vintages in the past 45 years or more. The fourth Bordeaux was a 1971, described by the Conseil as "very good". Another official French authority, the Office national interprofessionnel des vins (Onivins) , rates the 1971 vintage as "excellent". The French wine producers had many years' experience making wine, whereas
714-404: The California producers typically had only a few years' experience; the 1972 vintage was Clos Du Val's very first, yet it performed better than any of its French competitors. Although Spurrier had invited many reporters to the original 1976 tasting, the only reporter to attend was George M. Taber from Time , who promptly revealed the results to the world. The horrified and enraged leaders of
756-630: The French tasters, many of whom had taken part in the original tasting, 'expecting the downfall' of the American vineyards, they had to admit that the harmony of the Californian cabernets had beaten them again. Judges on both continents gave top honors to a 1971 Ridge Monte Bello cabernet. Four Californian reds occupied the next placings before the highest-ranked Bordeaux, a 1970 Château Mouton-Rothschild , came in at sixth." The Tasting that Changed
798-515: The French wine industry then banned Spurrier from the nation's prestigious wine-tasting tour for a year, apparently as punishment for the damage his tasting had done to its former image of superiority. The tasting was not covered by the French press, who almost ignored the story. After nearly three months, Le Figaro published an article titled "Did the War of the Cru Take Place?" describing
840-593: The Paris tasting, but "champions of the French wines argued that the tasters were Americans with possible bias toward American wines . What is more, they said, there was always the possibility that the Burgundies had been mistreated during the long trip from the (French) wineries." The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 had a revolutionary impact on expanding the production and prestige of wine in the New World. It also "gave
882-659: The Wine World: 'The Judgment of Paris' 30th Anniversary was conducted on 24 May 2006. The pearl anniversary was held simultaneously at the museum Copia in Napa, California , and in London at Berry Bros. & Rudd , Britain's oldest wine merchant. The panel of nine wine experts at Copia consisted of Dan Berger, Anthony Dias Blue , Stephen Brook, Wilfred Jaeger, Peter Marks MW , Paul Roberts MS , Andrea Immer Robinson MS, Jean-Michel Valette MW and Christian Vanneque, one of
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#1732771899755924-543: The approved Chalone viticultural area on the basis that its elevation locates it in a different climate zone. With the exception of Carmel Valley, ATF concured with the petitioner. ATF found that the Carmel Valley viticultural area has features which are more similar to the Chalone viticultural area than to those distinguishing grapes grown in the generally lowland Monterey area. These comments were best summarized in
966-661: The capital of Alta California in 1775, Monterey was fortified and became a port of entry and center of Spanish culture in the " New World ." Grapes were planted by the Franciscan friars at the mission in Monterey in 1770 and in subsequent years at the missions in Jolon and Soledad. In May 1771, Serra relocated the Monterey mission to land near the mouth of the Carmel River because it was better suited for farming. After
1008-751: The entire length of the county from the Monterey Bay southern shoreline to the Salinas river valley framed by the Santa Lucia , Sierra de Salinas and Gabilan Ranges stretching north-south for about 100 miles (160 km) from Watsonville to its southern point, abutting the town of Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County . Monterey AVA expands approximately 360,000 acres (560 sq mi) with about 40,000 acres (16,000 ha) of cultivated vineyards. The AVA includes parts of
1050-419: The first commercial plantings of grapes in the early 1960s, the modern era of winegrowing took root and “Monterey” had become recognizable prime viticultural land. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the quality of some California wines was outstanding but few took notice as the market favored French brands. At the legendary Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 on May 24th, Chalone Vineyard 's 1974 Chardonnay ranked 3rd in
1092-808: The grape growers in the area. It stretches for 170 miles (274 km), draining a land area of 4,160 square miles (10,800 km). On its route between the Los Padres National Forest and the Pacific, it passes through Paso Robles and San Lucas before it even reaches the Monterey County line. Once it crosses and flows north of the county border, the river runs through the heart of the Hames Valley, San Bernabe and Arroyo Seco viticultural areas into Monterey AVA. The weather within Monterey AVA differs from surrounding areas primarily by
1134-493: The long valley between the Gabilan and Sierra de Salinas mountains forming a natural funnel, drawing cool air inland from the coast. Fog and cool breezes are a vital part of the Monterey terroir, just as they are further north in Napa and Sonoma valleys. The Salinas is the largest river in the central coast of California and is vital to the success of viticulture in the area as the source for various methods of irrigation by
1176-431: The origin of their wine, while helping vintners to build and enhance the reputation and value of the wines produced. AVAs also allow consumers to attribute a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic to a wine made from grapes grown in an AVA. AVAs also help consumers identify what they purchase. Judgement of Paris (wine)#San Francisco Wine Tasting of 1978 The event's informal name "Judgment of Paris"
1218-528: The original 1976 wine competition , assisted in the anniversary tasting. Eight judges blind tasted nine of the ten wines evaluated. The evaluation resulted in the following ranking: Rank Wine Four of the judges were experts from Wine Spectator and two were outsiders. All tasted the wines blind. Rank Wine A 30th anniversary re-tasting on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean was organized by Steven Spurrier in 2006. As The Times reported "Despite
1260-412: The original judges from the 1976 tasting. The panel of nine experts at Berry Bros. & Rudd consisted of Michel Bettane, Michael Broadbent MW, Michel Dovaz, Hugh Johnson , Matthew Jukes, Jane MacQuitty, Jasper Morris MW, Jancis Robinson OBE MW and Brian St. Pierre. The results showed that additional panels of experts again preferred the California wines over their French competitors. Three of
1302-506: The petition for the “Monterey” viticultural area, ATF received petitions for the establishment of viticultural areas named “King City” and “San Lucas.” Within the boundary of the approved viticultural area encompasses about 640,000 acres (1,000 sq mi) of which 35,500 acres (14,366 ha), approximately 5.5 percent, are devoted to grape growing. The Monterey appellation now boasts over 40,000 acres (16,187 ha) of vinifera wine grapes under cultivation. The Monterey viticultural area
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1344-550: The petitioner for the viticultural area, summarized the views of its membership and endorsed the alternative boundary proposed by ATF on the basis that geographical features and not existing planting distributions should determine the proposed boundaries. They reported that since the submission of the original petition in May 1982, the acreage planted to wine grapes in Monterey County had increased from 31,632 to 35,758 acres (12,801 to 14,471 ha). They agreed with ATF’s proposal to exclude
1386-429: The procedure for proposing an AVA and provides that any interested party may petition the TTB to establish a grape-growing region as an AVA. Section 9.12 of the TTB regulations (27 C.F.R. § 9.12) prescribes the standards for petitions for the establishment or modification of AVAs. Petitions to establish an AVA must include the following: Once a petition is accepted as complete, the TTB may choose to seek public input on
1428-478: The proposal and at its sole discretion may approve the proposed AVA. Before the AVA system, wine appellations of origin in the United States were designated based on state or county boundaries. All of these appellations were grandfathered into federal regulations and may appear on wine labels as designated places of origin in lieu of an AVA, such as Sonoma County . In order for a wine to be labeled with
1470-533: The results as "laughable" and said they "cannot be taken seriously." Six months after the tasting, Le Monde , France's most prestigious magazine, reported the tasting where writer Lionel Raux wrote a similarly toned article titled, " Let's Not Exaggerate! " The New York Times reported that several earlier tastings had occurred in the U.S., with American chardonnays judged ahead of their French rivals. One such tasting occurred in New York just six months before
1512-432: The results of all 11 judges instead of only nine and proposed a slightly different ranking (see below). They also stated that only the scores of the first two wines in their ranking were statistically valid, and that the seven other wines could not be differentiated statistically. Some critics argued that French red wines would age better than the California reds, so this was tested. The San Francisco Wine Tasting of 1978
1554-608: The same Cabernet Sauvignons tasted earlier in Paris. Ranking lower were Château Montrose 1970, Château Haut-Brion 1970, and Château Leoville Las Cases 1971. Two tastings were conducted by the French Culinary Institute (now called the International Culinary Center ) on the tenth anniversary of the original Paris Wine Tasting. White wines were not evaluated in the belief that they were past their prime. Steven Spurrier , who organized
1596-656: The sparse rainfall and the marine influences of the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay. Compared to surrounding areas, it is relatively dry throughout the growing season with average annual rainfall in the valleys is 10 inches (250 mm) which is lower than in surrounding areas necessitating irrigation. The watersheds of the Santa Lucia, Gabilan, and Diablo ranges provide adequate water through underground aquifers to enable irrigation as well as to satisfy other agricultural requirements. The Monterey Winegrowers Council,
1638-665: The state. Washington requires 95% of the grapes in a Washington wine be grown in Washington, although notably the Columbia Valley AVA , Columbia Gorge AVA , and Walla Walla Valley AVA are shared with Oregon. AVAs vary widely in size, ranging from the Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA , at more than 19 million acres (29,900 square miles (77,000 km )) across four states ( Illinois , Iowa , Minnesota , and Wisconsin ), to
1680-465: The statement of one commenter that “when comparing grape growing areas within the proposed Monterey viticultural area, several areas possess micro-climatological and mino-geological characteristics that offer subtle influences on grape growing practices.” ATF agreed it was consistent with established agency policy pertaining to the establishment of boundaries for viticultural areas to include subareas having minor differences in climate and geology. Chardonnay
1722-1212: The wines preferred by the jury was also established in averaging the sum of each judge's individual grades ( arithmetic mean ). However, grades of Patricia Gallagher and Steven Spurrier were not taken into account, thus counting only grades of French judges. California Chardonnays vs. Burgundy Chardonnays Official jury results : California Cabernet Sauvignon vs. Bordeaux Official jury results： Average Original grades: out of 20 points. The original grades (out of 20 points) are shown, in alphabetical order by judge. Pierre Brejoux Original grades: out of 20 points. Claude Dubois-Millot Original grades: out of 20 points. Michel Dovaz Original grades: out of 20 points. Patricia Gallagher Original grades: out of 20 points. Odette Kahn Original grades: out of 20 points. Raymond Oliver Original grades: out of 20 points. Steven Spurrier Original grades: out of 20 points. Pierre Tari Original grades: out of 20 points. Christian Vanneque Original grades: out of 20 points. Aubert de Villaine Original grades: out of 20 points. Jean-Claude Vrinat Original grades: out of 20 points. Orley Ashenfelter and Richard E. Quandt analyzed
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1764-582: Was conducted 20 months after the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976. Steven Spurrier flew in from Paris to participate in the evaluations, which were held at the Vintners Club. On 11 January 1978, evaluators blind-tasted the same Chardonnays tasted earlier in Paris. Ranking lower were Meursault Charmes Roulot 1973, Beaune Clos des Mouches Joseph Drouhin 1973, and Batard-Montrachet Ramonet-Prudhon 1973. On 12 January 1978, evaluators blind-tasted
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