Talk of “chocolate,” and immediately Belgium comes to mind. Mention watches, and you automatically picture Switzerland. And for most of the 20th century, wine was synonymous with France.
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But all that changed in the spring of 1976, when French and American winemakers went head to head in a contest. At that time it was considered as the biggest story of the wine world, later dubbed as “The Judgment of Paris”. This showdown was organised by British wine merchant Steven Spurrier. Taking advantage of the US bicentennial, Spurrier decided to pit world-renowned French wines against up-and-coming California wines in a winner-takes-all contest. The drinks were judged by a panel of respected wine critics such as the editor of France’s premier wine magazine and the dean of French culinary writers. The odds were not in the Americans’ favor.
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Pretty much everyone expected the French to win, but when the white wines were judged after a blind tasting, California won three out of four top spots. People were stunned, and Steven Spurrier suddenly feared that the French might lose the much more prestigious red competition as well. So (in total violation of the rules), he told the judges the results of the white test before the official announcement. Knowing the reputation of French vineyards was on the line, some judges tried their hardest to make sure the Americans lost. Despite this, the panel chose a California Cabernet as the number one red wine in the world.
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Humiliated, the French hoped the story would silently disappear, but journalist George Taber covered the incident in Time magazine, sending shock waves across the culinary world and changing the California wine industry forever.