First, thanks to listener and Patron Rafael C. for the podcast topic this week! It is the 45th Anniversary of the Judgment of Paris: a tasting of California and French wines, organized but the late Steve Spurrier, that opened the door for wines from the US and all over the New World to be recognized for their excellence. We should raise a glass to him, his partner Patricia Gallagher, and to journalist and author George Taber, all of whom made this event so very significant.  Here's a quick recap, all of which we cover in the podcast... In 1976, an English wine shop owner, Steven Spurrier, and the director of his adjacent wine school, Patricia Gallagher, wanted to introduce members of the French culinary elite to the wines of California. The goal was to show them the new developments happening across the world in wine (and to get publicity for Cave de la Madeleine and the Academie du Vin -- genius marketing!).   Photo: Berry Bros & Rudd Wine Blog In preparation, Spurrier and Gallagher researched, tasted, and carefully selected 6 boutique California Chardonnays and 6 boutique Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines. They brought these wines to France and on May 24, 1976 conducted a three-hour tasting that (unbeknownst to them) would change the wine world forever.   Nine French judges sat at the Intercontinental Hotel in Paris and sipped 6 California Chardonnays with a group of four high end white Burgundies (100% Chardonnay). They followed that up with 6 California Cabernet Sauvignons and four of the best Bordeaux from the Left Bank. The results were as follows:   Chardonnays 1973 Chateau Montelena, Napa Valley (family owned) 1973 Roulot Meursault Charmes, Premier Cru, Bourgogne 1974 Chalone Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains (owned by Diageo) 1973 Spring Mountain Vineyard, Napa Valley (owned by an investment company) 1973 Joseph Drouhin Beaune “Clos des Mouches,” Premier Cru Bourgogne 1972 Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley (owned by Jackson Family Wines/Kendall-Jackson) 1973 Ramonet-Prudhon, Bâtard-Montrachet, Grand Cru, Bourgogne 1972 Domaine Leflaive, Puligny- Montrachet, “Les Pucelles”, Premier Cru, Bourgogne 1972 Veedercrest Vineyards, Napa Valley (shut down for 20 years, resurrected in 2005 under a sole proprietor) 1972 David Bruce Winery, Santa Cruz Mountains (family owned) Photo: National Museum of American History -- Smithsonian  The Cabernets/Bordeaux 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Napa Valley (owned by Chateau Ste. Michelle/Antinori) 1970 Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux 1970 Château Haut-Brion, Graves, Bordeaux 1970 Château Montrose, St-Éstephe, Bordeaux 1971 Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains (owned since 1987 by a Japanese pharmaceutical company) 1971 Château-Leoville-Las-Cases, St. Julien, Bordeaux 1971 Mayacamas Vineyards, Napa Valley (family owned) 1972 Clos du Val, Napa Valley (family owned) 1970 Heitz Cellars, Martha’s Vineyard, Napa Valley (investor owned) 1969 Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley (owned by Jackson Family Wines/Kendall-Jackson)   Shocking and unexpected though they were, the results helped land California a seat at the table in the world of serious wine and paved the way for other regions to show that they were also capable of making excellent wines. Photo: Bella Spurrier The contest was not without objection. According to George Taber’s book (FYI -this is an affiliate link and I may earn a small commission from your purchase) the major ones were: The 20-point system was too limiting (but 20 points was standard at the time, I think any scale would have been criticized) For each category there were only four French wines to six California wines, so the odds were statistically in California’s favor (this is a very valid argument but the purpose of the tasting was for fun and learning, so we can’t really fault Spurrier for not knowing!) Spurrier didn’t choose the best French vintages (Spurrier picked French wines he thought would win, this was the best available) The French wines we