The 24 May marks the 50th anniversary of the Judgement of Paris – an event which sent shockwaves through the French wine establishment and helped bring about the rise of New World wines, says David Carne

For those not immersed in the world of wine, the Judgement of Paris was one of the events that significantly changed the course of wine history. In 1976, Stephen Spurrier, a British wine merchant, and his assistant Patricia Gallagher, director of the Académie du Vin, organised a blind tasting in Paris to benchmark Californian Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon against the best wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy. A panel of nine leading French wine experts tasted 10 red wines and 10 white wines representing California, Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Holding a tasting of Californian wines in Paris in 1976 was controversial in itself, but the results sent shockwaves through the French wine establishment. Of the 20 wines tasted, a Californian wine was ranked highest in both the red and white categories, and three of the top five wines overall were Californian.

Reporting for Time magazine, George Taber wrote: “The Paris Tasting shattered two foundations of conventional wisdom in the world of wine. First, it demonstrated that outstanding wine can be made in many places beyond the hallowed terroir of France. Second, the Paris Tasting showed that winemakers did not need a long heritage of passing the wisdom of the ages down from one generation to the next to master the techniques for producing great wine.”

Spurrier was accused of tarnishing French wine, and many argued that if the wines were retasted after ageing, the results would be different. So, in 2006, Spurrier organised a re-tasting. Once again, the Californian wines performed extremely well.

CHANGING THE WORLD

The tasting became known as the Judgement of Paris and is arguably one of the reasons we now see such a wide range of New World wines on shelves and wine lists. It sparked interest in blind tasting wines from newer regions against the established European classics. In truth, Spurrier had not set out to change the wine world, he simply wanted to promote his wine shop and benchmark Californian wines against the recognised world leaders. It was Patricia Gallagher who suggested the tasting should be blind and framed as a competition between French and American wines to mark the US Bicentennial.

Nevertheless, the impact was enormous. The Judgement of Paris put California firmly on the wine map and helped open the door for producers from South America, South Africa, Australia and many other regions to gain international recognition.

Even today, there are still wines being produced in places many people would not immediately associate with winemaking. China is now producing increasingly drinkable wines, and countries such as Greece, Romania, Hungary, Georgia, Mexico and Canada are producing excellent bottles, often representing very good value for money. And of course, England continues to go from strength to strength. In a recent tasting against champagnes and other sparkling wines, Nyetimber, the West Sussex sparkling producer took the top spot.

CHALLENGES, TOO

As climate patterns change, we may soon see quality wines emerging from Scandinavia. I was recently at a tasting where there was a very impressive sparkling wine from Tasmania, and India is also becoming an increasingly serious wine-producing country. It is an exciting time for wine, but there are challenges too. Some traditional Old World regions are struggling with rising temperatures, which are making it harder to produce the same styles of wine they historically have. Growers are planting new grape varieties, changing vineyard practices and adapting winemaking techniques. Alongside new wines from emerging countries, we may also see new styles of wine from traditional regions such as France, Spain and Italy.

All of this is good news for consumers: more choice, more styles and more interesting wines to discover. So, if you see a wine from somewhere you have never heard of before, perhaps take a chance and give it a try, and whatever you are drinking this May and beyond, please drink responsibly.

DAVID’S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAY

Something Sparkling

House of Arras, Tasmania Brut Elite Rosé – £45, Loki Wines
Citrus zest, floral and a hit of berry followed by brioche, toast and some nutty flavours on the finish.

Something Fresh and Fruity

Esporão Reserva Organic White 2023 – £19, Cambridge Wine
A very elegant wine, somewhat delicate on the palate with tangerine, honey and stone fruit notes, and some very subtle smoke and cream from the oak.

Something Big and Bold

Kaesler, The Bogan Shiraz, Barossa Valley – £35, Loki Wines
Arguably punching well above its weight, this Shiraz has dark fruit notes of blackberry, plum with some spice and cedar notes.

Something Classic

Morrisons The Best Chinnon – £9.25, Morrisons
A very drinkable Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley. Raspberry and blackcurrant, with a distinctive vegetal note of green pepper.

Something English

Gusbourne Brut Reserve, 2020 – £45, The Champagne Company
Currently winning a lot of awards, this is a clean, crisp, citrusy and orchard fruit dominated sparkling. You may detect some caramel, alongside the brioche, biscuit and coconut flavours from aging.

Something Different

Oriel Rose de France 2024 – £7, Tesco
Strawberry and white stone fruit, light and easy drinking. Perfect for (hopefully) sunny weather.