There are few seminal events in the history of the modern wine world that are as significant as the events that unfolded in Paris on May 24, 1976. It was nearly 200 years following the founding of the United States that another shot was fired that was heard around the world … the wine world, and was the beginning of another revolution. It was called the Judgment of Paris.

Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant, decided to stage a competition between California and French wines. He arranged for a blind tasting of chardonnay wines in one flight and red wines (California cabernets sauvignons versus French Bordeaux blends) in another flight. The panel of 10 distinguished judges, almost exclusively from France, and Spurrier himself, were shocked when the results were tabulated. California scored higher than its French counterparts in both categories. The story, not expected to draw much attention to begin with, would have quietly died if it had not been for George Taber, a reporter for Time magazine, who published the results and shook up the wine world forever.