The Tasting That Changed Everything
On 24th May 1976, a small group of French wine judges gathered at the InterContinental Hotel in Paris. They expected a relaxed afternoon. They expected to politely dismiss a few upstart wines from California before enjoying their superior Bordeaux and Burgundy. They expected the status quo to remain unbroken.
They were wrong.
Organised by British wine merchant Steven Spurrier, the event was a blind tasting pitting the finest French wines—including First Growths like Mouton-Rothschild and Haut-Brion—against unknown producers from Napa Valley. The judges swirled, sniffed, and scored, confident they could spot the French thoroughbreds a mile off.
The Shock Result
When the scores were tallied, the room fell silent. The winner in the red wine category was not a centuries-old French Château. It was a 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.
The white wine category delivered a similar blow, with a Napa Chardonnay taking the top spot. The "Judgment of Paris" was complete. The myth of French invincibility was shattered, and Napa Valley was instantly catapulted onto the world stage.
The Legacy
The impact of that day still reverberates through the wine world. It proved that great wine is not a matter of geography, but of terroir and talent. It forced the Old World to wake up and the New World to dream big.
Today, the wines of Napa Valley are celebrated not just for their fruit power, but for the structure and elegance that allowed them to go toe-to-toe with the best of Bordeaux. At Hic!, we are proud to stock the legends that defined this era, including the iconic Stag's Leap and the pioneers who followed in their footsteps.
Explore our Napa Valley Collection and taste the history for yourself.