Judgment of Paris
California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine

The actual May 1976 blind tasting in Paris of French & California wines takes up little of this book- which makes sense given that is was very low-key event. Spurrier meant to introduce what he thought were intriguing wines (Californians) to a handful of notable French palates. The blind tasting was......more

The Napa Valley is one of the most important wine regions in the world, and it's true that the wine is bottled poetry. But back before it had enough street cred that convinced suckers like me to spend $40 for a few measly 2-ounce pours, it had to convince the French that California could make more......more

You have to read this book in Sips not Gulps! Also helps if you are interested in wine, wineries, and wine making. The book came out in 2005, but is mostly about the revolution of wine making in the mid 1970's. We visited my husband's brother in Napa California in 1978(?) and visted the Mondavi, Ste......more

There's a good story here, but the author didn't find it. This book needed a strong editor to better shape the narrative. The success of non-French wines is engrossing, and I love the upstart hippish Californians who muddle their way to creating a great product. Or the pleasure these upstarts enjoye......more

George Taber has proved that he has an extensive knowledge about wine and its history. However, this extremely detailed info dump is only really necessary unless you are preparing to answer jeopardy questions about the topic. I recommend the "Accidental Connoisseur" by Lawrence Osbourne instead if y......more