Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine
by George M. Taberbook data
72 ratings, 3.85 average rating, 29 reviews
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published
November 21st 2006
by Scribner
binding
Paperback, 352 pages
isbn
0743297326
(isbn13: 9780743297325)
description
The Paris Tasting of 1976 will forever be remembered as the landmark event that transformed the wine industry. At this legendary contest -- a blind ta...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 139)
Read in August, 2008
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 meant to be a bit of a tease, a lark. He had no idea his 2 hr tasting would unleash a revolution in the wine industry.
What I loved about this book were the stories of young men who arrived f...more
What I loved about this book were the stories of young men who arrived f...more
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4 comments
I'll give it two and a half stars. As the title aptly states, this book describes the events surrounding the 1976 Paris Tasting, a blind wine tasting by France's leading experts where a Napa cabernet sauvignon and a Napa chardonnay took top billing as the best wines. Taber gives a very good build up to the actual tasting, first providing a short history of viticulture, then describing the world of wine in the late 1970s (read: France).
The best part of the book was the chapter that detail...more
The best part of the book was the chapter that detail...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommended to Adriana by:
found it in my local bookstorerecommends it for: people interested in wine, food, or history
Great historical retelling from the perspective of a reporter who was there at the scene when the first time ever France's wines lost to another country. It really rocked the culinary and wine world who always based the standards of how to make wine and what wine best accompanies certain foods from what France's wine officials said. Taber gives good details about each winery and the wines selected. What surprised me was how he gave the history of the whole wine industry in both California and Fr...more
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Read in May, 2008
As a wine novice, I learned a lot from Taber's succinct history of the impact of the infamous 1976 Paris tasting, where a group of top French wine experts roundly chose California wines over France's in a blind taste test. At times Taber can be somewhat repetitive, but overall I enjoyed learning about the key players of the California wine industry, as well as how the event opened up possibilities for winemakers around the world. Pre-1976, if you wanted a good wine, it had to be from France. No...more
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Read in March, 2008
A somewhat difficult and dense read (seems to be a theme lately with me). Still, a fascinating look into the blind tasting that changed the California wine scene. Heavy with facts and information but anyone who appreciates good wine will find something to enjoy here. Controversial film, unauthorized adapation, "Bottle Shock" out soon and at Sundance I think. Lawsuits are possible and an authorized version is in pre pro...
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
Winelovers and/or historians
Of course I was fascinated by the account of "the tasting" and it's aftermath. Surprisingly, I was even more interested in the backstories and history of winemaking in California, especially the effects of prohibition. This is really a great book - not just about the tasting, but about what lead up to it, how it changed things, and where the global wine industry is headed now.
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Read in March, 2008
This is a fantastic book written like a novel. It tells the story of California wine making in Napa Valley and the way it makes a major foray into International Markets. It does, however, take a bit long to tell the story, and the epilogue of "upcoming wine regions" is a bit tedious. Still, it's a great book. Best read with a glass of wine by your side, of course!
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Read in May, 2007
recommends it for:
wine lovers
I decided to actually study for my vacation, and got this book before we went wine tasting in Burgundy. It was extremely informative! Taught us alot about the geography and wine-making in France vs. what we're used to in California. I'd recommend for people who know and love Napa/Sonoma...there are some great stories about starting up some of the great wineries there!
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Read in September, 2006
No pun intended, but a little dry. A lot of description, documentation of the growth of California wine culture. The author is a journalist, and his writing lacks much of the style that often characterizes food and wine writing. While this keeps the topic accessible for non-oenophiles, it does (and again, excuse the pun) give the reader less to savor.
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The true story of the 1976 blind tasting in Paris that put California on the wine map. It's an interesting history for oenophiles, recounting the stories of the wineries that moved away from producing sugary zinfandels and dessert wines in favor of Burgundian cabs and chardonnays. It drags on a bit long in some places, but otherwise an easy read.
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Read in September, 2008
I started this and enjoyed the history of Napa, then got bogged down in it and sidetracked and picked it up again after watching the film Bottle Shock. It's a good history of Napa and and interesting description of the tasting in 1976. The last section is more of a reference guide on up-and-coming wineries/region, a reason to keep it handy.
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Read in April, 2007
Weaves all the forces of how Californian wines became world class. Just as immigrants came to America for a new life, many of the people responsible for improving the quality of wine in California were immigrants. They dreamed of making their own wine, owning wineries, and worked so hard to accomplish what they set out to do.
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Read in July, 2007
This turned out to be much better than expected. I was a little puzzled with how one wine tasting could become an entire book, but it manages that well by providing very interested back stories of the main characters (people and wines). This book is really motivating me to get deeper into wines.
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Read in July, 2008
recommended to Elizabeth by:
Cynthia
The best history of the California wine business I've read, despite the leaden prose. A less-than-riveting account of the now infamous judgement in which Cali trumped France, but still interesting. I trailed off when the book began exploring other new world wine regions.
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excellent book, theme of the book is about the wine tasting where Californian wines beat out the French. But within the midst of all this you learn a lot about wine: growing requirements, wine regions, and such
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Read in January, 2005
Okay, so I skipped some of the intricate details, but it really was an interesting read. If you have ever been out to Napa/Sonoma, then it is even better because you can picture the areas Taber is talking about.
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Read in August, 2008
Reading this on Kindle now. It contains a very well-written history of the wine business and how it got to where it is. Highly recommended for anyone who is more than casually interested in wine.
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Great book on the rise of fine wine production in California. Also a neat commentary on the global wine market. Very educational and informative on the wine-making process as a whole.
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I'm about half way through this book, and I'm not all that impressed. I'll reserve judgement until the story is completed however. On the plus side, it is expanding my knowledge of fine wines.
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Read in October, 2008
recommended to Johno by:
author
Very well-written look at the birth of modern wine industry in both California and globally. If you're at all interested in fine wines, this is very informative and a lot of fun.
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