THE JUDGEMENT OF PARIS

In 1976, a pivotal moment changed Chardonnay’s course. During the Judgement of Paris, a blind tasting competition, Chateau Montelena’s 1973 Chardonnay beat out its French competitors; suddenly, everyone wanted a bunch of these golden grapes. Plantings increased exponentially year over year and by 1988, there were more plantings in the U.S. than in France.