Two new movies about the 1976 Paris tasting which Hollywood will not let the French forget. No doubt encouraged by the sleeper success of Sideways these new movies will probably not receive the same critical acclaim – judging by this article in the Toronto Globe and Mail by Beppi Crosariol.
Wine connoisseurs - I call them cons
BEPPI CROSARIOL
bcrosariol@globeandmail.comJuly 23, 2008
It was the taste-off that turned wine upside down.
In 1976, an esteemed all-French jury gathered in Paris for a blind tasting to compare eight of France’s greatest wines against a dozen upstarts from California. In an upset worthy of Hollywood, the United States trounced France, winning top honours in both the red and white categories.
Now, Hollywood has finally found its way to the story. Not one but two films based on the so-called Judgment of Paris will duke it out for attention this year. Bottle Shock, a rollicking comedy-drama based on true events that stars Alan Rickman, opens in Toronto on Aug. 6 and is slated to roll out to theatres across the country later in the summer. The second film, Judgment of Paris, based on the official story by the only journalist to attend the Paris tasting, Time magazine’s George Taber, is due later this year.
The event’s significance has predictably been interpreted the same way ever since: California had vaulted its way into the wine stratosphere. True. But if there’s justice, the films will also be a reminder - in these boom times for wine snobbery - of a message far more overdue…..
Ending with…
……Ironically, Bottle Shock perpetuates that superhuman-taster myth even as the factual part of the story undermines it. In one pivotal, fictional scene, Gustavo, a Mexican-American cellar hand employed by Chateau Montelena, wows a crowded Napa barroom by identifying the legendary 1947 Cheval Blanc, a red Bordeaux, in an impromptu brown-bag challenge.
So, let me get this straight: A spunky American kid can nail the nuances of great French terroir in a blind tasting when an esteemed panel of seasoned European experts can’t?
Apparently, 32 years after French arrogance got its comeuppance in the Judgment of Paris, wine jingoism is alive and well and living in America.
Now that we are in the midst of summertime grilling, it is important to be able to use your wine knowledge to select appropriate pairings for those charcoal scented meats tossed onto the flames. What type of wine should you drink with bitter food? The example I will use is Charbroiled lamb on a bed of wild arugula. I have been getting bunches of wild arugula from the Farmer’s Market because it is such a great pair with anything you toss on the grill. 
had colorful masks in the middle as a playful decoration. Two dimensional paper maiche pig heads hung from the ceiling and appeared to have been crafted at the Solstice workshop where floats and masks are made for Saturday’s parade. 
perfect opportunity to recognize and sample new releases that we have available at 
The first plates came out of the kitchen at 7:30. Actually, the tapas size portion was served in a small convex glass (which tasting room associate Alan Shapton referred to as an “upside down lampshade glass”). A Tiger Shrimp Ceviche with mango and ripe avocado was served with the 2007 Pinot Gris and was probably my favorite pairing of the night. Mouthwatering tropical fruit and complementary acidity cleansed the palate for what was to come. The 
fattiness of the avocado cut through the Pinot Gris’ racy acidity and also brought out elements of sweet fruit when put together with the mango. 
Next out of the kitchen was a Saffron Bouillabaise and 
wine. The Rose of Syrah allowed the dish to shine through and was a beautiful magenta pink in the crystal stemware against the flickering candlelight. 
mustard rice wine vinaigrette. Three crusted scallops were placed softly on the bed of lettuce and provided a nice crunchy texture to the salad. Again Josh played with the element of pairing hot and cold placing warm scallops on cool lettuce, which really brought forward the salads earthy flavors. 
Leading up to the main course these three lighter dishes paved the way for Steak Filet Mignon and 
After all of this food it was not a surprise that the choice of dessert was more of a delightful cleansing palate refresher than a decadent sweet. A sorbet was paired with our 
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) of the Family Lamiaceae is also known as Albahaca, St. Joseph’s Wort, and Sweet Basil. It is a tender low-growing annual herb, originally native to tropical Asia. It grows to between twenty and sixty centimetres tall, with opposite, light green, silky leaves one and a half to five centimetres long and one to three centimetres broad.
sweet smell. Basil is very sensitive to cold, with best growth in hot, dry conditions.The word basil comes from the Greek âáóéëåõò, meaning “king”, as it is believed to have grown above the spot where St. Constantine and Helen discovered the Holy Cross. The Oxford English Dictionary quotes speculations that basil may have been used in “some royal unguent, bath, or medicine”…
Bottling is no one’s favorite part of winemaking - but it could be the most satisfying. Getting the wine into bottles safely is a sort of accomplishment. It is not the end of the road — it still needs to get into the hands of the consumer.
These were all bottled in the classical high shoulder Bordeaux bottle. Six wines, five of Italian origin and one, Cabernet Sauvignon, of French origin. They have all spent 16 to 18 months in 60 liter barrels and are being bottled without filtration.
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