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.com
July 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.
To read full article:
Irony of ironies a French Chateau is rumored to be buying the winery that startled the wine world in 1976 and which is the subject of a new movie soon to be released.
BERKELEY - Chateau Montelena, which shocked the wine world in 1976 when it beat French vintages in a famous Paris tasting, is expected to be sold, officials close to the deal said today. The buyer? The owner of a Bordeaux estate.
“This is the ultimate recognition, that the French are now buying these great California wineries,” said Jon Fredrikson, a wine industry consultant and publisher of the Gomberg-Fredrikson report which tracks wine shipments.
Company officials released a joint statement saying talks were in progress between Michel Reybier, owner of Chateau Cos d’Estournel in Bordeaux, and Chateau Montelena founder Jim Barrett for a sale, pending regulatory approval.
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Photo of our largest Pinot Noir Block as seen from the Lafond Winery. This block was planted in 1997 and, up to now, has provided the majority of grapes for our vineyard designated wines. The other photo is of a vine whose growth we have been recording since Spring. Both photos were taken July 19, 2008.
Click images to enlarge.
We have a relatively new release here in the tasting room, and it has quickly become one of my favorites. It is the 2006 Lafond Martin Ray Clone Pinot Noir. The highest quality fruit (exclusively Martin Ray Clone Pinot Noir) has been selected to be included in this bottling.
Lafond Vineyard is home to eight Pinot Noir clones, all of which have their own unique character and flavor profile. Bruce McGuire has produced this small batch of Martin Ray clonal designate Pinot Noir from a specific 25-acre block of the vineyard that was planted 24 years ago. The wine was aged in 100% French Burgundy Oak barrels for about 10 months, during which its complexity was enhanced.
The structure and depth of flavor makes this Pinot Noir a nice match with savory foods such as lamb, Copper River salmon, and hearty mushroom dishes. I have had it recently paired with crusty herbed flatbread, baked zucchini flowers (a beautiful summer seasonal vegetable), and tender grilled lamb. Enjoy it now through 2014. Only 174 cases were produced. Price: 48.00/750ml
To order:
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery
As we officially celebrate Fiesta here at the Santa Barbara Winery tasting room with the Flamenco Arts Festival fundraiser on August 1, Santa Barbara will be busy hosting numerous other celebrations all over town with the start of the 84th Annual Old Spanish Days Fiesta.
This long celebratory weekend is one that Santa Barbara locals look forward to all year. The spirit of the community is brought together for a four day period from July 30-August 3 to celebrate and raise awareness of Santa Barbara’s diverse cultural heritage. The ongoing festivities provide an opportunity for fundraising to benefit local charities and nonprofits. This stretch of activities, shows and parades provide a wonderful background to explore the town, whether you are a local or visiting from out of town.
Go wine tasting, support local restaurants, shop at the Mercado De La Guerra (a temporary open air market), and head over to State St. to watch the Fiesta Parade. The tradition has been picking up steam with each year that passes since the first parade, which took place on August 13, 1924. So splash some color into your wardrobe and be part of the festive mood brought on by the celebration of community.
To see a full list of events, check out the Old Spanish Days Fiesta official website.
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery
2005 Joughin Vineyard Lagrein
Lagrein is one of the indigenous grapes grown around the town of Bolzano in the Alto Adige; Italy’s northern most wine growing region. Locally known for its big, rich tannins and very dark color, this is a remarkable food wine.
The key is a richness of fruit character, instead of hard tannins that delights and surprises the mouth at the same time. This grape yields the darkest, most saturated wine we haveve experienced, remarked Winemaker Bruce McGuire. Mr. Andrew Joughin, who also happens to be the vineyard manager at our Lafond Vineyard, planted the Joughin Vineyard.
It was his idea to look for unusual grape varieties from around the world that would be suitable for his soils and Los Olivos climate. Of course Winemaker Bruce McGuire was happy to offer some suggestions that would also add to the wide variety of wines he makes for Santa Barbara Winery. The harvest of 2005 gave up yields that made Mr. Joughin smile.
The seven tons from this four acre section gave us a fruit forward, lush wine. Pair with angel hair pasta in a light tomato garlic sauce to much heartier foods. This is also a great wine to taste with cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, Fontina, semi-hard Gouda, or your own selection in the fresh goat’s milk catagory. This wine should age nicely through 2010.
Suggested retail: 30.00/750ml
To order:
Bruce and his whole crew are at the Lafond Winery this week. They are readying most of 2007’s red wine for bottling. First they spend several days tasting and evaluating each barrel and each lot. This is the final cut.
Which wines merit to be bottled as single vineyard or single clone wines. 
Over the years we have learnt which parts of the vineyard and which clones produces consistently outstanding wines, but there are surprises. For the past few years we have been experimenting with tying each individual cane to prevent canopy leaves from shading the fruit.
Obviously, a very slow and costly process, but with the results of the 2007 vintage now in, we will be doing a lot more of it in the future. Most, if not all of the vines where this was done, will end up in our special limited bottling. Both Winemaker Bruce McGuire and David Lafond were impressed by the results.
Photos show the crew at work and if not at play, at least at the table.
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