BILL ANALYSIS
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THIRD READING
Bill No: ACR 153
Author: Evans (D)
Amended: 5/22/06 in Assembly
Vote: 21
WITHOUT REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE OR FILE
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : Read and adopted, 5/22/06
SUBJECT : 30th Anniversary of the Paris Wine Tasting of
1976
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution proclaims May 24, 2006, the 30th
anniversary of the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, which
revolutionized California's wine industry.
ANALYSIS :
This resolution makes the following legislative findings
and declarations:
1.On May 24, 1976, a wine tasting known as the Paris Wine
Tasting of 1976, forever revolutionized California's wine
industry.
2.A wine merchant located in Paris, named Steven Spurrier,
organized the Paris Wine Tasting of l1976 as a publicity
stunt because he thought the French wines would easily
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win.
3.The panel of nine judges were all French wine-tasting
experts with impeccable professional credentials such as
Pierre Tari, secretary-general of the Association des
Grands Crus Classes, and Raymond Oliver, owner of Le
Grand Vefour restaurant, and famous French culinary
writers. The tasting was done blind with the wine poured
from neutral bottles with no labels so that the judges
did no recognize the wines by the bottle's
characteristics.
4.The white wines were the first category judged and
matched transatlantic cousins French Burgundy against
California Chardonnay. To the shock of all the judges,
Califronia wines won three out of the top four in the
white wine category with the winner being the Napa Valley
1973 Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena, which beat out
the 1973 Meursault-Chames Burgundy. California
Chardonnays by Chalone Vineyard and Spring Mountain
Vineyard finished third and fourth respectively.
5.After the results of the white wines had been revealed,
the judges began the second half of the tasting
competition, which matched French Bordeaux against
California Cabernet Sauvignon. To the continued
astonishment of the French judges after making
disparaging remarks about the wines they thought to be
from California, the 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars
Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley had won the red
wine category.
6.Prior to the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, French wines
were thought to be the best wines in the world and, in
fact, every President of the United States from George
Washington to John F. Kennedy served French wines until
President Lyndon B. Johnson made it a decree that the
White House would serve only American wines.
7.The results of the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, now known
as the Judgment of Paris, cannot be understated in its
impact of not only California's $40 billion wine industry
but the wine industry around the world.
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8.All of the California wineries that participated in the
Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, such as Chalone Vineyard,
Chateau Montelana, Clos du Val, David Bruce Winery,
Freemark Abbey, Heitz Wine Cellars, Mayacamas Vineyard,
Ridge Vineyards, Spring Mountain Vineyard, and Stag's
Leap Wine Cellars should all be forever commended for
their contributions to California's wine industry and for
wine around the world by showing that world class wine
can be produced outside of France.
This resolution declares May 24, 2006, the 30th Anniversary
of the Judgment of Paris in recognition of the importance
of the results of the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
JJA:cm 5/26/06 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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