Two years ago, Patrick Cappiello had a harebrained idea: Could he reinvent one of the most famous wine tastings in history?
In 1976, the Judgment of Paris upended the wine world when French wine professionals, tasting blind, ranked several California wines above their French counterparts. The outcome marked a new era for California wine, which had long been overshadowed by those from Europe.
For Cappiello, winemaker and owner of Monte Rio Cellars in Sebastopol, a do-over wouldn’t foster a rivalry between California against France. Instead, it would champion American wine producers weathering an industry downturn…