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Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine

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Author: George M. Taber
Publisher: Scribner
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$16.00~~
Buy New: $6.71
You Save: $9.29 (58%)

New (31) Used (17) from $5.99

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

51 reviews
Sales Rank: 8662

Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 1

ISBN: 0743297326
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.22094436109047
EAN: 9780743297325
ASIN: 0743297326

Publication Date: November 21, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
The Paris Tasting of 1976 will forever be remembered as the landmark event that transformed the wine industry. At this legendary contest -- a blind tasting -- a panel of top French wine experts shocked the industry by choosing unknown California wines over France's best.

George M. Taber, the only reporter present, recounts this seminal contest and its far-reaching effects, focusing on three gifted unknowns behind the winning wines: a college lecturer, a real estate lawyer, and a Yugoslavian immigrant. With unique access to the main players and a contagious passion for his subject, Taber renders this historic event and its tremendous aftershocks -- repositioning the industry and sparking a golden age for viticulture across the globe. With an eclectic cast of characters and magnificent settings, Judgment of Paris is an illuminating tale and a story of the entrepreneurial spirit of the new world conquering the old.

Customer Reviews: Read 46 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

A Leisurely Historical Account January 7, 2009
For those who appreciate plodding character and plot development over surprise. Tabor gives away the ending at the beginning. Do not approach this account hurriedly or you will be disappointed, as the journalist leaves no stone unturned. Sip it, savor its layers, appreciate its complexities and you will find yourself recalling it in dozens of conversations for weeks afterward. The book creates its own world and it continues to beckon long after the act of reading is done.

3 out of 5 stars

book January 7, 2009
Not bad for a used book. Some wear and tear but was nice enough to give as a Christmas gift!

4 out of 5 stars

Judging Paris December 2, 2008
This is much more than Taber's account of the actual historic French/California taste-off. It is really an indepth look at the beginnings of the post-Prohibition California wine industry, especially the quality winemakers who were trying to do much more than provide good jug wines. There are wonderful family histories, anecdotes, analysis of wine marketing, and much more.

If you have only seen the film "Bottle Shock," you should read this book to see what really happened. It's a fun film but more fictional than factual.

5 out of 5 stars

California wines recognized worldwide October 25, 2008
This is a superb first hand account of the event that shook the wine world and turned it upside down; California wines came out on top and the wine world has never been the same since. This book is much more than a story about the event, it is a mini-history of California wine making, from the growth of small vineyards with limited production into the multi-billion dollar global business that it has become. With the California wines winning the tasting by getting the higher marks, California was thrust into the forfront surpassing the once highly regarded French wines. This competition changed everything as the California wine business began it's boom that continues to grow. As I said, it is more than a story of the competition, it is a story about the people behind the wine industry, the people who take the time to achieve world class wine, the people driven by devotion to producing the best. The book goes back in time to examine the early wine makers influence on that day in Paris. This is a great story with excellent mini-biographies, especially if you are a wine enthusiast. Recommended reading for anyone interested in the California wine industry.

5 out of 5 stars

Great Book on Wine October 9, 2008
Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine

Ordered this book after seeing the movie "Bottle Shock" this is so much more interesting. The movie was cute but a bit stupid ... The book is great with lots of real history and technical info. on wine that I find facinating.

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