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Ivo Jeramaz is the winemaker at Grgich Hills Estate. His uncle, Mike, started the winery shortly after his Chardonnay won the 1976 Paris Tasting for Chateau Montelena. Ivo passionately believes in regenerative farming of grapes, without the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. This week on Barrel to Bottle, Ivo explains the process of regenerative farming and why he believes it makes the best wine. Grgich Hills Sauvignon Blanc Fume Blanc 2021 Grgich Hills Chardonnay 2021 Grgich Hills Zinfandel 2019 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at comments@binnys.com, or reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. If we answer your question during a podcast, you'll get a $20 Binny's Gift Card! If you like our podcast, subscribe wherever you download podcasts. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
Mike Grgich – His 1976 Napa Chardonnay in USA/France blind tasting in Paris was The Shot Heard Round the World. Winemaker Mike Grgich died Dec 13th 2023. He was 100 years old. This is his story, as told to yours truly into a nasty microphone in the lobby of the Hotel Vancouver 2016. He had just released his memoir A Glass Full of Miracles. (Note – on his way from Croatia to Napa he travelled across the Atlantic and by train across Canada to Vancouver for a lumberjack job he had applied for. The job was gone by the time he reached the west coast. So, Mike washed dishes until he heard of a winemaking job in Napa and South he went) Steven Spurrier, a wine expert from England who ran a fine wine shop in Paris, decided it would be fun to organize a blind tasting to coincide with America's Bicentennial celebrations in 1976. For the tasting, he gathered together the best French judges, and the finest French wines, and to salute America on its 200th anniversary he added in a few wines from some upstart winemakers in California. Steven hoped the tasting would bring favourable attention to his wine shop. But he didn't have any idea of the impact that his Bicentennial tasting would have on the world of wine. André Tchelistcheff, along with Jim Barrett, had hand-carried an armload of California wines to Paris for the competition. The blind tasting was held at the InterContinental Hotel in the center of Paris. The morning competition was devoted to white wines and the afternoon to reds. And Steven Spurrier brought together the very best white wines of Burgundy: a 1973 Meursault-Charmes, a 1973 Beaune Clos des Mouches, a 1973 Bâtard-Montrachet, and a 1972 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles. Alongside these French legends, there was the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay crafted by Mike Grgich, and other Chardonnays from California that the French judges had never heard of either. The judges expected to sniff and gag when they tasted the California wines. But it didn't happen that way. The nine French judges blind-tasted the white wines and graded each of them. The winner was the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that Mike Grgich had made, with 132 points, the highest total scored of any of the wines, red or white, in the tasting. It was the champion! Then, to add insult to injury, the third and fourth places went to Chalone Vineyard and Spring Mountain Vineyard. In the afternoon tasting of the red wines, the French judges gave their top ranking to Warren Winiarski for his 1973 Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, beating the best wines of Bordeaux, among them a 1970 Château Mouton-Rothschild, a 1970 Château Haut Brion, a 1970 Château Montrose from Saint-Estèphe, and a 1971 Château Léoville-Las-Cases from Saint-Julien. The judges were shocked as was Steven Spurrier. Upstarts from Napa Valley had won both categories, against the very best wines of France. The French judges were speechless and a few tried to suppress the results, but without success. The following week, George Tabor's story in Time magazine announced the American triumph, and it sent shock waves throughout the world of wine. Mike received the news that they had won by a congratulatory telegram from Jim Barrett in Paris. That was the first he learned that his wine was even in the competition. Soon, though, the importance of what had happened began to sink in.. On July 4, 1977, Mike Grgich and Austin Hills, of the Hills Bros. Coffee Company, broke ground to start Grgich Hills Cellar, which from the start sold wines that were in high demand, based on Mike Grgich's reputation as the winemaker who won the Paris Tasting. Gradually, the winery purchased 366 acres, spread over five vineyards within the Napa Valley, allowing all Grgich Hills wines to be produced solely from estate-grown grapes. In recognition of that significant achievement, the winery changed its name to Grgich Hills Estate. The Paris Tasting revolutionized the wine world, establishing Napa Valley's reputation as a world-class wine region! First, it shattered the myth that only French soil can produce world-class wines. For decades New World winemakers had all been stuck in that mindset and this finally broke through it. Second, the victory pumped new energy into the California wine industry, particularly in Napa Valley. Vintners were proud to be part of what was a revolution in American wine but they still had a long way to go. So they redoubled their efforts to make better wines each year. California's victory also inspired other winemakers in different parts of the world. Breaking the myth of French superiority gave new hope and energy to winemakers in South Africa, Italy, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, and even in Mike's native Croatia. Now they joined the race to make world-class wines, and as the years unfolded California winemakers also shared with them their technology and know-how. As part of that effort, Mike returned to Croatia in 1996 and started a new winery in order to share what he had learned with young winemakers in his homeland. George Taber, the Time magazine journalist who first reported the tasting, in 2005 wrote a detailed account of the event and its impact in his book, “Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine.” As a result of his historic contributions to making world-class wine in California, Miljenko “Mike” Grgich was inducted into the Vintner Hall of Fame in 2008. A Hollywood version of this story was true but not by much. It was called Bottleshock. We salute the great Mike Grgich.
Are you curious about the most important historic tasting that put California wines on the map? What unique challenges did pioneer winemakers face in California? What would surprise you about how the California wine industry developed? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with author Mark Gudgel. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks Giveaway Three of you will win a copy of Mark's new book, Rise of Napa Valley Wineries: How the Judgment of Paris Put California Wine on the Map. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at natalie@nataliemaclean.com and tell me that you'd like to win a copy. I'll choose three people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck! Highlights When did Mark realize he wanted to write about wine? How did Mark develop his professional interest and expertise in genocide education? What has been the worst moment of Mark's writing career so far and what did he learn from it? Which moments have created the best memories in Mark's writing career? What's the significance of the “Judgement of Paris” and why was Mark drawn to the story? What will you learn in Mark's new book, Rise of Napa Valley Wineries? Who were some of the early pioneers of Napa Valley wineries? How were the Judgement of Paris reenactments done? What are aged California wines like? What are some of the inaccuracies in the movie Bottle Shock? Why was Robert Mondavi instrumental in transforming the California wine industry? Key Takeaways I didn't realize how pivotal the 1976 Paris tasting was not only for California wines but also for other New World wines around the globe. With Mark's explanation, I can see how its ramifications spread. What was so amazing was that these wines were tasted blind. No one knew the identity of the wines, and they were judged by French experts. It was the French experts saying California at the top. It was fascinating to hear about the unique challenges pioneer winemakers faced in California. It's a wonder that they persevered in the face of such huge obstacles. I also enjoyed hearing about the surprising way the California wine industry developed. About Mark Gudgel Dr. Mark Gudgel is an eighteen-year veteran of teaching high school English and presently serves as assistant professor of education at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha. After honeymooning in Wine Country, Mark and his wife, Sonja, began a wine blog and soon after he was recruited as a regular correspondent for American Winery Guide. From there, Gudgel went on to write for Food & Spirits, Dine, Edible Omaha, and numerous other publications. His book, The Rise of Napa Valley Wineries: How the Judgment of Paris put California wine on the map, focuses on the wine industry and issues that surround it, and was released from History Press in May of 2023. To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/236.
Burgundy's legendary Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti joins us for an exclusive rare interview covering his auction-darling Pinot Noirs, his first encounter with Robert Mondavi, and his role in the 1976 Paris Tasting. Plus, southern France wine star Gérard Bertrand and NBA Hall of Famer turned (multiple) winery owner Tony Parker.Straight Talk host James Molesworth is joined by podcast director Rob Taylor and Wine Spectator senior editors Bruce Sanderson and Kristen Bieler, and we unravel a little bit of the mystery behind the mysterious Dr. Vinny.Thirsty for more? Check out this related content• May 31, 2023, issue of Wine Spectator• Bruce Sanderson Tastes the 2020 DRC Lineup• More on Tony Parker• Latest News and Headlines• Ask Dr. Vinny• WS website members: More on James' Sneak Peek PickA podcast from Wine SpectatorMarvin R. Shanken, Editor and PublisherHost: James MolesworthDirector: Robert TaylorProducer: Gabriela SaldiviaGuests: Aubert de Villaine, Gérard Bertrand, Tony Parker, Bruce Sanderson, Kristen Bieler, and MaryAnn Worobiec as Dr. VinnyAssistant producer, Napa: Elizabeth Redmayne-Titley
Afsnittet er optaget på Admiral Hotel. https://admiralhotel.dk/ Som lytter af Vin for begyndere kan du benytte koden VFB20, hvis du booker overnatning på hotellet. Koden indløser 20% rabat på alle værelser og en hel flaske Champagne Henriot Brut Souverain på værelset ved ankomst. Denne rabat gælder for bookinger i hele februar, marts og april 2023. Dog ikke d. 1. - 4. Marts 2023. Bookingen skal foretages senest 31. marts. ……………. I dette afsnit blindsmager 40 gæster på seks glas chardonnay. Tre fra Bourgogne og tre fra Californien. Gæsterne vurderer vinene med et 5-points-system og ved ikke, hvad der er i glassene eller hvornår, det er fransk eller amerikansk. Alt sammen for at finde ud af, om det er fransk eller amerikansk vin, der skal vinde konkurrencen. Pointssytemet ser sådan ud: 1 = Dårlig vin/ubalanceret 2 = God vin 3 = Rigtig god vin 4 = Fremragende vin 5 = Sublim vin (den bedste jeg længe har smagt) Hvad er historien omkring den oprindelige “The Paris Tasting” i 1976, hvordan blev den afviklet og hvad skete der, som ændrede vinhistorien? Hvor kommer chardonnay fra og hvordan rimer druen på Bourgogne? Hvor fadglad er man i Bourgogne og hvad er der sket på smagen af chardonnay fra området gennem tiden? Hvornår og hvordan kom chardonnay til Californien og hvordan har smagen udviklet sig gennem tiden i området? Hvilke kloner benytter man i Bourgogne og Californien? I 1976 havde fire af de hvide ikke gennemgået malolaktisk 2. gæring - hvad har det mon betydet for resultatet og hvad kan man analysere ift. smagspræferencerne dengang? Til slut afslører vi hvilket land, der vinder i hvidvinskategorien, hvilken vin der vinder og hvilke seks hvidvine, vi har smagt. …………….. KØB BOGEN HER http://vinforbegyndere.com/ Besøg os på Facebook og Instagram, hvor man kan se billeder af vinene og få tips til vin og mad sammensætning. https://www.facebook.com/vinforbegyndere https://www.instagram.com/vinforbegyndere Web: https://www.radioteket.dk/ Kontakt: radioteket@radioteket.dk Musik: Jonas Landin
George Taber was the only reporter on the scene for the 1976 Paris Tasting. His coverage and original 3 paragraph article in TIME would spread the news of the surprising result of the event.
In this 32-minute episode, Violet Grgich, President of Grgich Hills Estates, discusses the history of the Napa wine producer and the Paris Tasting of 1976, which catapulted her father Mike Grgich, a Croatian villager who fled Yugoslavia to settle in the US, to the center of the wine industry. Violet then touches on the types of wines that Grgich produces (min. 8) and the differences in climate and land, which impact the final product (min.11). She recounts the honor and the collective reaction to be named as one of the 101 objects that made America. Her 95-year old father still hasn't gotten over it. Violent subsequently talks about taking over the reins at Grgich Hills and the lessons that her father gave her (min. 17). Turning to Violet the person, she discusses her love of music as well as which wines she would bring to a desert island (min. 23). Wrapping it up, she talks about simplicity and complexity - in music, wine and life. Feed your soul. Keep listening. Next up - our swan song - it's been fun!
Steven Spurrier is a Consulting Editor for Decanter Magazine. Steven is famed for conducting the "Paris Tasting" of 1976, wherein wines from California bested the French in a blind tasting. He discusses that day in May '76 in this episode, providing a front row seat to what happened. He also shares surprising details from his life before and after.
May 24th, 2016 is the 40th Anniversary of the blind tasting heard 'round the world. In 1976, Chateau Montelena's Chardonnay and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' Cabernet Sauvignon beat the best the French had to offer; a shocking result at the time. Yet it almost wasn't publicized. Hear how the historic Paris Tasting came together, where the winning Chardonnay grapes were from and how the word spread across the world. Guests include tasting organizer Steven Spurrier, Time Magazine journalist George M. Taber, winemaker Mike Grgich and winegrower Helen Bacigalupi. Fill a glass and enjoy the tale of a significant moment in wine making history.
Beautiful straw color with green edges. Fine mineral fragrance with ginger, caraway seed, under ripe pineapple and flowers. Flavors of white peach, quince and lemon on the palate with a lingering, clean and dry finish. Served best with marinated, grilled, or sauced fish, and sushi. The post Paris Tasting of 1976: California vs. France appeared first on Laurie Forster | Wine Expert | Wine Coach | Wine Speaker.
The Napa Valley’s rich winemaking history began well before the California Gold Rush. Ever since, a host of immigrants, pioneers, visionaries and risk-takers have made their way to the Napa Valley and have contributed to the region’s rich and colorful history. "Napa Valley Rocks: History" chronicle’s the appellation’s rise to prominence in just 150 short years.