France vs New World

In 1976 Stephen Spurrier MW set up a "blind tasting" of some of the best wines of France and their equivalents from California.  To everyone's surprise (and in the case of some French critics) shock, the Americans did rather better than expected and came first in both the white (Chardonnay) and red (Bordeaux blend) categories.

This event has gone down in wine folklore as "The judgement of Paris".

Join us for at fantastic evening looking at 4 classic French wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Loire and comparing them with similar wines from the New World as we recreate the “Judgment of Paris”!

There is some debate about what constitutes "fine wine", some wine merchants will say fine wines start at £15, others £20.  For this event, all our wines are fine wine, priced at £20 and upwards with some of the wines being over £40, so even without the competitive element, this is an evening to enjoy some seriously great wine!

All wines will be tasted "blind" i.e. the two samples will be poured without revealing which is which, but as usual a full explanation of all the wines will be given including location maps, winemaking technique etc.

Round 1: Loire Valley vs New Zealand

The Loire Valley is the original home of Sauvignon Blanc although for many British wine drinkers the variety is now firmly associated with New Zealand.  Although an identical grape variety with very similar wine-making techniques, the two styles are very different mainly due to climatic differences.

Here we will compare a top quality Sancerre AC or Pouilly Fumé AC with a premium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Round 2 White Burgundy vs California

Burgundy is the original home of the worlds most planted white grape - Chardonnay.  The appellation system in Burgundy is highly complex, classifying rergional/village and individual vineyards.  There are some super-premium wines made here under the labels "Grand Cru" and "Premier Cru". 

We will compare a Meursault AC from the Côte de Beaune with something rather special from the Napa Valley in California.

Round 3 Red Burgundy vs South Africa

Red Burgundy means Pinot Noir, arguably the most elegant of red varieties.  As with white Burgundy the complexities of the Burgundy appellation system mean that there are many different quality and price levels including some exhorbitantly priced "Grand Cru" wines. 

Here we will compare a great example from Nuits Saint Georges AC in the Côte de Nuits with a fantastic "cool climate" wine from Elgin in South Africa.

 Round 4 Red Bordeaux vs Australia

Finally; red Bordeaux (Claret) is one of the world’s most famous and reliable premium wines of the world. The combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged in small oak barrels, grown in very specific conditions, can produce wines of stunning complexity that can develop in bottle for many years.

As with Burgundy there is a myriad of appellations and complex classifications in Bordeaux, including the famous "Grand Cru Classé" (1855) that pick out 61 of the greatest wines of the Médoc (left bank of the Gironde).

For our final round, we have a very special treat with a "Grand Cru Classé" Haut-Médoc AC compared with one of Australia's greatest "Bordeaux blends" from Margaret River.

There will be some suitable nibbles provided to help the wines down along with comprehensive tasting notes.