WINE TASTING - France Suffers a California Smackdown

DER SPIEGEL ^ | May 25, 2006 | sf chronicle

[Atlantic Bridge]

Oops, they did it again. Judges in a rematch of a 1976 blind taste test between French and Californian wines have handed the laurels to California for a second time. The French wine industry gnashes its teeth.

Thirty years ago, nine French wine experts shocked the world -- and themselves -- when they ranked certain California wines above their French counterparts in a blind taste test that came to be called, notoriously, "The Judgment of Paris." The French defended their belles dames at the time by sniping that the young west-coast wines wouldn't age well. "Our wines will improve with time," they sniffed. So the Briton who organized the Paris contest mounted a thirtieth-anniversary re-enactment on Wednesday in London and California, to see how time had treated the wines. Results? In brief: California smacks down France -- again!

[river rat]

I guess the Germans have a genetic predisposition to regard the round heeled French girls as "desirable"...Many of today's "French" ladies must still carry WWI and WWII German genes.

"Easy" and "Desirable" must be interchangeable...
I can understand that the German's were impressed by how easily the French girls threw their feet into the air -- it was simply their reaction to the chance of sleeping with a WINNER for a change..... Nothing more....

The Americans were greeted the same way, and had sloppy seconds...

Semper Fi

[aruanan]

Oops, they did it again. Judges in a rematch of a 1976 blind taste test between French and Californian wines have handed the laurels to California for a second time. The French wine industry gnashes its teeth.

And if they didn't have American Vitis labrusca rootstock, their wine industry wouldn't exist. Of course, if they hadn't gotten phylloxera from imported American rootstocks to begin with, they wouldn't have been in trouble.

[Fairview]

California women are among the most beautiful in the world, not least because the climate makes it possible to exercise outdoors year-round.

[rod1]

I disagree with one point. UC-Berkley et al., may contribute significantly to the Furry factor in CA but Ithaca, NY most certainly has the lead in per-capita furry American women.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Most overrated movie ever, IMO.

[ncountylee]

Lord! Every wine in France is grown on American root stock which replaced French Phylloxera infested stock. The plant are very similar.

After WWII, many French vineyards were also replanted with California root stock.

[SamAdams76]

I go through about 2 or 3 bottles of wine a month. Not quite a connoisseur but I know good wine from bad. There is no doubt that the United States produces many of the finest wines in the world. California by itself would be the world superpower of wine but there are many fine wines in other parts of the country too. I have some Virginia wines that are very good and everytime I'm down that way, I stop at wineries to stock up such as the one near the Natural Bridge on I-81. North Carolina has some good wines too.

In fact, I wouldn't even put France second to the U.S. I would rather have wines from Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Portugal and even Argentina and Chile before I touch a French wine. About the only French wine I ever buy these days is the annual crop of Beaujolis Noveau (intended to be consumed fresh and not to be aged) that comes out each year around Thanksgiving and only because it is a holiday tradition and my family looks for it at the table at Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"It would be interesting to see who comes out on top if this test were done with a variety of wines from different regions of the world."

I find the wines from Australia (Shiraz) and Chile (any of them, LOL!) to be really good as of late. Affordable, too and with little political baggage attached. ;)

[R.W.Ratikal]

Pride goeth before a fall. The Frogs have ruined their wine market in the U. S. because of their politics. Their wines were never all that superior to other countries. France enjoyed a great reputation, much exaggerated, but that has come to an end. Like everything else in a socialist nation, innovation and technology lags behind.

Like Cuban cigars, much of the taste has been lost and better cigars now are produced in other countries since Castro and the New York Times took over Cuba. Absence makes the taste grow weaker.

[p. henry]

The tasting involved aged cabernet based wines of high quality. It doesn't get much better up north than Ridge Montebello. I was tasting Cab Francs in Chinon in the Loire valley a few years ago, and the Frenchman pouring the wine said his favorite wine in the world was Ridge Montebello. Also, classified Bordeaux are among the most overrated and overpriced of wines.

On the other hand, I think the Americans would have had a harder time prevailing if the tasting had involved wines of the type made in Burgundy and the Rhone.

[rattrap]

I'm not seeking them at all, quite the opposite in fact. I was helping someone else out.

[Atlantic Bridge]

"Easy" and "Desirable" must be interchangeable... I can understand that the German's were impressed by how easily the French girls threw their feet into the air -- it was simply their reaction to the chance of sleeping with a WINNER for a change..... Nothing more....

Nope. Women -no matter where they come from- usually prefer those who have class and style. Regarding your primitive statement this is something you obviously do not have. Maybe a reason why you have probably have some problems do deal with girls...

[Atlantic Bridge]

I would rather have wines from Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Portugal and even Argentina and Chile before I touch a French wine.

This is definitly wrong. The French have areas where the factors to create a good wine are not bad:

-volcanic soil

-good climate conditions

-winegrowers that know their business

I do not say that they produce the best wines. But some of the best for sure. Even in cold Germany you will find excellent wines when you go into the right areas. I.e. Wines from the Kaiserstuhl (a extinct volcano) in the Rhine valley are just great - but not sold in the US since they have no market there.

Besides - My personal hint is to drink simply the wine of the area where you are if you travel around. I usually never buy wines from abroad on my journeys. My job gives me the possibility to travel so I have the privilege of variety.

[tertiary01]

California wine grapes were planted by Italians and have been looked after by Mexicans. Even a $7 bottle of California wine can be great.

I bet a lot of California vineyardists would disagree about the Italians, and I could rattle off the list of early Germans ...and even some 2 buck wines can be great. The Mexicans, yeah, I would have to generally agree.

[combat_boots]

I don't (hic) know if (hic) I agree withthat (hic). I'll havetohav (hic) a few more (hic) gl-glgl-glasses (hic) to tell.

[Sir_Humphrey]

Absloulely! Overall, French wines are better. Sure, the very top of the Californians (and Italian) may be better or at least on a par with their French counterparts. French wines tend to be more balanced and I find a French wine under $10 to be preferable to the sweet stuff from California or Australia.

Before I get flamed, the reason for this have NOTHING to do with their ability as wine makers. It has everything to do with Climate and soil conditions.

Now as for their government and that "French" attitude, well that's where my compliments have to stop. I have to admit that I am getting a charge out of them getting their unwashed panties in a bunch over this!!!!

[NautiNurse]

Click to be +/- on this low volume (insert wit) wine ping list.

Oenology news ping.

[Michael.SF.]

I still give the Germans the nod for best lager beers though.

A few weeks ago my wife and I dined at a Napa Valley restaurant and ordered the tasters menu (a different wine w/ each course). One pairing was a German Riesling w/scallops. The wine was the best of the evening.

Since then I have tried several other German Rieslings, from the Mosel-Saar-Ruhr area, these wines were absolutely delicious.

I have long had California Rieslings, but they paled in comparison to the German ones that I had.

[river rat]

Nope! I've never had "problems" with women....
My comments and observations were from personal experience..
Your's was from your imagination -- and dead wrong....
I've been married to the same saint for 44 years...
Are you still screwing drunken French whores?

Semper Fi

[tortoise]

I'm not a wine connoisseur, but it seems to me that everyone is making wine these days. It would be interesting to see who comes out on top if this test were done with a variety of wines from different regions of the world.

There are several countries producing very good niche product, but only a handful producing a broad range of quality wine. While many of the vineyards in the world were planted in the 19th century colonial periods, interest in making them competitive has largely only happened in the last decade or two. It takes many decades to develop a really strong wine industry that can consistently produce top quality. The US, like France, has been doing this for a long time which has given both countries an advantage.

That said, the US produces some of the very best examples of multiple popular varietals, making it a bit of a wine juggernaut. Very few countries are producing typical and consistent high quality at the moment, though given a decade or two many more will, particularly for niche varietals. I personally tend to pick specific regions for specific varietals (e.g. for pinot noir I look at Oregon, for malbec I look at Argentina, etc.) but am always trying different varietals from new regions looking for a brilliant niche as yet undiscovered.