On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1976, a British wine merchant named Steven Spurrier organized a small wine tasting in Paris that most assumed would confirm what everyone already believed: French wines were simply the best. That changed when a group of unknown American winemakers went head-to-head with the best of France and won.

In what later became known as the Judgment of Paris, some of the most respected names in French winemaking were forced to reckon with the idea that Napa Valley could produce wines on par with, or even better than, their own. Kevin Ferguson, whose father worked in the California wine industry, shares the story of that turning point, along with insights from Spurrier himself, the man who helped make it happen.

Be sure to check out Kevin’s Substack for more stories about his time in wine.

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