He was an Englishman in Paris who loved French wine above all — and, almost by accident, staged the blind tasting that shattered France’s claim to be untouchable.
Every revolution needs an organizer, and the one that remade the wine world had Steven Spurrier. A dapper English wine merchant besotted with France, he created the 1976 Judgment of Paris — and in doing so, against his own expectations, handed victory to California and changed wine forever.[1]
An Englishman in Paris
In 1971, Spurrier took over a small wine shop off the rue Royale in Paris and famously advertised, “Your wine merchant speaks English.”[1] Alongside it he founded the Académie du Vin, a respected wine school. He was, by every account, a passionate Francophile who believed deeply in the supremacy of French wine.
The tasting that backfired — gloriously
To mark the American Bicentennial in 1976, Spurrier and his American colleague Patricia Gallagher organized a blind tasting pitting upstart California wines against France’s finest, judged by a panel of eminent French experts.[1] Spurrier expected the French wines to win handily. Instead, California topped both the reds and the whites — a result so startling it made global headlines. Only one journalist was present, Time’s George Taber, whose report turned a private tasting into a turning point in wine history.[1]
He set out to celebrate French wine — and proved the New World could beat it.
A life in wine
Far from being ruined by the upset, Spurrier became one of the most respected figures in wine. He wrote and consulted for Decanter magazine for decades and chaired its World Wine Awards, and late in life he planted his own English sparkling-wine vineyard, Bride Valley, in Dorset.[1] He died in 2021, remembered as the gracious impresario of wine’s most famous afternoon.
| Who | An English wine merchant, writer, and consultant[1] |
|---|---|
| In Paris | Ran a wine shop and the Académie du Vin from 1971[1] |
| His great act | Organized the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting[1] |
| Later life | Decanter columnist; founded Bride Valley in England; d. 2021[1] |
The afternoon he made famous
Spurrier’s tasting is the hinge of modern wine — read the full account of the Judgment of Paris and meet the winemakers whose wines he crowned, Warren Winiarski and Mike Grgich.
Related reading: the Judgment of Paris · Warren Winiarski · Mike Grgich · the Wine History Timeline
Frequently asked questions
Who was Steven Spurrier?
An English wine merchant based in Paris who ran a wine shop and the Académie du Vin, and who organized the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting. He later became a celebrated wine writer for Decanter and founded England’s Bride Valley vineyard.
Did Spurrier expect California to win?
No. A devoted Francophile, he expected the French wines to win easily. When California topped both the red and white flights, the upset stunned the wine world and made his tasting legendary.
Sources
- “Steven Spurrier (wine merchant)” (English wine merchant; the Paris shop and Académie du Vin from 1971; organized the 1976 Judgment of Paris with Patricia Gallagher; George Taber the sole journalist present; decades with Decanter; founded Bride Valley in Dorset; died 2021), Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Spurrier_(wine_merchant)
Want to read more?
Books we drew on and recommend — starting with the definitive account of the tasting Spurrier staged.
Judgment of ParisGeorge M. Taber
Maestro: André TchelistcheffJames O. Gump
The Wine BibleKaren MacNeilAs an Amazon Associate, Wine History Tours earns from qualifying purchases. This supports our research at no extra cost to you.
