Remember 1976, sure you do, well OK maybe you don’t, but I do. Well let me fill you in on a little wine tasting event called ‘The Judgement of Paris’. This event took place in Paris and was organised by a leading wine merchant, at the time, Steven Spurrier.

Steven gathered a in which French judges did blind tasting of top-quality chardonnay andcabernet sauvignon wines from France and from California. California wines rated best in each category, which caused surprise as France was generally regarded as being the foremost producer of the world’s best wines. Spurrier sold only French wine and believed that the California wines would not win.

Now fast forward to 2011, and rather than just a battle between USA and France, the competition was multinational, but just Pinot Noir. Wines from France, USA, Australia, Germany, and New Zealand were tasted and a $200 bottle of Martinborough Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir took the crowning glory.

Martinborough Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir was judged ahead of some of the world’s most prestigious wines, 1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache, to take No.1 ranking in the World’s Top 20 Pinot Noirs competition in Pasadena, US.

This is a huge achievement for Martinborough Vineyards, but also cements New Zealand as a premium Pinot Noir producing country.

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Written by Jayson Bryant

Jayson’s roots in wine began when his father literally dragged him round France and injected his passion into him. From the age of 8 his family took month long holidays in France travelling through all regions and sampling their wine.
UnScrewed has reinvented the concept of wine tasting in New Zealand and along the way found a new and willing audience. In addition to encouraging straightforward wine tasting, Jayson educates viewers about the effects of regional factors (soil, sun, wind) on wine flavours, and how to buy wine.

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