Jersey Wins!

Posted by Keith Wallace on Mar 14, 2012 in News | 17 comments

Keith Wallace (the publisher of Epikur Magazine and the founder of the Wine School) hosted an event for National Public Radio. It was a blind tasting pitting his top picks from New Jersey with comparable wines from France.

The wines from New Jersey did remarkably well, even winning one flight of tastings.

The NPR story: Judgement of Rittenhouse

Flight #1:
Louis Jadot 2010 Macon-Village, Burgundy, France (winner)
Hawk Haven 2010 Chardonnay, Outer Coastal Plain, New Jersey

Flight #2
Chateau Saint-Sulpice 2009 Bordeaux, France (winner)
Heritage 2010 Merlot, Outer Coastal Plain, New Jersey

Flight #3
Amalthea 2008 Europa VI, Outer Coastal Plain, New Jersey (winner)
Clos Albertus 2009, St-Georges-St-Emilion, Bordeaux, France

More at NPR’s Newswork site

Much Ado About Something

Posted by Alana Zerbe on Jul 4, 2011 in News | 0 comments

“The market for wine-bottle closures is a $4 billion battlefield where an epic confrontation is now taking place.” - George Taber, from To Cork or Not To Cork: Tradition, Romance, Science, and the Battle for the Wine Bottle

The much-needed discussion about wine closures is upon us and none other than George M. Taber is taking the podium.  Former reporter and editor of Time Magazine, Taber is no stranger to wine. His earlier book Judgement in Paris captured the moment when California bested the great wines of Bordeaux, and it quickly became the definitive text on the subject.  With his new book, Taber has once again brought clarity to a major controversy in the wine world. (more…)

Bottle Shock

Posted by Keith Wallace on Dec 31, 2010 in News | 3 comments

On May 24, 1976, a little blind tasting took place in Paris. France’s historic wines were being tasted and judged alongside ones from a handful of upstart California wineries.

Spoiler alert: The California wines won.

The Movie Bottle Shock tells the fictionalized story of Chateau Montelena’s rise from obscurity to triumphing over a few of the top chateaus in Burgundy. (more…)

Judgement of Paris

Posted by Keith Wallace on Dec 31, 2010 in News | 1 comment

The original article – penned by George Taber in 1976 – is now up on the internet via  TIME Magazine archives.

I stand corrected

Posted by Keith Wallace on May 14, 2009 in News | 1 comment

A couple days back I writ a quickie post regarding George Taber’s original “Judgement of Paris” article published in TIME magazine, 1976.  I pointed out that it is now available on TIME’s website in their archives.  My apologies to Dale Cruse, as, in my haste, I thoughtlessly left out that I had first learned of the article on his excellent website Drinks Are On Me.

Dale not only sticks to his “no B.S.” policy when it comes to writing on wine, he also offers up Great Guy Food recipes from time to time that I have more than once prepared at home. A good example of this is the amazing Shrimp Clemenceau recipe that has become an instant favorite around our house.  It makes great surf to a perfectly grilled turf.  Thanks Dale, and again, apologies.