Awards

The now infamous “Judgment of Paris” was a wine competition held in Paris on May 24, 1976, organized by British Wine merchant Steven Spurrier. Mr. Spurrier personally chose all the California wines, including Veedercrest, for judging by a panel of noted French judges (including Sommeliers and or owners of Michelin three star Parisian restaurants, Directors of three of France’s most prestigious wine institutes, and French wine writers). The panel tasted blind a selection of top-quality chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon wines from France and from California. California wine rated best in each category, causing surprise and upset in France as it tarnished France’s long established reputation of being the foremost producer of the worlds’ best Cabernet and Chardonnay wines. Chateau Montelana took first place for its Chardonnay, the judging division for which Veedercrest was noted as having the most French style of all the wines tasted, quite an honor considering that the French wines included Meursault, Batard Montrachet and Puligny Montrachet. Steve Spurrier himself had only carried French wines in his shop and did not believe that the California wines would win!