Allen Balik’s The Wine Exchange 6/11/26
A toast to those who made it happen
The Wine Exchange
June 11, 2026
In today’s rapidly evolving world of wine, we often overlook the role California wines – and those of Napa in particular – historically played on the world’s stage. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw an influx of prominent Europeans including the Beringer brothers (first harvest 1876), Charles Krug (Napa’s first commercial winery in 1861) and Hamilton Crab (founder of Napa’s infamous To Kalon Vineyard in 1868) fueled the early age of Napa Valley Wines.
By 1889, there were about 150 wineries operating in the valley featuring wines made from French, German and Italian varieties and faring extremely well in many European competitions. All this came to an abrupt halt when the dread root-louse Phylloxera reared its ugly head and destroyed more than 80% of vineyard lands that were left fallow until replanting could commence some years later.
Back on its feet again through the early 1900s, the next wave of challenge appeared. Prohibition was enacted in 1919 and took effect the following year, lasting until 1933 when repealed. This was surrounded by two wars and a depression leaving an economy not placing value on world-class winegrowing outside Europe.
A breath of new life for Napa wines happened in 1966 when Robert Mondavi launched Napa Valley’s first new winery since Prohibition. And on May 24, 1976, Steven Spurrier hosted what became known as the “Judgement of Paris,” ultimately setting the stage for Napa and California wines to assume their proper role in the world of wine, standing shoulder-to shoulder with their French counterparts.
At the age of 13, Spurrier knew his life would be dedicated to wine when his grandfather poured him a glass of Vintage Port. From his 2020 autobiography, “Steven Spurrier – A Life in Wine” Spurrier wrote: “…at the end of dinner…my grandfather said he thought I was old enough to try the Port…The wine, Cockburn’s 1908, was quite extraordinary, and the impression it left lasted a lifetime. That was my Damascene moment, the moment when a seed was firmly planted for my life in wine.”
And, quite a life in wine it was. Andrew Caillard MW once commented, “Few people have so profoundly informed, guided and inspired generations through their journeys in wine. Steven Spurrier is one of England’s great modern renaissance figures.” An opinion shared by many other international wine luminaries.
In the 1970s, Spurrier was an expat Brit selling wine at his shop Les Caves de la Madeleine to the French in Paris, and offering a range of educational programs through his adjacent L’Académie du Vin. In 1975 He had an unusual idea of staging a tasting comparing the established wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy with those from California’s “upstarts.”
The event, held the following year at the InterContinental in Paris, was intended by him and his American expat colleague Patricia Gastaud-Gallagher as a chance to show good things were happening in California’s emerging wine industry. However, the ultimate results were interpreted more as a competition that essentially put California wines on the international map once again.
The tasting itself, compared the attributes of four highly respected white Burgundies against six little known (at the time) California Chardonnays; as well as four Classified Growths of Bordeaux against six California Cabernet Sauvignons. The French judges all carried impeccable credentials as members of the wine trade, press, governing bodies and proprietors of prestigious estates in both regions.
To everyone’s surprise (and the chagrin/embarrassment of the French judges) the top spots in each category went to California. Warren Winiarski’s 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon and 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay made by Miljenko (Mike) Grgich, who later went on to co-found Grgich Hills Estate, as the victors.
Thankfully, I have been privileged to enjoy both of these seller wines on several occasions including the Chardonnay on our first trip to Napa Valley with close friends Suzie and Paul Frank (founders of Gemstone Vineyards and now proprietors of Glass Slipper Vineyards in Coombsville) from their cellar while visiting Chateau Montelena for lunch on one of the islands. And the Cabernet from our cellar with the Franks years later with dinner at Morimoto in Napa.
Although invited, there were no French press present. However, Time Magazine reporter George Taber was the lone U.S. correspondent in attendance and wrote a small piece for the magazine. It was subsequently picked-up by the New York Times and many local papers – including the Napa Valley Register and St. Helena Star – to announce history had been written on that day in Paris.
Subsequently, in 2005 Taber also published his complete recounting of the tasting and events leading up to it in his book, “Judgement of Paris – California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine.”
Warren Winiarski was the founder, proprietor and winemaker of Stag’s Leap Cellars in Yountville. Jim Barrett was the owner of Chateau Montelena (now led by his son Bo Barrett) and Mike Grgich was his winemaker. Given that the “winners” of this tasting were both from Napa and not France, many of the judges were surprised and grievously upset.
Odette Kahn, was a leading authority on wine and editor of the “La Revue du vin de France” and “Cuisine et Vins de France” demanded the return of her ballot to ensure not making her scores and notes public. Spurrier denied the request and Kahn later refused to speak with him claiming fraud had been committed.
Confusion prevailed as Judge Raymond Oliver, owner of the prestigious Le Grand Véfour restaurant, declared “Ah, back to France” while sipping the 1972 Chalone (Monterey County) Chardonnay. Another unnamed judge commented, “That is definitely California. It has no nose” while sampling the 1973 Ramonet-Prudhon Bâtard-Montrachet.
We must pay the highest tribute and gratitude to expats Spurrier, for his risky endeavor to bring California wines to France, and his colleague Gallagher for envisioning and hosting the tasting; along with vintner Jim Barrett, proprietor of Chateau Montelena. But much of the true credit must go to the two men – Mike Grgich and Warren Winiarski – who with their own hands and winemaking instinct created the wines that shocked the world.
I am fortunate to have known both Mike and Warren and to consider them as personal friends. In addition to their pivotal roles on the Judgement of Paris stage, they also shared in other achievements.
Both worked with Lee Stewart of Souverain in their early years. Both also worked for Robert Mondavi shortly after the founding of his eponymous winery in 1966. They both felt strongly about the environment, vineyard health, philanthropy and social justice. Both are remembered at the Smithsonian Institute where bottles of their respective Paris Tasting wines are on display along with personal memorabilia.
And most coincidently, they both passed within six months of each other after receiving countless accolades for their successes and contributions to the industry and other worthwhile causes. Warren was 95 years old and Mike had turned 100 just months before his death in December 2023.
Mike will forever be remembered for his leading role in reestablishing the wine industry in his native Croatia after the fall of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. And for his efforts in support of Roots for Peace with Founder Heidi Kuhn in clearing millions of land mines to establish viable vineyards throughout war torn areas of eastern Europe and beyond. Under his leadership, he stressed care of the vineyard and environment by establishing organic, bio-dynamic and now Regenerative Organic regimens at Grgich Hills Estate.
Throughout his life in Napa Valley, Warren had been an advocate for the California wine industry and other educational, cultural and health causes. He, along with his wife Barbara, supported many individual charities, institutions and healthcare missions. His unwavering support of these causes aided thousands of individuals and groups by improving lives while preserving the history of wine in conjunction with world renowned wine writers and the UC Davis Library.
In the forward to Taber’s 2005 “Judgement of Paris,” Robert Mondavi wrote: “It was one hundred years ago my father came to the United States and began to make wine here. And it was just nearly thirty years ago the Judgement of Paris took place. I like to think about the advances we made over the two generations until that tasting took place and about the progress we’ve made since.
Mondavi continued, “It was my pleasure to have worked with Mike Grgich and Warren Winiarski, who are the real heroes of this book. …I like to think, they grasped my vision of what could be done in the Napa Valley and [dreamt] together that a day like the bicentennial event of 1976 could occur.”
A few weeks ago, I attended the Grgich Hills celebration of the Judgement of Paris 50th anniversary. Along with reflections on Mike Grgich’s contributions to the Paris tasting by his partner Austin Hills and daughter Violet Grgich (now CEO of Grgich Hills Estate) we were treated to an in-depth selection of wines from their portfolio.
Among the wines poured was the newly released 2023 “Paris ’76 Chardonnay.” A wine representing the essence of excellence with the purity of power that took me back in time to 1979 when I first tasted the 1973 Chateau Montelena.
A tribute to Mike and all his work in elevating California wines to center stage. And, thank you Warren for all you did throughout your years in Napa Valley to enhance the standing of its wines and your support of the many causes so important to our daily lives.
Share your experiences with other readers by commenting on this article with an email to me at
allenbalik@savorlifethroughwine.com.
Allen Balik, a Napa resident, has been a wine collector, consultant, author, fundraiser and enthusiast for more than 40 years.
