New York Wine Tasting of 1973
Encyclopedia
The New York Wine Tasting of 1973 was organized by pioneering alcohol journalist Robert Lawrence Balzer
. He assembled 14 leading wine experts including France’s Alexis Lichine
, who owned two Chateaux in Bordeaux, a manager of the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City, and Sam Aaron
, a prominent New York wine merchant. They evaluated 23 Chardonnay
s from California, New York, and France in a blind tasting before an assemblage of 250 members of the New York Food and Wine Society. California Chardonnays received the top four scores. Fifth place went to the 1969 Beaune Clos des Mouches Joseph Drouhin. Other French wines in the competition were the 1970 Corton-Charlemagne
Louis Latour, the 1971 Pouilly-Fuisse
Louis Jadot, and the 1970 Chassagne-Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche Joseph Drouhin.
Three years later, in the notable Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, American and French wines were once again compared in a blind tasting.
Robert Lawrence Balzer
Robert Lawrence Balzer has been called the first serious wine journalist in the United States. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa. At the age of 24, he was put in charge of the wine department of his family’s grocery/gourmet market in Los Angeles, California. Because he knew nothing about wine, he...
. He assembled 14 leading wine experts including France’s Alexis Lichine
Alexis Lichine
Alexis Lichine was a Russian wine writer and entrepreneur. He played a key role in promoting varietal labelling of wine, was a masterful salesman of wine, and owned Château Prieuré-Lichine and a share of Château Lascombes in the Médoc. He was married to actress Arlene Dahl from 1964 to...
, who owned two Chateaux in Bordeaux, a manager of the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City, and Sam Aaron
Sam Aaron
Sam Aaron was a wine merchant and co-founder, with his brother Jack, of Sherry-Lehmann Wines and Spirits. At the end of Prohibition in 1934, Jack Aaron purchased the liquor store in the old Louis Sherry building...
, a prominent New York wine merchant. They evaluated 23 Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
s from California, New York, and France in a blind tasting before an assemblage of 250 members of the New York Food and Wine Society. California Chardonnays received the top four scores. Fifth place went to the 1969 Beaune Clos des Mouches Joseph Drouhin. Other French wines in the competition were the 1970 Corton-Charlemagne
Corton-Charlemagne
Corton-Charlemagne is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée and Grand Cru vineyard for white wine in Côte de Beaune subregion of Burgundy. It is located in the communes of Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses and Ladoix-Serrigny; and Chardonnay is the only allowed grape variety. Around 300,000 bottles...
Louis Latour, the 1971 Pouilly-Fuisse
Pouilly-Fuissé
Pouilly-Fuissé is an appellation for white wine in the Mâconnais subregion Burgundy in central France, located in the communes of Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly, Vergisson and Chaintré...
Louis Jadot, and the 1970 Chassagne-Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche Joseph Drouhin.
Three years later, in the notable Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, American and French wines were once again compared in a blind tasting.
Further reading
- Taber, George M. Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting that Revolutionized Wine. NY: Scribner, 2005.