How Well Do You Really Know Your Wine?

Have you ever heard of the Judgement of Paris? It sounds like some scary medieval thing that overthrew the monarchy, but that’s not it at all. In 1976 a wine competition pitted California wines against French wines in a blind tasting organized by a British wine merchant. Much to everyone’s surprise two California wines- a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon- beat two French wines, cementing California’s place as a serious wine producing region. Unfortunately, though, that competition also led to the stereotype that California Chardonnays are bold and buttery. All that is changing now.

Chardonnay is the most heavily planted grape varietal in the world today, but it was introduced into France in the 12th Century. It’s a hearty grape that does well in a variety of climates, and it’s also resilient to varying weather conditions while offering a wide variety of flavor profiles depending on the vintner’s techniques. Learn more about Chardonnay from this infographic!