California Wines celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Judgment of Paris and its Golden State of Mind
Kuala Lumpur] — June 2026 — This year, California Wine Institute (CWI) is delighted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Judgment of Paris - the tasting that changed wine forever. To honor the 50-year legacy and to celebrate California wines, a series of events will take place in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Macau. In 1976, British wine merchant Steven Spurrier organized a blind tasting in Paris with results that shocked the wine establishment: California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon outscored highly regarded French wines, proving that excellence comes not only from heritage but from bold vision and open minds. The results astonished the wine world as California wines triumphed, establishing California as a world-class wine producing region. The spirit of the historic event continues to define and shape modern day California - pioneering, innovative, diverse, and bold, which is exemplary of California wines’ ‘Golden State of Mind’. ...