Pristine, beautiful, lively and always changing while remaining a bit the same, I love Napa Valley. Yes, the traditional tours and tasting opportunities up and down Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail are wonderful, but for me the real heart of Napa lies in the hillsides and valleys, some that are well known, many that aren’t, particularly some of those on Howell Mountain like Black Sears, Cade and Viader.

Yesterday I posted a story on the D Magazine/SideDish site on a few exceptional wines, like a new find from our recent trip, Italics, along with stunning Vineyard 29 & Lokoya, Brandlin, Inglenook and more.  Details on all linked here.

But today is actually a very special day as it is the 40th anniversary of the Judgement of Paris. 40 years ago British wine merchant brought a group of highly respected French wine influencers together outside of Paris for a blind tasting of some of the finest red Bordeaux and white Burgundy, along with a few select Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines from Napa Valley.

As the tasting results were tallied, and each score was counted, the French were appalled to learn the California wines had ranked higher than their beloved French selections, with Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars SLV Cabernet Sauvignon earning the most points, winning the famous tasting.

The tasting, and results, can be credited as one of the key turning points for putting California, and Napa Valley, on the international wine map. A place the celebrated regions has remained all these years later. Cheers to Montelena, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and all the beautiful wines of Napa Valley!

And, don’t forget, the fantastic E-auction for Auction Napa Valley starts May 29. If you are looking for a once in a lifetime Napa experience, library wines from some of your favorite wineries, or simply have a desire to give back, check out their fantastic offerings.