From wine elves to stylish pitchmen, American winemakers have tried nearly every thing to problem the dominance of French vintners. And but, with notorious labels like Ripple and Thunderbird, Yankee wines had lengthy endured the repute of being good for only one one factor—getting blitzed.
So it will need to have appeared like a merciless joke in 1976 when a British wine service provider organized The Paris Tasting, a one-of-its-kind competitors that pitted mighty France versus lowly America in a blind style check judged completely by Gallic wine specialists.
However as viewers of the film Bottle Shock and the documentary Mondovino can let you know, the unthinkable occurred: America took house high honors for each purple and white wine.
The Paris Tasting made Mike Grgich an on the spot legend, however again then, even the maker of the profitable white could not consider he had gained. “I mentioned are you certain it is me?” remembers Grgich. How may this American, an immigrant who fled communist Yugoslavia, shock the world?
The French needed to search out out, so Jean-Noël Fourmeaux, an official authorities wine taster grew to become a wine spy. He headed to California to find how, within the span of a few many years, American winemakers progressed from Thunderbird to Grgich’s award-winning white.
Fourmeaux encountered a freewheeling ambiance of technological and cultural innovation—one which attracted the likes of Squire Fridell of Glen Lyon Vineyards, a winemaker who has his personal purpose for smiling at America’s emergence as a frontrunner in wine. Fourmeaux contemplated what he may create by mixing French custom with Yankee innovation, and it led him to a most sudden resolution.
“Crimson, White, and Sacrebleu” is written and produced by Ted Balaker, who additionally hosts. Director of Pictures: Alex Manning; Discipline Producers: Paul Detrick and Hawk Jensen; Manufacturing Associates: Zach Weissmueller and Tannen Wels.
Particular due to D’Argenzio Vineyard and the Wine Institute.
Roughly 7.half-hour. For downloadable variations, go to http://purpose.television
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