By Jim Boyce | It’s a beautiful blue sky day in Beijing, perfect for enjoying a glass or two of wine in the shade. Make that two, one from Napa and one from Bordeaux, since it was 40 years ago today that U.S. wines beat their French counterparts in a tasting widely known as the Judgment of Paris.
This event ranks among the most, if not the most, important in U.S. wine history and helped anchor the country on the global vino map. It’s also the topic of the (mediocre) movie Bottle Shock with Alan Rickman, Chris Pine and Bill Pullman as well as a book by George Taber (see image below).
Given that China is a fast-growing market of curious consumers, that they tend to have a good attitude toward American and French food and drink, and that the Judgment of Paris is an intriguing story, you might expect some events are planned, especially as the wine trade often talks about the importance of reaching out to people.
Ah, no.
I contacted the distributor of one U.S. brand that topped the 1976 tasting and there is nothing on the schedule. I asked some restaurants and bars that feature French and American food and the same goes. And I’ve talked to others in the trade with no luck Those consumers who contacted me in search of such events will have to figure out something on their own.
I’m not surprised. The best Beijing wine bars during the past decade have tended to be lackluster, more bar than wine, the kind that offer fancy decors and comfy chairs and see nothing wrong with serving a white wine that is 25 degrees Celsius and open two weeks too long. It doesn’t bode well for them, or the trade that supports them, making an effort. There are, of course, exceptions but I see this as simply another example of how the wine scene in Beijing pales in comparison to the beer, spirit and cocktail ones.
Do I sound grumpy? Perhaps I am, if only because so many in the trade wring their hands about how to attract consumers to wine and then, when an opportunity like this arises, seem unable or unwilling to do so. In short, if the bars, restaurants and distributors of Beijing are able to organize over 100 Halloween bashes, over 20 Super Bowl parties and innumerable beer, spirit and cocktail tastings and festivals every year, surely this city of more than twenty million consumers can support an event or two for something like the Judgment of Paris, whether it’s a movie screening or tasting of U.S. and French wines or a bottle sale. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we’ll find out.
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