Photo by Patrick Cappiello
March 26 2026 (New York, NY) — 48 years after the pivotal Judgment of Paris wine tasting put American wines (and Napa in particular) on the map, vintner Patrick Cappiello and a group of colleagues organized a renewed showdown to showcase the new generation of American winemaking.
The tasting took place on March 24, 2026 at Smithereens in New York City’s East Village.
Over the course of almost two years, Cappiello and his team gathered samples of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from wineries in France and the U.S.
A team of judges did several rounds of tastings, finalizing ten wines each for the four varietals. This pool of wines was then tasted in the final tasting on March 24. The winners were ranked as first place to ‘last’ place.
“I’m so thankful for all the people that collaborated on this tasting,” explained Cappiello. “It was a group effort of a kind and talented group of people donating their time and energy,” he added.
The winners were:
Chardonnay
2021 Flaneur Bon Vivant, Willamette Valley
2022 Roulot Meursault
2020 Lafon Meursault
2021 Smith-Madrone Chardonnay, Spring Mountain
2021 Donelan DeVoto Vineyard, Genevieve’s Block, Sonoma Coast
2021 Parea Wines, H. Klopp Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
2021 Raveneau Chablis
2022 Coche Bourgogne Blanc
2021 Birichino, Peter Martin Ray Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains
2021 Dauvissat Chablis
Syrah:
2021 Scar of the Sea Wines, Bassi Vineyard, San Luis Obispo
2022 Lioco Caleta, Santa Cruz Mountains
2021 Outward Wines, Santa Ynez Valley
2022 Gonon, S. Joe
‘2020 Allemand Chaillot
2021 Foxen Tinaquaic Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley
2021 Jamet Cote Rotie
2020 Clape Cornas
2021 Chave Hermitage
2022 Rocky Pond Winery Estate, Columbia Valley
Chenin Blanc:
2022 Las Jaras Wines, Cuvee Esme Anne, Mendocino
2021 Collier Saumur
2022 Francois Chidane Montlouis “Les Choisilles »
2024 Huet Vouvray « Le Mont » Sec
2022 Landmass Wines, St. Morand Vineyard, Rogue Valley
2023 Minus Tide, Sterling Ranch, Mendocino County
2023 Clendenen Family Vineyards, Rancho La Cuna, Santa Barbara
2023 Keatley Camino Alto El Dorado
2023 Boudignon, Anjou Blanc
2024 Guiberteau Saumur
Cabernet Sauvignon:
2017 Château Latour
2021 Groth Reserve, Oakville
2022 Château Lynch Bages
2021 Benevolent Neglect Meadowbrook Vineyard, Oak Knoll
2020 Château Margaux
2020 Château Lafite
2020 Mayacamas Mt. Veeder
2021 Drive Asti Ridge Alexander Valley
2020 Alta Orsa Soil Series Estate, Mendocino County.
The judges were:
Kenneth Crum
Andre Mack
Nikita Malhotra
Hristo Zisovski
Josh Nadel
Victoria Taylor
Jodi Mixon
Missy Neil
Lauren Hoey
Etinosa Empkae
Vicki Dening
Miguel de Leon.
The Proctor was Pascaline Lepeltier. The organizers were Patrick Cappiello, Josh Entman, Vanessa Price and Ryan Mills Knapp.
Photo by Patrick Cappiello
The “first” Judgement of Paris
The legendary Judgment of Paris was a wine competition organized in Paris, France on May 24, 1976 by British wine merchant Steven Spurrier and his colleague Patricia Gallagher. An expert panel of eleven French judges participated in two blind tastings consisting exclusively of French and California wines. The white wine tasting focused on Chardonnay, while the red wine tasting featured classic Bordeaux from France and Cabernet Sauvignon from California. The results of the blind tasting sent shockwaves through the industry as little known (at the time) California wines from Napa Valley were rated the best in each category and won the competition. Top honors went to the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Estate Cabernet Sauvignon—both of which are on display at The Smithsonian National Museum in Washington D.C. Time Magazine covered the event and published an article that would change the face of American wine forever.
Patrick Cappiello
With over 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, his wine career began in 2001 at TriBeCa Grill as the restaurant’s first sommelier. Through the years he has been given access to four of the world’s greatest wine cellars. All have been recipients of Wine Spectator’s “Grand Award:” TriBeCa Grill, Veritas, GILT, and Pearl & Ash.
Mr. Cappiello was named “Sommelier of the Year 2014” by Food & Wine Magazine, “Wine Person of the Year 2014” by Imbibe Magazine, and “Sommelier of the Year 2015” by Eater National. He moved from his NYC sommelier career to Sonoma County in 2017 to pursue winemaking. He founded Monte Rio Cellars; its first vintage was 2018.
He has been featured in The New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine, Men’s Journal, The New York Post, Martha Stewart Living and The Wine Spectator. Mr. Cappiello resides both in New York City’s Lower East Side and California’s Sonoma County. He is an avid vinyl record collector, enjoys smashburgers, beer in a can, and Mezcal.
More: @patrickwine, @patrickwine, https://www.instagram.com/patrickwine/
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