We met some friends at The Vineyard outside of Newbury for a coffee this month before a lunch at another venue. We were amazed to discover this huge mural in their tasting room depicting the scene in 1976 at a blind wine tasting in France between French and California wines. The Americans won both the red and white tasting to the shock of the French. We have seen one of the winning bottles at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington. This contest ended the myth of French wine supremacy and made way for the introduction and acceptance of New World wines. The movie Bottle Shock tells the story and is well worth a viewing.
