Auction Lot: “Paris Remembered”

For the lucky high bidder on the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars lot at the 2005 Auction Napa Valley, history will come alive right in his or her own home.

Back in 1976, Paris-based British wine merchant Steven Spurrier decided to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial with a blind tasting that would pit great French wines against their American counterparts. Everyone assumed the French entries would triumph, but instead Americans claimed first place for both red and white wines. The news stunned the wine world, brought fame to the American winners, and put the Napa Valley on the map as one of the planet’s great wine regions.

Now George Taber, the TIME reporter who first broke the story, has written a book describing this historic event—the people, the wines, and what happened when they all came together. The winners of our auction lot will join some of the 1976 event’s key players for a tasting of current releases from many of the same wineries and chateaux and a dinner for eight, in their own home, celebrating the publication of George’s book.

Warren Winiarski, whose 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon was the top-ranked red wine in the Paris tasting, and the Winiarski family will provide a selection of wines to accompany the dinner. They’ll also pick up the tab for whatever chef or catering service the winning bidder chooses.

In addition, the winner will receive eight signed copies of George’s book and a three-liter bottle of S.L.V. from the 1983, 1993, and 2003 vintages, etched with the signatures of the winning bidder alongside those of Warren, Steven, and George. The three men will also be on hand for this once-in-a-lifetime evening. Short of a time machine, there’s no better way to relive one of the pivotal moments in wine history.

Update: Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars lot #450 received a final bid of $95,000 at this year’s Auction Napa Valley.

Warren Winiarski, George Tabor and Mike Grgich at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars'
Friday evening hospitality event at Auction Napa Valley 2005.