Sunday, December 18, 2011

The Forgotten Grand Prize Award.

Most people reading this blog have probably seen the movie "Bottle Shock" released in 2008. Everyone hailed the wineries this movie was based loosely on, Chateau Montelena and Stags Leap, for winning gold medals in 1976 at the "Judgment of Paris" blind tasting for their 1973 Chardonnay and 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon respectively.


However, in 1889 at the Paris Exposition. Charles A. Wetmore won the Grand Prize award for his wine, Cresta Blanca Sauternes, from his Cresta Blanca Winery in Livermore, CA. Adrian Chauche’s Livermore Valley Monte-Rouge Vineyard and Winery was also awarded a gold medal. Sadly as with many old wineries, Cresta Blanca and Monte-Rouge Vineyard and Winery, stopped producing wine as prohibition was passed in 1919.  
Monte-Rouge Vineyard and Winery burned in 1931. Cresta Blanca stands today as the Wente Vineyards and is registered as a California Historical Landmark #586.

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