In 1976 a wine merchant by the name of Steven Spurrier fatefully orchestrated a tasting between some of the top wines of France and California. Eventually known as the "Judgement of Paris" the original purpose of this tasting was to exhibit to the wine world that Californian wines could merely share a stage with their French counterparts. Spurrier himself never thought that any wine from California would win the competition, but rather he figured they could potentially rank somewhere in the top 5 and thus bring some exposure and credibility to the region. Spurrier gathered together 10 Cabernet Sauvignon based wines and 10 Chardonnay based wines - 5 of each varietal from France and the remaining 5 from California - and the rest is history. A Californian wine won first place in both categories creating an air of legitimacy that thrust Napa Valley into the forefront of international spotlight.
When asked whether he would change anything about the way he curated this famous tasting if it were to take place today Spurrier commented, "Well, I would choose Pinot Noir."
Directed by Jason Wise, Somm 3 is the latest installment in this well known documentary series that has pushed to reveal the mysteries, traditions, and quirks of the fine wine world as it follows the perilous journey of a few Master Sommelier hopefuls. This third film centers primarily around the idea of comparative blind tasting, and whether or not the more recently established wine producing regions of the world can actually compete in terms of quality with seminal old world juggernauts. Featuring many of the original Somm alumni and aided by legendary additions including Fred Dame, Jancis Robinson, and Steven Spurrier himself, this film recreates the famed Judgement of Paris with a twist.
Somm 3 diverges from the academic and semi-educational feel of the previous two films into something more lighthearted and experiential. It's storyline revolves around a blind tasting adventure set to take place in the wine cellar of a trendy New York restaurant. A selection of some of the best tasters in New York - and by extension the world - are brought together to taste, compare, and rank Pinot Noir from across the globe. The varietal may have changed from the original Paris tasting but the stakes remain incredibly high.
This latest film is overflowing with chummy banter, hard-hitting critical analysis, and some of the most interesting wine related dialogue ever put on tape. The blind tasting competition is fierce and no wine comes out completely unscathed. Without giving away any major spoilers we can say that the conclusion of this film has the potential to shake the wine world just as the original Judgment of Paris did over forty years ago. Stay tuned for our complete analysis of Somm 3 and its impact to be posted once the film is officially released on November 30th.
We'll leave you with an extraordinarily important line from the film:
"People should be drinking what they like and not just what other people tell them they should like." -Dustin Wilson
*Photos Courtesy of Somm 3 Films