Grgich Hills Estate has released the 2023 Paris '76 Chardonnay, a single-vineyard, old-vine bottling created to mark the 50th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris — the landmark 1976 blind tasting in which winemaker Miljenko "Mike" Grgich crafted the California Chardonnay that stunned the French wine establishment and changed the global perception of American wine forever.
For restaurant and hospitality buyers, the timing is deliberate and the narrative sellable. The Paris '76 label is designed to carry that half-century story forward, giving sommeliers and beverage directors a built-in conversation piece that bridges historical significance with the kind of precise, terroir-driven winemaking that today's guest expects from a premium Napa Chardonnay. The winery describes the wine as a fresh, elegant expression focused on balance and place — qualities that translate well across fine-dining and upscale casual wine programs alike.
Old-vine fruit and single-vineyard sourcing are increasingly important signals on wine lists and menus, as operators and beverage industry professionals look for wines that justify premium price points with a credible story of origin. The Paris '76 checks both boxes, leveraging estate-grown fruit and the kind of provenance narrative that supports confident upselling by floor staff.
The Judgment of Paris remains one of the most cited events in restaurant wine program history, and its 50th anniversary is generating broad attention across the trade. For on-premise accounts, a commemorative label tied directly to the winemaker who made that historic bottle — not merely a winery associated with the event — carries meaningful distinction. Grgich Hills is positioning the Paris '76 as a reinterpretation of that legacy for a new generation of wine drinkers, rather than a simple retrospective release.
Grgich Hills Estate is a Napa Valley producer long recognized for its Chardonnay program. Food & Beverage Magazine has covered the broader resurgence of premium California Chardonnay as a driver of fine-dining beverage revenue. The 2023 Paris '76 Chardonnay is available beginning this month.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
