April 16, 2026 (Nashville, TN) — Nashville Wine Auction’s Judgment of Paris: 50 Years Later – A Historic Re-Enactment on Saturday, April 11 was a resounding success, bringing together wine professionals and guests at Union Station Hotel for an immersive and educational experience inspired by one of the most pivotal blind tastings in wine history.
The event honored the legendary 1976 Judgment of Paris while inviting participants to experience firsthand the challenge and nuance of evaluating exceptional wines in a blind tasting format. Guests tasted and scored 19 wines — nine whites and 10 reds — using the original 20-point scoring method, and gained a deeper appreciation for the discipline, subjectivity, and skill required to rank remarkable wines side by side.
A highlight of the afternoon was the leadership of renowned wine authority Karen MacNeil, who served as moderator. Throughout the tasting, MacNeil guided participants through the experience with warmth, clarity, and deep expertise, answering a broad range of questions and bringing the entire room along on the journey. Her knowledge and professionalism elevated the event and helped guests better understand not only what they were tasting, but how wine professionals evaluate youth, structure, balance, and age-worthiness in fine wine.
“It was so lovely to taste 19 wines – 9 white, 10 red – that were already so extraordinary. This allowed all of us, over the 3 hours we tasted, to really concentrate on the beauty of each of these wines,” MacNeil says. “In the end, there were winners, but there were no losers. All the wines were quite incredible.”
In addition to MacNeil, the tasting included eight wine professionals plus guests who generously purchased tickets to participate, creating a rare opportunity for both seasoned wine professionals and enthusiastic non-professionals to engage in the same exercise. For many attendees, particularly those without formal tasting experience, the event was both exciting and demanding, offering unique insight into the complexity of assessing young wines with long aging potential.
All of the wines featured in the re-enactment were exceptional in their own right, making the task of ranking them especially challenging. That reality became one of the event’s most meaningful takeaways, underscoring just how difficult blind tasting can be — even, and perhaps especially, when every wine in the lineup is of such high caliber.
One of the most engaging discussions of the day centered on how wine professionals assess young wines and anticipate what they may become over time. MacNeil explained that wines built for aging do not always evolve in a straight upward line, but often pass through phases in which they may seem less expressive before opening into their full potential. This concept added an important educational dimension for guests, many of whom were encountering a formal blind tasting of this scale for the first time.
For many non-professional participants, the red flight proved especially challenging due to the youth and intensity of several wines. That difficulty also sparked conversation about the realities of modern wine consumption, including the fact that the vast majority of consumers today purchase wine for immediate consumption and do not have the ability or interest in cellaring wines for 10 or 20 years before enjoying it.
“The wines we tasted represent the same vintners who were on the table in 1976. While some of the French estates have been producing wine for centuries, many of the California wineries were just getting their start fifty years ago,” Loren Chumley, President & CEO of Nashville Wine Auction, says. “Today, they are all performing at an exceptionally high level. That consistency reflects a sustained commitment to quality, precision, and continuous improvement—and I felt incredibly fortunate to taste them side by side in this setting.”
Following the tasting, guests were welcomed to a dinner prepared by Executive Chef John Welch and the Union Station Hotel culinary team, an elegant close to an afternoon defined by discovery, conversation, and exceptional wines. The dinner allowed guests to reflect on the experience while enjoying the hospitality and sense of community that are hallmarks of Nashville Wine Auction events.
At the conclusion of the tasting, the top-ranked wines from the full group were announced.
Top Three White Wines
- Chalone Vineyard Estate Grown Chardonnay 2024
- Joseph Drouhin “Clos des Mouches” Beaune 1er Cru 2023
- Spring Mountain Vineyard “Heitz Vineyard” Chardonnay 2024
Top Three Red Wines
- Château Mouton Rothschild 2020
- Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars “SLV” Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 (the 1973 Stag’s Leap won the 1976 tasting for red wines)
- Ridge “Monte Bello” 2021
While Château Mouton Rothschild 2020 captured the top spot in Red Wines for both wine professionals and all tasters (the wine came in second in the 1976 tasting), the findings of the wine professionals diverged on other choices:
Top Three White Wines – Wine Professionals
- Domaine Leflaive Les Pucelles Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 2022
- Chateau Montelena 2023 (the 1973 Chateau Montelena won the 1976 tasting)
- Spring Mountain Vineyard “Heitz Vineyard” Chardonnay 2024
Top Three Red Wines – Wine Professionals
- Château Mouton Rothschild 2020
- Ridge “Monte Bello” 2021
- Château Haut-Brion 2020 (the 1970 Haut-Brion was also 3rd in the 1976 tasting)
Through experiences like Judgment of Paris: 50 Years Later, Nashville Wine Auction continues to unite the wine community through exceptional events that educate, inspire, and support its mission to fund the fight against cancer.
ABOUT THE NASHVILLE WINE AUCTION
Nashville Wine Auction’s mission is to unite the wine community to fund the fight against cancer. In 2026, Nashville Wine Auction will celebrate Pairings: Nashville’s Ultimate Wine and Food Weekend on February 26 – 28 and the 47th Annual l’Eté du Vin on July 30 – August 1 at JW Marriott. Established in 1980, the Nashville Wine Auction has raised more than $44 million for organizations whose purpose is directly related to cutting-edge research, innovative treatment, and family/patient/caregiver support. www.NashvilleWineAuction.com
NASHVILLE WINE AUCTION BENEFICIARIES
American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, Ascension Saint Thomas Foundation, Blood Cancer United, Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee, The Heimerdinger Foundation, HopeKids, Inc.
Nashville General Hospital Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Middle Tennessee, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Survivor Fitness Foundation, Tennessee Breast Cancer Coalition, and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
