California’s Festival Napa Valley has commissioned an opera to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1976 "Judgment of Paris" wine tasting, which put Napa Valley on the global wine map.
Premiere: July 18, 2026.
As a reminder, during the blind tasting in Paris, French judges declared Californian wines superior to those from Burgundy and Bordeaux.
A one-act opera by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer will premiere on July 18, 2026, at the Charles Krug Winery. The event will mark both the 20th anniversary of the inaugural festival and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
Mythology and History
The organizers state that the work is not a factual retelling of the famous tasting, but rather a blend of mythology and history.
The characters include Greek gods and California winemakers, and the central theme is the rivalry between Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, and Venus, the goddess of love.
Winemakers also play a role
Bacchus defends the supremacy of French wine, while the curious Venus delights in experimentation and change. Miljenko "Mike" Grgich and Warren Winiarski also feature; they produced the top-rated wines in Paris: the 1973 Chateau Montelena and the 1973 Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon.
