Steven Spurrier was a key player. He organized the 1976 Paris Wine Tasting. And then there were the winemakers from California whose wines participated in the tasting.
In the 'bottle shock real story', Steven Spurrier was a very important figure. He was the one who set up the 1976 Paris Wine Tasting. He was interested in seeing how California wines would fare against French wines. He played a significant role in getting the best Californian wines to be part of the tasting. The Californian winemakers were also key players. For example, Warren Winiarski from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. His Cabernet Sauvignon was one of the winning wines. And the judges, of course, were key. They were the ones who tasted the wines blindly and made the decision that shocked the world. Their judgment was what put California wines on the international stage.
One of the main key players in the 'bottle shock real story' was Steven Spurrier. He was a British wine merchant living in Paris. He had the idea to hold this blind tasting. He was crucial in bringing together the Californian and French wines for the competition. Another set of important players were the winemakers in California. People like those from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. Their wines were the ones that surprised everyone in the tasting. Also, the judges in the Paris tasting were key as their evaluations determined the outcome which had such a huge impact on the wine world.