By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the quality of some California wines was outstanding but few took notice as the market favored French brands. On May 24, 1976, a watershed event in the viticulture industry occurred to celebrate the United States Bicentennial. British wine connoisseur, merchant and founder of France's first private wine school, "L’Academie du Vin", Steven Spurrier, with American Patricia Gallagher, organized the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 where renown French oenophiles participated in a blind tasting to compare the best wines from California's wine regions and France's prestigious Bordeaux and Burgundy regions. After comparing ten Chardonnays (white) vintages, six Californians and four French, the California wines placed three of the top four. Six of the nine judges ranked Chateau Montelena's '73 vintage number one; Chalone Vineyard came in third and Spring Mountain Vineyard fourth. When ten Cabernet Sauvignons (red), six Californians and four French, were sniffed, sipped, swished and spat, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' '73 vintage was ranked number one. George Taber, the sole journalist who attended the event, penned the article "Judgment of Paris" in Time magazine reporting the shocking results with the California wines sweeping primer French vintages according to local judges. As Jim Barrett, general manager/part owner of Chateau Montelena said: "Not bad for kids from the sticks." The 1976 event led to expanding the recognition and prestige of vintners in the New World, specifically, the Golden State.