THE ROAD TO WINEGAME

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Blind Tasting in Public Immagination

1605: “What would you say, sir squire, to my having such a great natural instinct in judging wines that you have only to let me smell one and I can tell positively its country, its kind, its flavor and soundness, the changes it will undergo, and everything that appertains to a wine?” –Sancho Panzo in Miquel Cervantes’ Don Quixote

1953: Oxford & Cambridge Varsity Blind Wine Tasting Match is founded (and held annually to this day).

1976: Judgment of Paris blind tasting surprises the world and puts California wines on the map, fictionalized in 2008 film Bottleshock.

2004: Graphic novel Drops of God debuts in Japan, and is subsequently published in five languages selling almost a million copies. The plot revolves around a young man’s quest to learn about great wine, primarily through blind tasting.

2012: Documentary Somm publicizes the Court of Master Sommelier’s most rigorous test.

2015: Esquire Network’s series Uncorked marries blind tasting with reality TV, prompting one reviewer to note: “Finally a reality show for smart people.”

2017: WineGame is launched!