Mira Winery Announces Judges for Judgment of Charleston

A Blind Tasting of Bordeaux and Napa Valley Today

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Charleston, S.C. (March 22, 2016) – Napa Valley’s Mira Winery announced today the panel of judges for the Judgment of Charleston, a blind tasting to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris.  Taking place on May 24, 2016, 40 years after the tasting that thrust Napa to the top of the wine world, the Judgment of Charleston features 12 judges, including six who were selected through online voting.

Mira is proud to announce the following panel of esteemed judges:

  • Wayne Belding – Master Sommelier; author, Diving Into Wine
  • David Denton – Advanced Sommelier, Charlie Palmer Steak, Washington, D.C.; International Bordeaux Wine Educator
  • Barbara Ensrud – Wine Educator, writer and wine judge
  • Pietro Giardini – Sommelier; General Manager, The Vendue, Charleston, SC
  • Craig Locascio – Certified Wine Educator; Certified Bordeaux Trade Educator
  • Shaun Page – Sommelier & Wine Director, Wolfgang Puck Cucina & Wolfgang Puck Steak, MGM Grand Detroit
  • Richard Paladino – Advanced Sommelier, Virginia Philip Wine Shop & Academy, West Palm Beach, FL
  • Greg Rivera – WSET Level 4 Diploma; Advanced Sommelier
  • Glenn Siegel – Founder and President, Wine Spectrum
  • Sandy Strick – Wine Educator; Director, Wine and Beverage Institute
  • Jay Youmans – Master of Wine; French Wine Scholar
  • Alex Young – Food & Beverage Director, Brays Island Plantation

“The Judgment of Charleston is an opportunity to, once again, compare excellent wines from two renowned regions.  We were overwhelmed by the number of extremely qualified candidates as well as the public’s input into who should participate,” Mira Proprietor Jim “Bear” Dyke, Jr. explained, “so we accepted 12 judges, instead of the originally planned 11 and wish we could’ve included even more.  We cannot express our gratitude to all the members of the wine industry who volunteered to participate in this event. The panel selected certainly represents the best of the industry.”

The Judgment of Charleston will honor the historical significance of the Paris event and present a forum for a fresh analysis of today’s wines.  Mira will host this panel of judges as they conduct a blind tasting at Mira’s Charleston, South Carolina, Napa Valley Education Center & Tasting Room.  The wine world has seen tremendous growth and change since 1976, and the 40th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris presents an ideal opportunity to once again evaluate the current wines of the powerhouse regions of Bordeaux and Napa Valley in a blind, head-to-head tasting.

The wines included will remain concealed until after the tasting.  Mira will work with a small team of experts who will identify wines from both Bordeaux and Napa and select a sampling of wines from those vintages that exemplify each region’s current style.

About Mira Winery

Co-founded by Jim “Bear” Dyke, Jr. and Gustavo A. Gonzalez in 2009, Mira is the Latin root of miracle and our logo is the symbol for a good harvest. Each year we harvest by hand the best blocks from acclaimed vineyards in the most celebrated wine-producing region in the world – Napa Valley. Mira wines are hand-crafted, all natural, and a true expression of what the vines produce from year to year.  Aged to pure understated elegance, our wines express the flavors and uniqueness of the specific vineyards each represents, and are ready to drink upon release and also built for enjoyment after years in your cellar. Mira is defined by our roots, anchored in the lineage and longevity of the miracle that is Napa Valley. Mira is also rooted in the South, with our newly opened Napa Valley Education Center & Tasting Room, bringing a bit of Napa Valley to the culinary gem that is Charleston, South Carolina.

More information about Mira Winery can be found at http://www.miranapa.com.