A small Paris tasting shook the wine world in 1976 when French experts ranked California wines over elite French vintages. The Judgment of Paris, as it is now known, gave California wines world-class stature. But French enophiles charged that the tasting was unfair, and some French wineries have refused to participate in rematches ever since.

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The folks in the UK are coming up with all sorts of ideas these days. A London-based company offers private wine-tasting parties. Big deal, you say? The folks lined up to conduct the tastings include such notables as Steven Spurrier (who conceived the famous Paris Tasting of 1976), Oz Clarke and Michael Broadbent, according to decanter.com.

Even if you've been in wine caves before, nothing can prepare you for Palmaz Vineyards' 100,000 square foot underground winery.