California's Famous Wine Scandal Becomes Opera in Napa Valley

A New Opera Celebrates Napa Valley's Legacy

Renowned San Francisco composer Jake Heggie is set to unveil his latest creation, a one-act opera titled "The Judgement of Paris," during the Bay Area's summer season. The world premiere will take place at Festival Napa Valley at Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena on July 18, marking a significant milestone as part of the event's 20th anniversary celebration.

This comedic opera reimagines the pivotal 1976 blind wine tasting that put Napa Valley on the global map. By blending myth with modernity, it places the gods of Olympus in conversation with California's pioneering winemakers. This marks the first time that Festival Napa Valley has commissioned an opera, and it is anticipated that the performance will feature a full orchestra.

"Premiering this opera in Napa Valley feels like bringing the story back to its spiritual source," Heggie shared with the Chronicle. "The 1976 tasting rewrote expectations about what American creators could achieve, and Festival Napa Valley has that same spirit of bold possibility. It's the perfect place to pop the cork on a comedy that celebrates risk-taking and reinvention - and it's particularly special to premiere this new work so close to my home."

The real-life tasting that inspired the opera stunned the culinary world when judges favored California wines over France's long-dominant vintages. Journalist George M. Taber originally reported the news and later published a book in 2005 called "Judgement of Paris," referencing the Greek myth about events leading to the Trojan war.

"This opera captures the essence of Napa Valley - curiosity, courage, and the joy of discovery," said Charles Letourneau, vice president and director of artistic planning at Festival Napa Valley. "We are thrilled to collaborate with Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer on a project that unites artistry, history, and the enduring power of innovation."

Heggie is best known for his operatic adaptations of Sister Helen Prejean's "Dead Man Walking" - which marked its 25th anniversary this year at San Francisco Opera - and Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick." For his latest project, he worked with librettist Gene Scheer, who wrote the text from May through October, resulting in a roughly hour-long opera.

The production's cast features soprano Danielle De Niese as Venus, baritone Quinn Kelsey as Bacchus and tenor Nicholas Phan as Steven Spurrier, among others. It is to be conducted by Berkeley native Kent Nagano and directed by Jean-Romain Vesperini.

In anticipation of its world premiere, excerpts of "The Judgement of Paris" will be previewed at a series of events. An International Wine Day celebration at the French department store Printemps in New York is set to feature a conversation and performance by Heggie on Feb. 18, while workshop week at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music from April 5-9 will include rehearsals and a reading performance. A National Wine Day event in Los Angeles on May 26 is also expected to feature snippets.