Château Brane-Cantenac 2005 (Margaux, $70) vs Vérité La Joie 2005 , Sonoma County (California, $ 150)

A few notes from the guest speaker, Anthony Giglio:

"This was the first time any wine speaker had ever done a wine 'smack-down' at the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen. Typically we have chefs cooking against each other in the Classic Cook Off (and usually French chefs wipe the floor with whomever challenges their superiority!). The wine 'smack-down' was my idea to teach guests the difference between Old World and New World wine classifications, grapes, styles and pedigree. Naturally, for the first one I chose to show Americans how their favorties grapes (pinot noir, syrah/grenache, cabernet/merlot) taste when grown in their homeland and then in new places. It proved fascinating and, I think, thrilling, to pit them against each other in an unconventional 'tasting'. It was totally an American way to do this. Both seminars were standing-room only and were considered so successful that I've already been given the green light to create a new 'smack-down' for the 2010 Food and Wine Classic.

I think Brane-Cantenac showed beautifully against Vérité La Joie, a Sonoma Bordeaux-style blend that costs more than twice as much. Although the Californian and French were a close tie the first round, the second day Brane won by nothing short of an avalanche".