Odette Kahn
Encyclopedia
Odette Kahn was a leading authority on wine and editor of the La Revue du vin de France
(Review of French wine
) and of Cuisine et Vins de France (Food and Wines of France). She was a judge at the historic Paris Wine Tasting of 1976. Kahn was outraged at the results of the tasting, unsuccessfully demanded her ballot back, refused later to speak to organizer Steven Spurrier
after the event, claimed fraud, and wrote disparagingly about the wine competition
. This is portrayed in the movie Bottle Shock
.
After graduate studies in one of the best French business schools (HECJF
), she became first the assistant director, and then the editor-in-chief of two magazines, “Cuisine et Vins de France” and “Revue du Vin de France”. In 1968, after the death of Madeleine Decure, co-founder with Edmond Saillant (aka Curnonsky) of “Cuisine et Vins de France”, Odette Kahn became director of Société française d’éditions vinicoles, the publisher of "Cuisine et Vins de France" and "Revue du Vin de France".
She was a member of the International Academy of Wine, as well as forty wine and gastronomy fraternities throughout the world. She is the author of a cookbook published by Calmann-Lévy in 1977 under the title "La Petite et la Grande Cuisine". She also collaborated in the writing of several other books, including "Cuisine sans Souci" (1974) and "La Vraie Cuisine de l’Alsace" (1976).
Until the early eighties, she was in charge of the national "Meilleur sommelier de France" competition and served as general secretary of the Association of women cooks and restaurant operators. Odette Kahn founded the "Amitiés Gastronomiques Internationales" association.
She participated in numerous radio and television broadcasts, and was a member of the jury in some of the most renowned gastronomic contests. She received many awards, including the Chevalier du Mérite National, Chevalier du Mérite Agricole, and the City of Paris Medal.
La Revue du vin de France
La Revue du vin de France is a French magazine on wine published monthly. The publication has been described by Jancis Robinson as "France's only serious wine magazine"....
(Review of French wine
French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
) and of Cuisine et Vins de France (Food and Wines of France). She was a judge at the historic Paris Wine Tasting of 1976. Kahn was outraged at the results of the tasting, unsuccessfully demanded her ballot back, refused later to speak to organizer Steven Spurrier
Steven Spurrier (wine authority)
Steven Spurrier is a British wine expert and former merchant in Paris, France, who has been described as a champion of French wine. Spurrier organized the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, which promoted the expansion of wine production in the new world...
after the event, claimed fraud, and wrote disparagingly about the wine competition
Wine competition
A wine competition is an organized event in which trained judges or consumers competitively rate different vintages or bands of wine. There are two types of wine competitions, both of which use blind tasting of wine to prevent bias by the judges....
. This is portrayed in the movie Bottle Shock
Bottle Shock
Bottle Shock is a 2008 American comedy-drama film based on the 1976 wine competition termed the "Judgment of Paris", when California wine defeated French wine in a blind taste test. It stars Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, and Bill Pullman and is directed by Randall Miller, who wrote the screenplay along...
.
Biography
Kahn was an expert in the field of French gastronomy and wines, for which she was a well-known ambassador throughout the world.After graduate studies in one of the best French business schools (HECJF
HECJF
"Haut Enseignement Commercial pour les jeunes filles", also called "HEC jeunes filles", was named after HEC, the most famous French business school...
), she became first the assistant director, and then the editor-in-chief of two magazines, “Cuisine et Vins de France” and “Revue du Vin de France”. In 1968, after the death of Madeleine Decure, co-founder with Edmond Saillant (aka Curnonsky) of “Cuisine et Vins de France”, Odette Kahn became director of Société française d’éditions vinicoles, the publisher of "Cuisine et Vins de France" and "Revue du Vin de France".
She was a member of the International Academy of Wine, as well as forty wine and gastronomy fraternities throughout the world. She is the author of a cookbook published by Calmann-Lévy in 1977 under the title "La Petite et la Grande Cuisine". She also collaborated in the writing of several other books, including "Cuisine sans Souci" (1974) and "La Vraie Cuisine de l’Alsace" (1976).
Until the early eighties, she was in charge of the national "Meilleur sommelier de France" competition and served as general secretary of the Association of women cooks and restaurant operators. Odette Kahn founded the "Amitiés Gastronomiques Internationales" association.
She participated in numerous radio and television broadcasts, and was a member of the jury in some of the most renowned gastronomic contests. She received many awards, including the Chevalier du Mérite National, Chevalier du Mérite Agricole, and the City of Paris Medal.
Further reading
- Taber, George M. Judgment of Paris: California vs France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting that Revolutionized Wine. NY: Scribner, 2005. Pp. 160, 199-205, 217-218.