Commissioned for Festival Napa Valley’s 20th Anniversary Season, The Judgment of Paris is a one-act opera by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer, inspired by the legendary 1976 blind tasting that transformed the world of wine.

Blending myth with modern history, the opera brings Bacchus and Venus from Olympus to 1970s Paris and Napa Valley, where they encounter the visionary vintners who dared to defy tradition – sparking a cultural turning point that reshaped both wine and art.

The production features an exceptional cast led by soprano Danielle De Niese, baritone Quinn Kelsey, tenor Nicholas Phan, and mezzo-sopranos Simone McIntosh and Brenda Rae.

They are joined by the Manetti Shrem Opera Program Fellows and the Festival Orchestra Napa under the baton of Kent Nagano, with stage direction by Jean-Romain Vesperini.