Forty years ago, the results of a wine competition in Paris shook the industry to its core. In an unexpected turn of events, wines from Napa Valley, Calif., placed first above their French counterparts in a blind taste test that came to be known as “Judgment of Paris.” The 1976 tasting catapulted Napa Valley wines onto the worldwide stage—coincidently during the same year Robb Report published its first print issue.

Fittingly, a five-star resort in Napa Valley is honoring the 40th anniversary of the tas…