The Judgment of Paris According to Borda

Abstract

We use the Borda Count, the only non-dictatorial positional voting method that satisfies the criteria for a rational decision procedure while using the complete information provided in the ranking of each voter, to determine the outcome of the 1976 Judgment of Paris tastings. The surprising result is that a French wine, Château Haut-Brion 1970, is the Borda winner of the red wine competition and not the Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 1973 from California as announced. The declared winner of the Chardonnay competition, Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 1973, a California wine, is also the Borda winner.