In a treat for wine enthusiasts and opera lovers alike, the iconic 1976 wine-tasting event, where California wines unexpectedly outshone their French counterparts, is set to be immortalized in an opera titled “The Judgment of Paris.” This new work comes from acclaimed composer Jake Heggie.

Renowned for his operatic adaptations of “Dead Man Walking” and “Moby-Dick,” Heggie ventures into the realm of comedy with this latest production. “The Judgment of Paris” is scheduled to premiere on July 18, as announced by California’s Festival Napa Valley on Wednesday.

The opera features a stellar cast, with soprano Danielle De Niese portraying Venus and baritone Quinn Kelsey taking on the role of Bacchus. The narrative cleverly intertwines mythological deities with historical figures from the famed event held at Paris’ Intercontinental Hotel. The cast is rounded out by tenor Nicholas Phan as Steven Spurrier, mezzo-soprano Simone McIntosh as Patricia Gallagher, and soprano Brenda Rae as Odette Kahn.

Heggie expressed his creative vision for the opera, stating, “I wanted something that was fun, delightful, and a little bit wacky, yet deeply meaningful and boundary-crossing.” He humorously noted that one judge had demanded her scorecards back post-announcement, leading to a planned comedic mad scene, with Brenda Rae delivering a coloratura soprano performance.

The original wine-tasting panel included notable figures such as Jean-Claude Vrinat of Taillevent and Raymond Oliver of Le Grand Véfour. In a surprising outcome, Chateau Montelena’s chardonnay took first place among white wines, narrowly surpassing a 1973 Meursault-Charmes Roulot. For the red wines, a 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars cabernet sauvignon claimed the top spot, followed by a 1970 Château Mouton Rothschild.

George M. Taber wrote about the tasting for Time magazine and titled a 2005 book “Judgment of Paris,” alluding to a story from Greek mythology describing events leading to the Trojan War.

“It was such a scandal,” Heggie said. “Some of those judges were accused of being traitors by the French.”

Napa Valley Festival CEO Rick Walker called Heggie in January, wanting to create a performance to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the 20th anniversary of the annual summer event.

“The outcome, of course, was revolutionary,” Walker said. “It was proof that you can make great wine in the New World in Napa Valley in California and in America but also throughout the New World. It’s not the exclusive province of the Old World.”

Heggie’s operas usually take five to eight years to reach stage. He set to work with his librettist, Gene Scheer, who wrote the text from May through October. Kent Nagano conducts and Jean-Romain Vesperini directs the one-act work of about 60 minutes.

Excerpts will be played at the French department store Printemps in New York on Feb. 18 and there will be workshop at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in April followed by more snippets in Los Angeles on May 26.

“Opera historically has bloomed out of myths and mythology and to lean into that as a point of departure seemed sort of natural,” Scheer said. “When you’re doing a comedy, when the stakes are high and the egos are high or grand, it makes it easier to make fun of them and have fun with it.”