A Night of Giving & Wine Tasting Makes A Successful Grand Cru Fundraiser

It was the perfect night for giving and wine tasting. Nearly 1,400 supporters, sponsors, members, staff and friends came out on a warm summer night in Long Beach to contribute and celebrate LAFLA 16^th annual Grand Cru event. More than 1,000 award-winning wines were sampled, complementing culinary delights from the area’s finest restaurants.

It’s never too early to sponsor the 17th Annual Grand Cru. For details, please contact Project Director, Ludmila Montoya at (213) 640-3894 or lmontoya@lafla.org.

Many thanks to the Grand Gru Board and volunteers who make the event seem effortless despite many hours spent planning the event. Proceeds from the event will help fund LAFLA’s programs and services at a time when the demand is at its greatest. Thanks you all for your generosity and support. 

The Long Beach Grand Cru is a premier, international wine competition and public tasting fundraising event of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, one of the largest public interest law firms in the nation. Proceeds from the event benefit LAFLA’s programs and services in Los Angeles County, including the Long Beach/Harbor area. Visit the Grand Cru on Facebook and join the fanbase.

Grand Cru’s International Wine Competition Held July 17 & 18 Featured 30 Wine Judges and More Than 1500 Wines.

More than 30 wine judges from across the nation were at the Petroleum Club in Long Beach last weekend to sample entries from major wine regions including California, Argentina, Australia, Chile, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, New South Wales, New Zealand, Spain and South Africa at the annual International Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition. Dan Berger, the Chief Judge, presided over 32 professional wine judges. The competition also had 10 Judge-For-A-Day participants, who paid $600 each to sit on a panel with the professional judges. Medals were awarded in the Sweepstakes, Chairman’s Best of Class, Gold, Silver and Bronze divisions.

There are have five Sweepstakes winners, which is the highest award given in the following categories: White; Sparkling; Dessert, Red and Rosé.

• White--Belhurst Estate Winery  -   2009  Dry Riesling, finger Lakes
• Sparkling--Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards - 1999 Brut, Carneros Cuvée, Carneros
• Dessert--Quady Winery - 2008 Black Muscat, California
• Red--Rutherford Vintners - 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
• Rosé --Torrey Ridge Winery - NV Catawba, Finger lakes

The annual event is one of the 10 top wine competitions in the nation and considered one of the best in the country. In a tough economic climate the Long Beach Grand Cru, a major fundraiser for LAFLA, weathered the storm and raised nearly $300,000 to benefit our legal services to poor and low-income clients who need civil justice.

The event was held on August 22 at Rainbow Lagoon Park. Over 1,300 guests tasted delicious specialties from 36 of Long Beach’s finest restaurants, and more than 1,000 competition and wine-medal winners were sampled. Guests danced to the lively sounds of the Tracy Wells Band. A live and silent auction added to the evening’s entertainment of gastronomic adventures.  A common phrase overheard throughout the evening was "I wish this evening would never end."  Marilyn Green, Senior Partner at Cantrell, Green, Pekich, Cruz & McCort said, "This year’s Grand Cru was the best ever."  

Due to their tireless work and support, the LAFLA Grand Cru board members and volunteers make the event a success each year.

Grand Cru Background

The Grand Cru International Wine Competition solicits worldwide winery participation, and 564 wineries from 24 states and 9 countries entered 1,947 wines in 2008. Medals are awarded to winners in the following categories: Sweepstakes, Chairman’s Best of Class, Gold, Silver and Bronze. All of the competition medal winners are served at the Grand Cru Public Tasting.

The festive Public Tasting is the most fun and festive wine and food tasting event of its kind in Southern California. The open-air event attracts over 1,200 business, civic and community leaders to taste award-winning wines, sample delicacies from the area’s top restaurants, enjoy live music, and bid on select items in live and silent auctions. Together, the International Wine Competition and Public Tasting events raised over $331,000 in 2008 and have generated $2.8 million since the Grand Cru’s inception in 1995.

The Grand Cru maintains a volunteer base of 300 individuals who donated over 7,600 hours in 2009 to help stage the competition and public tasting.

support links

• Support Us
• Law Firm Campaign
• Annual Fund Drive
• Associates Advisory Board
• Access to Justice Dinner
• Long Beach Grand Cru
• Donation Form

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