The 2012 UGCB (Union des Grand Cru Bordeaux) North American Tour is almost here. Officially, the tour kicks off in Los Angeles, January 20. That is followed by stops in San Francisco, Saturday, January 21, Miama, January 23, New York, January 25, Chicago, January 26, Toronto January 27 and winds up in Montreal, January 28. That is a busy week for thirsty, curious Bordeaux wine lovers, chateaux owners and winemakers. For Bordeaux wine lovers and consumers who just like wine, this is the best wine event of the year! This year, the focus is on the extremely highly regarded 2009 Bordeaux vintage. Having tasted these wines multiple times from barrel to bottle, (most recently last June in Bordeaux) 2009 is an outstanding vintage for Bordeaux wine. The wines are sensuous, supple, opulent and silky. Due to the economy and prices, not much of the vintage was purchased by American retailers. This is the best opportunity to taste this many great wines from the 2009 Bordeaux vintage. To read our buying guide and tasting notes for the top wines from the 2009 Bordeaux vintage: 2009 Bordeaux Wine Buying Guide for the top 200 wines: www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-topics/2009-bordeaux-wine-tasting-notes-ratings-reviews-buying-tips/ If you have not attended a UGCB tasting before, this event awards guests the opportunity to taste over 100 different wines, as well as meet and talk with the owners of the chateaux that produce the wine. We will be at the Los Angeles event and will publish a detailed article on the wines tasted with tasting notes and reviews. If anyone else catches the event in LA, or in any of the other cities, we’d like to hear from you and your notes and comments on the event and on all the wines you tasted as well. The tastings are a combination of trade and consumer events. Friday, January 20 – Los Angeles is hosting both trade and consumer tastings. The trade tasting will be held at the The Fairmont hotel in Santa Monica from 1pm-5pm. This will be followed by two consumer tastings hosted by Wallys Wines. Wallys is kicking off the night with a unique, charity, tasting event beginning at 6pm with 100% of the proceeds going to the Horatio Alger Association Scholarship Fund. That will be followed by the main event which takes place from 7-10 pm at The Peterson Automotive Museum. 6060 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA. Tickets for the charity function can be purchased at www.wallywine.com/p-82909-ugc-pre_event-reception-admission-_-6pm-jan-20-2012-plus-7pm-general.aspx Tickets for the Los Angeles event and the seminar can be purchased www.wallywine.com/p-81689-2012-event-_-ugc-wine-tasting-12012-at-petersen-automotive-museum-7_10pm.aspx?affiliateid=11037 Or from Wallys. www.wallyswines.com Or call 310-475-0606 Saturday, January 21, San Francisco – Hosted by K & L Wine Merchants the event is open to the public and will be held at the Palace Hotel. For tickets and information – www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1033388 Monday, January 23, Miami is a trade only tasting to be held at the Doral Resort and Spa. Tuesday, January 24, New York is open to the public and is hosted by Sherry Lehman. The tasting takes place at Espace, 635 West 42nd Street. Discount coupons are available on line with the code UGC40. www.sherry-lehmann.com/events Wednesday, January 25, New York is a trade tasting being held at the Marriott Marquee. Thursday, January 26, Chicago – Trade tasting from 1-5pm at The Sheraton Hotel and Towers. A consumer event takes place later that night from 6-8 pm at the same location. The event is hosted by Binnys. http://binnys.com/blogs/post.cfm/union-des-grands-crus-de-bordeaux-2009-vintage-tasting Friday, January 27, Toronto, Canada is a consumer event presented by the LCBO. Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building 222 Bremner Blvd. 6pm-8:30 pm. www.vintages.com/events/ugc_event.shtml Saturday, January 28, Montreal, Canada Not all producers will attend every event. This is a list of the 2009 Bordeaux wines being poured by the various Chateaux for the UGC 2009 Bordeaux tastings: Pauillac Château Batailley Château Clerc Milon Château d’Armailhac Château Grand Puy Ducasse Château Haut Bages Liberal Château Lynch Bages Château Lynch-Moussas Château Pichon Baron Château Pichon Lalande Château Pontet Canet Margaux Château Brane Cantenac Château Cantenac Brown Château du Tertre Château Durfort Vivens Château Giscours Château Kirwan Château Labegorce Château Lascombes Château Malescot St. Exupery Château Siran Château Rauzan-Segla Graves/Pessac Leognan Château Bouscaut Château Carbonnieux Domaine de Chevalier Château de Fieuzal Château de France Château Haut Bailly Château La Louvière Château La Tour Martillac Château Les Carmes Haut Brion Chateau Malartic Lagraviere Château Olivier Château Pape Clement Château Smith Haut Lafitte Pomerol Château Beauregard Château Clinet Château La Cabanne Château La Conseillante Château Gazin Château Petit Village St. Emilion Grand Cru Château Angelus Château Beau-Sejour Becot Château Canon Château Canon La Gaffeliere Château Clos Fourtet Château Dassault Château Figeac Château Franc Mayne Château Grand Mayne Château La Couspade Château La Dominique Château La Gaffeliere Château Larcis Ducasse Château Larmande Château Pavie Macquin Château Troplong Mondot St. Estephe Château Cos Labory Château Lafon Rochet Château Ormes De Pez Château Phelan Segur St. Julien Château Beychevelle Château Branaire Ducru Château Gruaud Larose Château Lagrange Château Langoa Barton Château Leoville Poyferre Château Talbot Sauternes et Barsac Château Bastor Lamontagne Château Climens Château Coutet Château de Fargues Château Doisy Daene Château Guiraud Château La Tour Blanche Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey Château Sigalas Rabaud Château Suduiraut Haut Médoc Château Beaumont Château Belgrave Château Camensac Château Cantemerle Château Coufran Château La Lagune Moulis en Médoc Château Chasse Spleen Château Poujeaux Listrac Médoc Château Clarke Médoc Château Greysac Château La Tour de By Graves Château de Chantegrive
