Raising a Glass for UHN: The Grand Cru 2026 Portfolio Tasting

One Night, One Cause

Ninety-four vintners. One room. One cause.

On Wednesday, October 28, 2026, the Grand Cru Portfolio Tasting filled Enercare Centre in Toronto with winemakers from the world's great wine regions, all in support of the University Health Network. For one night, the people behind the bottles poured for the collectors and wine lovers who open them.

The Portfolio Tasting is the opening night of the Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival, followed by the Appreciation Party at Casa Loma and the Wine and Dine dinners. We will share more on those evenings in upcoming posts.

Every ticket, donation and auction bid supports the work of UHN. That purpose is what draws so many producers to Toronto each fall, and it is what makes this more than a tasting.

Great wine is best understood through the people who make it.

On the Tasting Floor

The format is simple and hard to beat: every producer behind their own table, pouring their own wines. In a few steps, guests went from Burgundy to Bordeaux to Tuscany, glass in hand, tasting current releases alongside bottles brought to Ontario specifically for the evening.

What sets this tasting apart is who is holding the bottle. Owners, winemakers and estate directors fly in for the night, so when you ask about a vineyard or a vintage, the answer comes from someone who was there for it.

The live auction carried the purpose of the evening, with every bid going to UHN. Many guests also chose to add a donation at registration, personally or through their companies.

The Wineries in the Room

The 2026 lineup read like a wish list: first growth Bordeaux, grand cru Burgundy, and family estates from Sicily to Niagara. Many of the wines were poured by the people whose names are on the label.

Bordeaux

Nicolas Glumineau of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and Noé Tesseron of Château Pontet-Canet led a deep Bordeaux contingent. They were joined by Château Brane-Cantenac, Château Cheval Blanc, Château Cos d'Estournel, Famille Ducourt, Château Giscours, Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, Château des Laurets, Château Montrose, Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Château Tronquoy and Château d'Yquem.

Burgundy

Burgundy arrived with several owners in person: Guillaume d'Angerville of Domaine Marquis d'Angerville, Charles Van Canneyt of Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat, Xavier Monnot, Louis de Montille of Domaine de Montille, and Félicien Roulot of Domaine Roulot. Also pouring were Cellier des Dames, Domaine Y. Clerget, Maison Louis Jadot, Domaine Alex Moreau, Domaine Ponsot, Domaine Henri Rebourseau and Remoissenet Père et Fils.

Champagne, Alsace, the Loire and the Rhône

Bastien Collard de Billy represented Pol Roger, alongside Champagne Barons de Rothschild. Jean-Frédéric Hugel poured for Hugel & Fils, Pascal Jolivet for his Loire estate, and Jean-Luc Colombo for his Rhône wines. Caroline Talec presented Domaine de la Chapelle and Paul Jaboulet Aîné. Domaine Julien Braud and Domaine de la Cendrillon rounded out the French tables.

Italy

Italy was the largest delegation of the night, with several owners and winemakers in person: Antonio Benanti of Benanti, Lorenza Sebasti of Castello di Ama, Marco and Anna Dal Forno of Dal Forno Romano, Paolo De Marchi of Proprietà Sperino, and Cristiana Tiberio of Tiberio. Also pouring were Marchesi Antinori, Borgoluce, Caiarossa, La Cappuccina, Casanova di Neri, Fuligni, Marchesi Fumanelli, Garofoli, Il Grillesino, Isole e Olena, Jermann, Maculan, Paitin, Pieropan, Poggio Antico, Prunotto, Renato Ratti, Terredora di Paolo, Tormaresca, Valle dell'Acate and Villa Poggio Salvi.

Spain, Portugal and Beyond

From the Iberian peninsula came Clos Salanca, Esporão, Viña Olabarri, Quadrus and Vallformosa. Further afield, guests tasted 4G Wines from South Africa, Cheval des Andes from Argentina, and Niagara's Big Head Wines with proprietor Jakub Lipinski.

Spirits and More

The spirits tables featured Elisabetta Nonino with her family's grappa, Tesseron Cognac, Calvados from Comte Louis de Lauriston, Tequila Comisario, Aupale vodka, Nishi Shuzo and Dame.

The Wines, Still Available

For the Portfolio Tasting we brought in additional wines from each of our participating wineries, and many are still available to order. It is a rare opportunity to secure them in Ontario.

Browse the Grand Cru 2026 selection here, or reach out to your Halpern representative for the full list.

Thank You

Thank you to the vintners who travelled to Toronto, the volunteers who kept the room running, and every guest who came out in support of UHN. We look forward to raising a glass with you again next fall.