The Benefiting Organization:
The Long Beach Grand Cru is an international wine competition and public culinary experience.  It was created and hosted by the Long Beach office of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA).  The Competition and Public Awards & Tasting were conceived to increase awareness and raise funds to support LAFLA’s Legal services and education programs to poor people struggling to gain self-sufficiency.  LAFLA has been our community’s frontline law firm for low-income people for 80 years.  Each day brings enormous demand from scores of people who come to one of LAFLA’s s neighborhood offices, three courthouse domestic violence clinics, four courthouse Self-Help Legal Access Centers, and numerous off-site clinics and workshops seeking help with problems either caused or made worse by poverty.  Last year, LAFLA’s poverty law experts, aided by a network of dedicated supporters and volunteers, provided legal assistance to more than 14,000 individuals and families and important legal information and education to over 57,000 others, helping them escape domestic violence, avoid homelessness, obtain food and health care for themselves and their children, defend their employment and consumer rights and move from welfare to work. (Visit LAFLA to see how we put your social investment to work.)


The Long Beach Grand Cru:
The Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach created a modest wine tasting benefit in 1988. In 1993, the Foundation's Board of Directors recommended a major shift in the development of the event and, in 1995, the Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition and Awards & Tasting fundraising benefit had its debut. The Competition continues to grow in size and prestige attracting wineries from around the world. It has gone from a one-day competition to two days. Medals are awarded in the following categories: Sweepstakes, Best of Class, Gold, Silver and Bronze. (Please visit our entries page) to view the medal winners list.) The public wine tasting and culinary event attracted 1,300 guests. These companion events were conceived to increase awareness and raise funds to support the Foundation's legal services and education programs. The Long Beach Grand Cru Competition has made its mark as one of the fastest growing professionally judged wine competitions on the West Coast.

The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles wishes to extend its sincere appreciation for the dedication, guidance and hard work provided by members of the Long Beach Grand Cru Board of Directors, as follows:

James M. McAdams, Chair
Pierry & McAdams, LLP

Roni Gould, Past Chair
Ensemble Real Estate, LLC
Julian K. Quattlebaum, 1st Vice Chair
Channel Law Group, LLC
Juliana Guerriero, 2nd Vice Chair
Cantrell Green Pekich Cruz & McCort
Susan Laputz, Secretary
Windes & McClaughry

Ludmila Montoya - Founder & Executive Producer
Dan Berger - Chief Judge, Competition

Jane Benson,  Esq.
Paula Cohen, Esq.
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
Tania Dao, Corp. Counsel
T-Mobile USA Inc.
Elliott J. Dixon, Esq.
Law Office of Elliott J. Dixon
Jeffrey DuChateau
Bantry Holdings, LLC
Marilyn S. Green, Esq.
Cantrell Green Pekich Cruz & McCort
Marc R. Greenberg, Esq.
Keesal Young & Logan
Wallace Hammons, Esq.
Hammons Baldino, LLP
Martha Hudak, Esq.
Law Offices of Martha Hudak
William “Doug” Jenkins
Union Bank of California
George M.. Jones, Esq.
Coppenrath & Associates LLP
Avinash Kapoor
Akbar Restaurant
Kjell Karlsen
Sea Launch Company, LLC
Alan Kreida, Esq.
Glow & Kreida
Scott Longhurst
Trillium TelecomServices
Jesse Marr, Esq.
Gilbert Kelly Crowley & Jennet LLP
Michael  J. Peters
Crowell Weedon
Dave Sakamoto
Torrey Pines Bank
Michelle Steuber, DC
Steuber Chiropractic Orthopedic Group
Thomas G. Stolpman, Esq.
Stolpman Krissman Elber & Silver LLP
A.Mina Tran, Esq.
Palmer & Tran LLP
Silvia Zada,
First Bank

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles

Silvia Argueta, Executive Director
Toby Rothschild, General Counsel

Strategic Planning Committee
Kendall Hastings
Peter Holman
Judie Johnsen
Scott Jordan
Greg Montgomery
Ludmila Montoya
Tom Noad
Eric Siering

Steering Committee
Jeani Adams
Paul Birtchet
Cynthia Callaghan
Rita dePaola
Pat Ellington
Arlene Fillius
Kendall Hastings
Peter Holman
Rosie Jo
Judie Johnson
Scott Jordan
Susan Lopez
Suzie Martinez
Steve McAllister
Rita Michener
Gayle Montgomery
Greg Montgomery
Ludmila Montoya
Tracey Nakadate
Tom Noad
Rebecca Nunez
Joyce Perkal
Laurie Preus
Douglas Price
Daniella Ruiz
Dodie Reddington
Erik Siering
Andrew Sutphin
Charlene Warner
Sharon Weissman

Auction Committee
Suzi Martinez, Chair
Rita DePaola, Coordinator
Jeani Adams, Co-Advisor
Pat Ellington, Co-Advisor
Susan Lopez

Restaurant & Cookbook Committee
Daniella Ruiz, Chair
Arlene Fillius, Coordinator
Erik Siering, Editor and Wine Pairing Advisor
Kendall Hastings, Production
Bobby Patterson, Sir Speedy Graphics and Printing
Ludmila Montoya, Advisor
      Sub-Committee
      Cynthia Callaghan
      Rosie Jo
      Tracy Nakadate
      Laurie Preus

Volunteers
Judie Johnson, Chair
Additional thanks go to this year's Volunteers: [click here].

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles Board of Directors

Officers:

Silvia Argueta, Executive Director
Harriet S. Posner, Esq., President
Neil B. Martin, Esq., Vice President
Paul B. Salvaty, Esq., Secretary
Martin T. Tachiki, Esq., Treasurer
Karen J. Adelseck, Client Chair
Cornell Trotter, Client Vice-Chair

Members:

Chris M. Amantea, Esq.
Alexander Auerbach
Terry B. Bates, Esq.
Gary Blasi, Esq.
Elliot Brown, Esq.
Allan Browne, Esq.
Christina Burford
Carl J. Busch, Esq.
Robert S. Chapman, Esq.
Alan B. Clark, Esq.
Jon Dean, Esq.
Kevin Dorse, Esq.
D. Barclay Edmundson, Esq.
Stephen R. English, Esq.
Debra L. Fischer, Esq.
James P. Fogelman, Esq.
Mamie C. Henry
Helen Hinkson
Dwayne Hollis
James E. Hornstein, Esq.
Martha Ofelia Jimenez
Hattie Johnson
James M. Lichtman, Esq.
Victoria M. Lopez
James M. McAdams, Esq.
David F. McDowell, Esq.
Lillian Mobley
Jang Woo Nam
Mary H. Neale, Esq.
R. Alexander Pilmer, Esq.
Glenn D. Pomerantz, Esq.
Kent R. Raygor, Esq.
Marc M. Seltzer, Esq.
Geoffrey L. Thomas, Esq.
Maria Torres
Mary Trotter
Ronald B. Turovsky, Esq.
Rita L. Tuzon, Esq.
John C. Ulin, Esq.
Angela Watson
Susan E. Anderson Wise, Esq.
Ronald E. Wood, Esq.

The Long Beach Grand Cru gratefully acknowledges our Sponsors, along with the following people and businesses for their contributions to the 2009 Long Beach Grand Cru.