$1875 per person

DAY ONE Thursday, October 16, 2008
• EVENING
6:30 pm*-10:00 pm
Grand Tastings. The California Wine Experience in New York begins with the "Grand Tastings." This is the first of two nights to taste wine from 200 prestigious wineries from California, Oregon and Washington. All participating wineries have been carefully selected for excellence by the Wine Spectator board of senior editors. All wines poured are top-scoring as rated by Wine Spectator. Owners and winemakers will be on hand to showcase one of their wines. This promises to be an evening to remember—strolling through the rows of wineries and sampling wine from great winemakers. Click here for list of participating wineries.

*6:30-7:30 pm is a private tasting for Complete Package registrants and other people in their party for whom they have purchased tickets. 7:30pm is the admission time for people who are not coming to the entire weekend and have purchased Grand Tasting tickets only.

DAY TWO Friday, October 17, 2008
• MORNING
Part I 9:00 am - 9:15 am
"Welcome and Preview of the 2008 California Wine Experience in New York", Marvin R. Shanken, editor & publisher, Wine Spectator, New York City.

Part II 9:15 am - 10:15 am
Burgundy Tasting. A tasting of eight Burgundy wines from four esteemed producers. Each Burgundy producer will show a white from the great 2006 vintage and a red from the top-scoring 2005 vintage. Winemakers and/or owners will be onstage to talk about their wines as they are tasted. Bruce Sanderson, senior editor, Wine Spectator, moderates the event. The wines are:

White

1. Bouchard Père & Fils Chevalier-Montrachet 2006 (96 points)

2. Chandon de Briailles Corton White 2006 Red (NYR)

3. J. Faiveley Meursault Charmes 2006 (NYR)

4. Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos de la Garenne Duc de
    Magenta 2006 (NYR)

Red

5. Bouchard Père & Fils Beaune Grèves de l'Enfant Jésus 2005 (93 points)

6. Chandon de Briailles Corton Les Bressandes 2005 (NYR)

7. J. Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 2005 (NYR)

8. Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 2005 (94 points)

Part III 10:15 am - 10:45 am
"21st-Century Pinot Noir Greatness." A tasting of three exceptional and rare Pinot Noirs led by Matt Kramer, contributing editor, Wine Spectator—guaranteed to show his unique point of view and always enjoyed by our attendees.

Part IV 10:45 am - 12:00 noon
Rising Stars Tasting. A tasting from some of the hottest new wineries on the West Coast—five from California, three from Washington and two from Oregon. Onstage, James Laube, senior editor, Wine Spectator and Harvey Steiman, editor at large, Wine Spectator, lead the tasting with the winemakers and/or owners. The wines are:

  • Linne Calodo Problem Child Paso Robles 2006 (95 points)
  • Londer Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Londer Estate Grown 2005 (92 points)
  • Relic Syrah Mendocino County Alder Springs Vineyard 2006 (NR)
  • Saxum Syrah Paso Robles Booker Vineyard 2005 (95 points)
  • Seven Stones Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2005 (94 points)
  • Gorman Evil Twin 2005 (95 points)
  • ZanZibar Sandra Horse Heaven Hills 2005 (93 points)
  • Côte Bonneville Yakima Valley 2005 (92-94 points)
  • Penner Ash Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Shea Vineyard 2006 (93 points)
  • Roco Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains Private Stash 2006 (94 points)

• LUNCHEON 12:00 noon - 1:30 pm
Enjoy a specially designed menu themed to show-off a selection of top-scoring wines. This is an opportunity to taste and enjoy the wines informally, comparing your notes with your table-mates.

• AFTERNOON
Part V 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Blind Tasting. All the wines selected for this tasting have been kept ultra secret from the editors. They will taste blind as the audience does. This is your chance to compare your palate with the editors'. In the end, all will be revealed. Participating Wine Spectator senior editors are James Laube, Kim Marcus, Thomas Matthews, James Molesworth, Bruce Sanderson, Harvey Steiman and James Suckling.

• EVENING
6:30 pm* - 10:00 pm
Grand Tasting. Enjoy your second opportunity to taste the wines and meet the owners and winemakers from 200 great wineries in California, Oregon and Washington. The same wines are poured each evening giving you the opportunity to taste all the wines offered.

DAY THREE Saturday, October 18, 2008
• MORNING
Part I 9:30 am - 10:45 am
Wine Spectator's Top Ten Tasting. A tasting of the 2007 Top Ten wines as selected by the Wine Spectator board of editors and published in the December 31, 2007 issue—an annual highlight. The wines are:

  • Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005 (98 points)
  • Ridge Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains Santa Cruz Mountain Estate 2005 (95 points)
  • Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005 (95 points)
  • Antinori Toscana Tignanello 2004 (95 points)
  • Two Hands Shiraz Barossa Valley Bella's Garden 2005 (95 points)
  • Château Léoville Las Cases St.-Julien 2004 (95 points)
  • Tenuta dell' Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 2004 (97 points)
  • Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Vale Carnival of Love 2006 (95 points)
  • Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve 2004 (95 points)
  • Krug Brut Champagne 1996 (99 points)

Each winery owner or winemaker will be onstage commenting on his wine and giving his perspective as we taste. The tasting will be led by Kim Marcus, managing editor, Wine Spectator, and James Molesworth, senior editor, Wine Spectator.

Mario Batali, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck

Part II 10:45 am - 12:00 noon
Celebrity Chef Food and Wine Tasting. Our returning guest chefs present a wine and food pairing led by Thomas Matthews, executive editor, Wine Spectator. Each will create a dish for this tasting that they've carefully matched to the accompanying wines. These renowned chefs are Mario Batali, Babbo, New York; Emeril Lagasse, Emeril's, New Orleans; and Wolfgang Puck, Spago, Los Angeles.

• LUNCHEON 12 noon - 1:30 pm
A gourmet lunch designed to highlight a variety of interesting, high-scoring wines. You will have an opportunity to taste and compare these wines in an informal setting.

Part III 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Bordeaux Tasting. A tasting of ten wines from the extraordinary 2005 vintage from some of the superstars of Bordeaux. James Suckling, senior editor, Wine Spectator, moderates the tasting and discussion with these acclaimed producers. The wines are:

  • Château Angélus St.-Emilion 2005 (96 points)
  • Château La Conseillante Pomerol 2005 (97 Points)
  • Château Cos d'Estournel St.-Emilion 2005 (98 points)
  • Château L'Evangile Pomerol 2005 (100 points)
  • Château Léoville Las Cases St.-Julien 2005 (100 points)
  • Château Malescot-St.-Exupéry Margaux 2005 (97 points)
  • Château La Mission-Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 2005 (97 points)
  • Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac 2005 (96 points)
  • Château Rauzan-Ségla Margaux 2005 (97 points)
  • Vieux-Château-Certan Pomerol 2005 (97 points)

• EVENING "GRAND AWARD" BANQUET
The "Grand Award" Banquet, crowning event of the Wine Experience, is a lavish black-tie evening with special wines, great food and star entertainment. It is the culmination of a weekend filled with new wine memories and new wine friends.

6:30 pm Champagne Reception.



7:30 pm The Annual "Grand Award" Banquet
Highlighting the evening: The Pointer Sisters will fill the stage with their high energy performance. They will do a multitude of popular R & B hit songs including "Jump" (For My Love), "I'm So Excited," "He's So Shy," "Slow Hand" and so many more. Backed by their orchestra they'll create a sound and vision we'll all enjoy.



Wine Spectator will be honoring all its past "Grand Award" winning restaurants recognized for having the greatest wine lists in the world. The awards to the new 2008 winners will be presented.

Wine Spectator will be presenting the award to the producer of the Number One wine from its Top 100, as announced in the December 31, 2007 issue—Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005. time.

Order online at www.winespectator.com
For questions, e-mail: events@mshanken.com