BHBA Hosts Food & Wine Extravaganza May 3, 2009

VINTAGE BOUQUET - FOOD AND WINE EXTRAVAGANZA
HOSTED BY BEVERLY HILLS BAR ASSOCIATION BARRISTERS -
TURNS 21

Sunday, May 3, 2009, 12 Noon - 4 P.M.,
at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills

Event is Open to Public and Proceeds Benefit Beverly Hills Bar Foundation

The Vintage Bouquet is legal! The venerable food and wine tasting event open to the public and hosted by the Beverly Hills Bar Association Barristers turns 21 with a spectacular birthday bash on Sunday, May 3, 2009, noon to 4 p.m., at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Helping to celebrate this major milestone are many of the city's finest restaurants and the state's top wineries, which will offer delectable samples. Proceeds benefit the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation's pro bono legal services, including Public Counsel.

Event highlights include unlimited wine tasting with a commemorative wine glass, sampling gourmet food, live and silent auctions, and a blind tasting booth sponsored by North Berkeley Imports, where people can guess the type of wines they are sampling. There will also be tours of the historic mansion, normally closed to the general public, and live musical entertainment. Special VIP tickets are also available and include entree to a private martini bar. The 55-room Greystone Mansion nestled in a 16-acre part was built by the Doheny family in 1928 and is the largest family estate in the history of Beverly Hills. It has been featured in such blockbuster films as There Will Be Blood, Nixon, X-Men, Ghostbusters, Spiderman III, Rush Hour, Air Force One, and many others.

“Who doesn't love a birthday party?” says Leigh Leshner, a Barristers member and chair of the event for the fourth consecutive year. “We've planned a major celebration to toast the Vintage Bouquet's 21 years of unqualified success.” Noted for its fun relaxed atmosphere, the event draws food and wine lovers from across the Southland and beyond.

Among the featured wineries are Carneros della Notte Winery, Cass Winery, Cielo Malibu Estate Wineyards, Cobblestone Vineyards, Jaffe Estate Wine, Kosta Browne Winery, Lewelling Vineyards, LIOCO, Martinelli Winery, Peju, Pride Mountain Winery, Quady Winery, Realm Cellars and Wind Gap Wines. Also serving beverages are GLACEAU smartwater, Peet's Coffee & Tea, ACTIVATE, Bossa Nova: the Superfruit Company, and Vignette Wine Country Soda.

Participating restaurants include Bittersweet Café & Bakery, blue on blue at Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills, Café La Boheme, Dandy Don's Homemade Ice Cream, Gonpachi, Hail Mary's Boutique Catering, Il Fornaio Beverly Hills, Lawry's Catering, One Sunset, STK, Tanzore Restaurant, The Bistro at Chamberlain West Hollywood and The Hall Brasserie, among others.

To date “Jeroboam Sponsors” include The Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, Cobblestone Vineyards, and KKGO. “VIP Martini Lounge Sponsor” is Nemecek & Cole, Attorneys at Law. “Magnum Sponsors” are Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland LLP; Oldman, Cooley, Sallus, Gold, Birnberg & Coleman, LLP; and Reuben, Raucher & Blum; “Champagne Sponsors” are Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, Drooks & Lincenberg; Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, LLP; and Lawyers Pacific Insurance Brokerage, Inc. “Valet Sponsor” is Grobstein, Horwath & Company LLP.

The Beverly Hills Bar Association, founded in 1931, is the sixth largest bar association in California, with 4,000 members. Its mission is to serve its members, to lead the legal profession and to advocate for justice in the community. Its wide range of community outreach programs, many of which are supported by Bar Foundation grants, include Wills For Heroes, a free program to provide wills to Fire Fighters, Policemen and First Responders; Citizens Law School, an annual, free, one-day seminar to help laypeople understand their legal rights; Roxbury Park Legal Clinic, a monthly program providing free legal work to the community; The High School Blue Car Project, a to teach high school students about the law; free programs for Victims of Domestic Violence; the ABA Tolerance through Education Program that teaches third graders about tolerance and equality; Committee for the Arts, which provides legal and business programs for artists, musicians, and the arts community; “And Justice For All,” a series of programs covering a variety of topical legal issues; Tax Court Pro Se Assistance, in which BHBA members volunteer to assist tax payers - at no cost - who are representing themselves before the Tax Court; the Lawyer Referral and Information Service, which matches individuals with specific legal matters with qualified attorneys with appropriate specialties; and the Mandatory Fee Arbitration Program, which resolves fee disputes between clients and attorneys.

Tickets to the 21st Vintage Bouquet are $125 per person if purchased in advance and $150 per person on the day of the event. VIP tickets are $175 (only 100 will be sold). Sponsorships are available. Dress is casual. The Greystone Mansion is located at 905 Loma Vista Drive in Beverly Hills, CA 90210. For tickets and information, please call Knock Out Productions at (818) 610-0300, or visit www.bhba.org/vb/.

Official Website: http://www.bhba.org