There isn’t much overlap in SF between last year’s and this coming year’s producer list.
My burgundy knowledge is a D+ at best. What’s the better lineup between SF verticals and SF grand tasting? Did the SF verticals last year and really enjoyed it.
If I went to anything it would be Grands Jours de Bourgogne
Anyone have input on the verticals tasting? Looks pretty great, but I’m concerned with the mass tasting experience.
In the past do these tastings sell out immediately?
No it doesn’t sell out immediately. The dinners do.
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Last year, I went to NYC verticals rather than grand tasting as a Burgundy novice and found it very helpful. Tasting a bunch of 2024s will not be as educational as tasting a bunch of wines of different vintages, getting a sense how the wines change at 5/10/15/20 years.
That being said, La Paulee is a really amazing rare experience to taste so many great wines at what is a reasonable entry cost for Burgundy. This year, I’m definitely going to more events.
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Vertical u learn a bit more aging curve of a producer
Grand tasting u learn more the breadth / portfolio of a producer. Including maybe a top end wine.
Ie rav
u taste 3 vintages of MdT at vertical.
U taste village. MDT. Clos. At grand tasting.
Summary: go to both? 
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You going to the dinner? Trying to decide between verticals + grand tasting or tasting + dinner haha
If anyone ends up with 2 extras for Raveneau dinner please let me know. Thanks
Already sold out.
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Yea I was placed on waitlist monday and am first on there
SF dinners are relatively affordable. Montille wines from 76, 79, 83, and 85 in one sitting? Then half the Angerville dinner is Ducsters? Yum.
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I’m going to La Paulee NYC for the first time! Just the walk around. Any tips for a newbie?
Look at the list in advance and make a plan of what wines you’re going to taste and in what order. Don’t drink wine unless you really like it if you’re going to try to taste everything.
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There are a lot of producers and a lot of wine. I always spit at these events or I can’t make it through the day. I also make a few high priorities to go to first - very popular/big name producers may actually run out of some wines. But I I don’t worry so much about order.
A lot of choices about your path and pace depends on your palate and capacity for tasting. Some folks burn out quickly. Others don’t. For me, I like to do a few reds, then a few whites, then a few reds, etc. to give my palate some rest. Plus mix in frequent food breaks for the same reason.
The food at the event is excellent, though I’ve noticed it being a bit less plentiful the last few years. Lots of rich options to scrub your mouth.
I don’t think I’ve ever visited every producer at one of these, but I’ve always gotten to all my favorites and most of my ‘want to try’ types. Studying the list before you go will help with that.
And spit.
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In my experience no one runs out within the first hour at least. I rushed to a high-profile red producer last year and the first wine I tried had a ton of reduction. I thought they may have just opened the bottle so I held off on the rest of their range and left to taste some whites instead; came back an hour later and the reduction was gone.
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Except liger belair (and salon, which is a whole another story), but they aren’t there this year (at least liger belair isn’t). The salon booth is wild, every single person pushing and shoving like it’s the last chopper out of Saigon rather than a non-allocated bottle that you can buy from total wine.
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Go to the verticals instead. Or do both, verticals is way better.
Only tip I have for the grand tasting is arrive right before it starts so you’re one of the first ones in and hit Salon right on the way in. They are already pouring their first bottle of Salon and the place is deserted, unlike future bottles which are as Michael describes (they only open one bottle per hour).
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Yeah I got it right at the beginning too, definitely the way to go.
I guess I’m a contrarian. The Salon always seems insanely too young, and the line isn’t worth it. This year (SF) I went straight to Roulot, then Raveneau and its already sizable crowd. The rest was smooth.
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