After taking flight last year, the AGF Group Foundation has met the challenge once again and held an annual benefit event last October 15, on the theme of Mariage DixVin. With over 150 guests, that quite unusual vertical wine tasting, accompanied by a spectacular gourmet meal, raised approximately $180,000!

The idea behind the Mariage DixVin was to bring together two private collections of double magnums of Château Branaire-Ducru, classified Quatrieme Grand Cru - Fourth Growth of Bordeaux, each of which actually represented a vertical of 10 vintages (2000 to 2009), making it a unique event blending gastronomy and wine.

The La Tablée des Chefs organization, who received part of the funds raised during the evening, helped us find chefs who, after tasting the wines, created unique dishes in perfect agreement with the Branaire-Ducru served during the evening. The mission of La Tablée des Chefs is to feed families in need and educate future generations by developing their self-sufficiency. It is located in Longueuil, and its reputation is similar to that of the AGF Group. The organization will use the money to develop its online Food Brokerage Service. See article

Gathering at the Sofitel Le Carré Doré in Montréal, our guests were offered champagne upon arrival, before having the opportunity to compare different vintages and taste various dishes prepared by the chefs Jonathan Lapierre-Réhayem (Laloux), Alexandre Gosselin (Chez Victoire), Olivier Perret (Le Renoir), and Roland Del Monte (Le Renoir). For all of you curious ones and gourmands, I invite you to see the evening’s recipe book in French.

All of that would not have been possible without the ideas, creativity, dynamic spirit, and inexhaustibility (!) of our organizing committee, consisting of Serge Gendron, Anne Charest, Joëlle Meloche, Thierry Lachapelle, Mylène Cochet, and myself, internally, in addition to Marie Breton (AGF Group Foundation) and Catherine Bagdian (La Tablée des chefs), counting of course on the support of our external organizing committee: Philippe Duval, Pierre Beauchesne, Michel St-Jean, Moreno De Marchi, and Denis Marsan, as well as our indispensable volunteers. For more details about the evening, the various lots that were auctioned, and our partners, please consult the event’s programme in French.

The AGF Group Foundation is not limited to organizing large-scale events such as the Mariage DixVin. Aiming to touch every team member’s heart, several employee initiatives were created, and they are strongly encouraged. Only last summer, we were able to witness the birth of a triathlon, an “Ironman” competition among ironworkers, a car exhibition, thematic lunches, and more. Each and every one of those activities has the power to bring people together for a cause, either a particular local cause, or simply for the benefit of the AGF Group Foundation. Did you know that our Foundation redistributes the funds among more than 80 organizations every year? And you, what type of activity would you like to initiate?