Halpern University Health Network (UHN) Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival

Photo credit Convergent Art & Science.

Thanks to the generosity of Halpern, BMO, Grand Touring Automobiles, Miele, and a host of additional sponsors and donors, this year’s Halpern UHN Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival raised an impressive $4.6 million.

Friday, October 24 — Grand Cru Appreciation Night

The evening unfolds at the magnificent Casa Loma, bathed in blue light and framed by opulent automobiles from Grand Touring Automobiles. Night one of the two-day celebration is a formal soirée dedicated to honouring the donors and organizers whose support makes the festival possible.

Guests are welcomed by servers offering trays of beef sliders, lobster spring rolls, and lamb skewers. At the end of the hall, the Conservatory—with its cathedral-like windows and stained-glass dome—features a sumptuous hot buffet of beef short rib Bourguignon, asparagus gratinée, croque monsieur, and a bespoke bar.

Adjacent to it, the Grand Hall opens into the Grand Cru Ballroom, where guests discover exceptional selections such as the 2011 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia Barolo and the 2012 Domaine Dujac Morey-Saint-Denis Blanc. A lively cover band fills the room with music as guests explore champagne stations, a lavish charcuterie spread, a whimsical candy table with takeaway boxes, and—at the far end—the Pol Roger Champagne and caviar bar.

It is a dazzling evening of fine wine, exceptional food, warm company, and a shared burst of excitement as guests watch the Blue Jays win Game 1 of the World Series.

How did the concept for the Halpern UHN Grand Cru originate, you ask?

Here is the answer from Todd Halpern, the Grand Cru founder, University Health Network (UHN) Trustee and former UHN Foundation Board Member;

Todd: I was involved with the very successful Naples Winter Wine Festival and wanted to bring something similar to Toronto to support our hospitals. I wanted to unite people's love of gourmet food and world class wine with a philanthropic spirit of supporting our health care system. I created UHN Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival from the ground up to raise critical funds for research, infrastructure, education and clinical care across UHN.  

How has the event changed since it first began in 2005?

Todd: The event has certainly grown, and our bi-annual tasting event has become the largest wine tasting in Canada and a much-anticipated part of the event. We look forward to the return of the tasting event at the Enercare Centre next year. Since our early beginnings we have now become the top food and wine fundraising event in the world. At its core, what has not changed are the dinners in private homes that are the backbone of the event. The connections made at these dinners between our leading medical experts at UHN and our donor community are invaluable.

Saturday, October 25 — The Grand Cru Wine & Dine Experience

Day 2 of the festival marked the Grand Cru Wine & Dine Experience, the most highly anticipated event of the festival. Across the GTA, 12 exclusive private homes opened their doors for once-in-a-lifetime dinners prepared by some of the world’s most celebrated chefs, including Jason Bangerter (Langdon Hall), Massimo Renzi (Sotto Sotto), and multi-Michelin-starred chefs Daniel Boulud (Daniel), Jérôme Banctel (La Réserve Paris), François-Emmanuel Nicol (Tanière, Quebec City), and Eric Canino (La Réserve Ramatuelle, France).

Photo provided by UHN. Chef Eric Canino, Chef Jérôme Banctel, Ellen Halpern, Todd Halpern, Chef François-Emmanuel Nicol.

At the dinner hosted by Ellen and Todd Halpern, an extraordinary $1 million was raised through the auction of Healing Hands, a painting by Canadian artist Jane Waterous. Donors were invited to contribute directly to the artwork by leaving their painted handprint alongside their signature. The completed piece will be displayed at a UHN site.

Marisa Rocca, owner of Toronto’s prestigious Sotto Sotto and longtime Grand Cru supporter, was among the hosts. “It’s an honour to open our home and our kitchen in support of such an extraordinary cause,” she said. “Grand Cru brings together the very best of Toronto, uniting us through generosity, community and a shared belief in giving back, and it’s something we look forward to every single year.”

What kind of research or building measures does the Grand Cru fund for UHN?

Julie Quenneville, CEO of the University Health Network Foundation answers. 

Julie: So this is the 21st edition of Grand Cru and it's raised more than $170 million since it was created. And that is absolutely all thanks to Todd Halpern and his family, Ellen Halpern, his son Adam and his brother Colin. They are the creativity behind this endeavour and this has become the event of the year, not only for UHN, but for Toronto and we hear about it all across the country. It has supported a number of different initiatives and projects since its creation. This year, the biggest project is the construction of our new surgical tower at Toronto Western Hospital.

What is unique about the New Surgical tower?

Julie: It's a $1.1 billion project supported by the Ontario government, but our UHN foundation is committed to funding the equipment inside the new tower, approximately $300M. We're adding 15 floors, so it's expansive with 20 different operating rooms but it's really about the surgical revolution that we're going to be able to do thanks to this new tower. We're adding 12 new surgical robots in the new tower and a dedicated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine inside the operating room. So, it's a massive, massive transformation and it’s all thanks to the commitment of the community and the government. UHN is really the largest robotic surgery team in the country and we’re developing new robotics with industry partners.

Will artificial intelligence be a factor in the new surgical tower?

Julie: Yes. We do teaching all around the world on how to use robotics. So, if you think about where the future is going, when you're doing robotic surgery, every second of every surgery is captured through data and it allows us to implement a full data hospital with artificial intelligence. So, it really is, when you look at surgery, this is a massive revolution.

A Bold New Chapter in Brain Care: The Toronto Western Surgical Tower

At the heart of Toronto Western Hospital, a transformative project is taking shape: the new Surgical Tower, set to redefine patient care and advance the frontiers of brain science. Here, world-renowned neurologists Dr. Kalia and Dr. Valiante are pushing the limits of what’s possible, exploring groundbreaking treatments for brain injuries and conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s—a growing concern for Canada’s aging population.

But this isn’t just a building; it’s will be a sanctuary for patients and their families. Every floor is designed to bring the outside in, with expansive windows, skylights, and a 4,000-square-foot outdoor terrace. A dedicated family lounge with kitchen facilities ensures loved ones can feel at home, even during the most challenging moments.

This ambitious vision comes with a significant goal: the UHN Foundation is aiming to raise $300 million in donations, which will unlock an additional $800 million in funding from the Ontario government. These contributions will turn a blueprint into a place where cutting-edge science meets compassionate care.

To learn more and donate, click here