GUEST LINE-UP:
- Jim Urda - President, Coombsville Appellation Board Of Directors & Owner Of Immaculate Vineyard - A Culinary Evening With The California Winemasters
- Wine Expert And Educator Ian Blackburn - Heroes Of Chardonnay
Showing posts with label IAN BLACKBURN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IAN BLACKBURN. Show all posts
Monday, May 6, 2024
Coombsville Appellation At A Culinary Evening With The California Winemasters, Heroes Of Chardonnay
Monday, March 29, 2021
Stars Of Italian Wine, Lando Wines
- Wine Expert And Educator And Winemaker For Beekeeper Cellars Ian Blackburn - Stars Of Italian Wine
- Sam Lando - Owner, Lando Wines
Monday, November 2, 2020
Monday, September 16, 2019
Wine LA Events, Australia's Emerging Wine Region Of Orange
- Ian Blackburn – Owner/Founder, Wine LA & Founder/Co-Winemaker, Beekeeper Cellars
- Sally James - Author, Educator, Chef And Radio Host Talks About Australia's Emerging Wine Region Of Orange
Monday, May 13, 2019
Pine Ridge Vineyards, A Culinary Evening With The California Winemasters, Elevating Zinfandel
- Michael Beaulac - GM And Winemaker From Pine Ridge Vineyards Talks About The Upcoming ‘A Culinary Evening With The California Winemasters’
- Ian Blackburn – Owner/Founder, Wine LA & Founder/Co-Winemaker, Beekeeper Cellars Chats Elevating Zinfandel Coming Up On May 15th
Monday, December 17, 2018
Wine LA's Grenache Wars, Entertaining And Educational Sessions At Croma Vera Winery
- Ian Blackburn – Owner/Founder, Wine LA & Founder/Co-Winemaker, Beekeeper Cellars Talks About The Upcoming Grenache Wars
- Chris Cuyler - Wine Educator For Croma Vera Winery Shares Details On Entertaining And Educational Sessions At Their New Tasting Room
Monday, April 9, 2018
WINE LA'S ELEVATING ZIN, TERCERO WINES
IAN BLACKBURN – OWNER/FOUNDER, WINE LA & - UPCOMING EVENT: ELEVATING ZIN
wineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. To do so, wine must be in rhythm with fashion, music, food and other beverages. It must take advantage of the geography, the architecture and the centers of interest. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, roof tops, gardens, and magical views. We want to be a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place and the passion. wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve. Edicts: innovate, evolve and excite.
ABOUT ELEVATING ZIN
Wednesday / May 16, 2018
Montage, Beverly Hills - 225 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
VIP Admission - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
General Admission - 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
wineLA has teamed up with some of the worlds best Zinfandel Producers to bring you "Elevating Zinfandel"! An event geared on showcasing the "Crème de la crème" of the Zinfandel community in one fabulous location. You will have the chance to meet with the wine producers as well as purchase some of these exclusive wines.
LARRY SCHAFFER FROM TERCERO WINES
The idea for tercero wines surfaced a number of years back. Larry Schaffer had been in the educational and trade publishing industry for a number of years and had achieved all he had set out to do. It was time for a change . . . . but to what? Larry’s dreams of becoming a professional volleyball player were never going to happen, so he looked towards something he had always been interested in but never understood completely – winemaking. One thing that really interested him was the ‘why’ involved – how in the heck do you start with a grape and end up with this wine? Or that one? He needed to know more – and he needed to challenge his brain.
Fast forward four years . . . and Larry begins his new career in earnest as the Enologist for Fess Parker Winery, a well-respected winery in the Santa Ynez Valley. Why Santa Barbara County? The winemaking community is willing and wanting to help each other, but more importantly, it is simply an incredible place to raise children!
Fast forward another year, and Larry is ready to ‘take the plunge’ and start buying grapes to make his own wines! It’s scary and challenging at the same time – no matter how much you read about it or do it for others, it’s quite different when it’s ‘your own baby’ . . . But it’s also a way for Larry to ‘marry’ his past with his present – to use his sales/marketing skills along with his technical winemaking skills to see what he can produce . . .
ABOUT ELEVATING ZIN
Wednesday / May 16, 2018
Montage, Beverly Hills - 225 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
VIP Admission - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
General Admission - 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
wineLA has teamed up with some of the worlds best Zinfandel Producers to bring you "Elevating Zinfandel"! An event geared on showcasing the "Crème de la crème" of the Zinfandel community in one fabulous location. You will have the chance to meet with the wine producers as well as purchase some of these exclusive wines.
LARRY SCHAFFER FROM TERCERO WINES
Fast forward four years . . . and Larry begins his new career in earnest as the Enologist for Fess Parker Winery, a well-respected winery in the Santa Ynez Valley. Why Santa Barbara County? The winemaking community is willing and wanting to help each other, but more importantly, it is simply an incredible place to raise children!
Fast forward another year, and Larry is ready to ‘take the plunge’ and start buying grapes to make his own wines! It’s scary and challenging at the same time – no matter how much you read about it or do it for others, it’s quite different when it’s ‘your own baby’ . . . But it’s also a way for Larry to ‘marry’ his past with his present – to use his sales/marketing skills along with his technical winemaking skills to see what he can produce . . .
Monday, January 22, 2018
01/22 WINE TRENDS WITH JULIE KALICKI, THE SALTNER WINE AND CICCHETTI, IAN BLACKBURN, WINE LA, BEEKEEPER CELLARS
WINE TRENDS WITH JULIE KALICKI - OWNER, THE SALTNER WINE AND CICCHETTI
THE SALTNER WINE AND CICCHETTI
108 E Colorado Blvd, Monrovia, CA
(626) 385-6111
The Saltner is a wine bar and restaurant located in Monrovia, CA. Our Mission is to provide our customers with a relaxed environment where they can explore the world of wine. We offer our collection of wines by flights, by the glass as well as by the bottle. Bottles are also available for sale to enjoy at home. In addition, The Saltner offers Cicchetti, small plates of food to complement the wines for pairings and to enhance the food and wine experience.
Have a birthday or business event coming up? We are available for wine tasting parties and other private events! Give us a call today for booking and details!
Vino Collapso (Happy Hour) ... Tuesday and Wednesday 4pm to 6pm, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 3pm to 6pm and all day Sunday - 20% off all open bottles on 3 and 6 ounce pours!
IAN BLACKBURN – OWNER/FOUNDER, WINE LA & FOUNDER/CO-WINEMAKER, BEEKEEPER CELLARS - UPCOMING EVENTS
ABOUT WINELA
wineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. To do so, wine must be in rhythm with fashion, music, food and other beverages. It must take advantage of the geography, the architecture and the centers of interest. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, roof tops, gardens, and magical views. We want to be a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place and the passion.
wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve. Edicts: innovate, evolve and excite.
We thank you for joining our newsletter, we will be sending fewer emails and packing them with amazing content. We want to be your wine content provider and would love to hear about your favorite places, your music, your locations - we want to be under the influence of what ignites your passion for Los Angeles.
ABOUT BEEKEEPER CELLARS
Beekeeper Cellars is the vision of best friends and co-winemakers Ian Blackburn and Clay Mauritson. The two collaborated after adventurous individual careers in the wine business, and at last, decided to work together on a project of their own.
Clay, a 7th generation grape grower, and his family found themselves the owners of a significant slice of the Rockpile Appellation, through an amazing set of historical land transactions. The Mauritson family realized the potential and parented the creation of the ROCKPILE AVA. In 1998, Ian and Clay climbed the hill and watched the Madrone Spring Vineyard get planted, while discussing the future of Rockpile and the dream it represented.
In 2008, Clay saw the fruits of his family's labor taking shape and came to Ian with a unique opportunity to source some of the Rockpile fruit. He told Ian in the difficult days of 2008, “now is the time to get in and build the business and have it take shape as the market improves, and to not wait until business is strong as you will have a hard time getting access to the right quality assets.” Ian took heed of Clay’s wise comment and said "When your best friend is Clay Mauritson and he offers Rockpile fruit and to assist with winemaking…... you make Zinfandel.”
In Los Angeles, Ian operates a specialty wine marketing organization known as wineLA and has pioneered wine education for the past 20 years (since 1995) through www.learnaboutwine.com and www.wineLA.com. Beekeeper Cellars is also involved in Ian’s Masters of Wine Thesis project and provides him the winemaking training he requires to help pass the difficult Masters of Wine exam...an ongoing pursuit.
THE SALTNER WINE AND CICCHETTI
108 E Colorado Blvd, Monrovia, CA
(626) 385-6111
The Saltner is a wine bar and restaurant located in Monrovia, CA. Our Mission is to provide our customers with a relaxed environment where they can explore the world of wine. We offer our collection of wines by flights, by the glass as well as by the bottle. Bottles are also available for sale to enjoy at home. In addition, The Saltner offers Cicchetti, small plates of food to complement the wines for pairings and to enhance the food and wine experience.
Have a birthday or business event coming up? We are available for wine tasting parties and other private events! Give us a call today for booking and details!
Vino Collapso (Happy Hour) ... Tuesday and Wednesday 4pm to 6pm, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 3pm to 6pm and all day Sunday - 20% off all open bottles on 3 and 6 ounce pours!
IAN BLACKBURN – OWNER/FOUNDER, WINE LA & FOUNDER/CO-WINEMAKER, BEEKEEPER CELLARS - UPCOMING EVENTS
wineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. To do so, wine must be in rhythm with fashion, music, food and other beverages. It must take advantage of the geography, the architecture and the centers of interest. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, roof tops, gardens, and magical views. We want to be a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place and the passion.
wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve. Edicts: innovate, evolve and excite.
We thank you for joining our newsletter, we will be sending fewer emails and packing them with amazing content. We want to be your wine content provider and would love to hear about your favorite places, your music, your locations - we want to be under the influence of what ignites your passion for Los Angeles.
ABOUT BEEKEEPER CELLARS
Beekeeper Cellars is the vision of best friends and co-winemakers Ian Blackburn and Clay Mauritson. The two collaborated after adventurous individual careers in the wine business, and at last, decided to work together on a project of their own.
Clay, a 7th generation grape grower, and his family found themselves the owners of a significant slice of the Rockpile Appellation, through an amazing set of historical land transactions. The Mauritson family realized the potential and parented the creation of the ROCKPILE AVA. In 1998, Ian and Clay climbed the hill and watched the Madrone Spring Vineyard get planted, while discussing the future of Rockpile and the dream it represented.
In 2008, Clay saw the fruits of his family's labor taking shape and came to Ian with a unique opportunity to source some of the Rockpile fruit. He told Ian in the difficult days of 2008, “now is the time to get in and build the business and have it take shape as the market improves, and to not wait until business is strong as you will have a hard time getting access to the right quality assets.” Ian took heed of Clay’s wise comment and said "When your best friend is Clay Mauritson and he offers Rockpile fruit and to assist with winemaking…... you make Zinfandel.”
In Los Angeles, Ian operates a specialty wine marketing organization known as wineLA and has pioneered wine education for the past 20 years (since 1995) through www.learnaboutwine.com and www.wineLA.com. Beekeeper Cellars is also involved in Ian’s Masters of Wine Thesis project and provides him the winemaking training he requires to help pass the difficult Masters of Wine exam...an ongoing pursuit.
Monday, November 6, 2017
11/06 IAN BLACKBURN, WINE LA, MIKE SULLIVAN, BENOVIA
MIKE SULLIVAN - CO-OWNER AND WINEMAKER, BENOVIA
Ben Dewane and Novian Anderson never met, yet they raised their children with similar old-fashioned values. Hard work brings its own rewards, they would say. Be the best at what you do. Surround yourself with good people, and let them get to work. And never, ever produce anything that wouldn't make you proud. With such similar family backgrounds, it's no wonder Joe Anderson and Mary Dewane would eventually find each other and marry. Together, they began a journey that led them to establish a winery that would make them, and their fathers, proud -- proud enough that the Benovia name pays homage to Ben and Novian.
Their journey also inspired Joe and Mary to assemble the best possible team of respected winemaking professionals. They partnered with Mike Sullivan, one of northern California's top winemakers, and someone who shares their passions for quality. With Mike as co-owner and winemaker, they brought in more depth to the winery operations, by hiring Chris Kangas as vineyard manager and Bob Cooley as the VP of Sales and Marketing. All good people who together make an even better team.
"At Benovia, our team is an extension of an extraordinary family," says Joe, "a family that eats, drinks, and breathes a lifelong passion for wine."
That passion led to the purchase of the renowned Cohn Vineyard atop a mountain near Healdsburg, where the couple lives, and led to a new winery in the heart of the Russian River Valley. The journey will continue with an exciting new Pinot Noir vineyard near Freestone, and the Martaella ranch (named after Joe and Mary's mothers), surrounding the winery itself.
Joe and Mary have invested in all the right things to make Benovia flourish-vineyards with unique terroir and a well equipped winery. But their most important investment is people.
"We see these people as the soul of Benovia," says Joe. "Mary and I trust in their passion and in what they bring to the wine. They expect a lot of themselves, and they expect it from each other. We like to call them 'Benovians.' I think our fathers would be proud of them."
BENOVIAWINERY.COM
IAN BLACKBURN – OWNER/FOUNDER, WINE LA & FOUNDER/CO-WINEMAKER, BEEKEEPER CELLARS - UPCOMING EVENTS
wineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. To do so, wine must be in rhythm with fashion, music, food and other beverages. It must take advantage of the geography, the architecture and the centers of interest. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, roof tops, gardens, and magical views. We want to be a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place and the passion.
wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve. Edicts: innovate, evolve and excite.
We thank you for joining our newsletter, we will be sending fewer emails and packing them with amazing content. We want to be your wine content provider and would love to hear about your favorite places, your music, your locations - we want to be under the influence of what ignites your passion for Los Angeles.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
L.A. SUPPORTS WINE COUNTRY EVENT
Wed. Nov. 15, 2017
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
9882 S Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills
CA 90212
VIP: 6:00-9:30 PM
General: 7:00-9:30 PM
A benefit for Wildfire Relief Supporting Habitat for Humanity ensuring funds raised go to fire victims in Northern California who need it most. Imagine 100 Wineries, dozens of great restaurants and vendors - all working together to raise money - Los Angeles Style! Entertainers, bands, DJ's appearing on all 3 mega stages - Costumed performers walking the aisles - Artwork from local artists - Silent Auction items a plenty! Food, food, and more food with over 100 wineries invited! Come and do some holiday shopping and give 100% of the proceeds to charity! Over 8,000 structures and thousands of lives were damaged in the recent disaster. Let's all lend a hand and show the world that L.A. Supports Wine Country.
STARS OF CABERNET
Wednesday / November 15, 2017
Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel
9882 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
VIP Ticket Experience / 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Gold Ticket Experience / 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
A Cabernet lovers showcase bringing together the most revered wine producers and a beautiful Los Angeles audience! Come meet the best in the business and taste over 100 wines at Beverly Hills most luxurious venue! Proceeds from the silent auction benefit 501c3 Habitat for Humanity in efforts to help the victims of the devastating Northern California Fires.
WWW.WINELA.COM
Their journey also inspired Joe and Mary to assemble the best possible team of respected winemaking professionals. They partnered with Mike Sullivan, one of northern California's top winemakers, and someone who shares their passions for quality. With Mike as co-owner and winemaker, they brought in more depth to the winery operations, by hiring Chris Kangas as vineyard manager and Bob Cooley as the VP of Sales and Marketing. All good people who together make an even better team.
"At Benovia, our team is an extension of an extraordinary family," says Joe, "a family that eats, drinks, and breathes a lifelong passion for wine."
That passion led to the purchase of the renowned Cohn Vineyard atop a mountain near Healdsburg, where the couple lives, and led to a new winery in the heart of the Russian River Valley. The journey will continue with an exciting new Pinot Noir vineyard near Freestone, and the Martaella ranch (named after Joe and Mary's mothers), surrounding the winery itself.
Joe and Mary have invested in all the right things to make Benovia flourish-vineyards with unique terroir and a well equipped winery. But their most important investment is people.
"We see these people as the soul of Benovia," says Joe. "Mary and I trust in their passion and in what they bring to the wine. They expect a lot of themselves, and they expect it from each other. We like to call them 'Benovians.' I think our fathers would be proud of them."
BENOVIAWINERY.COM
IAN BLACKBURN – OWNER/FOUNDER, WINE LA & FOUNDER/CO-WINEMAKER, BEEKEEPER CELLARS - UPCOMING EVENTS
wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve. Edicts: innovate, evolve and excite.
We thank you for joining our newsletter, we will be sending fewer emails and packing them with amazing content. We want to be your wine content provider and would love to hear about your favorite places, your music, your locations - we want to be under the influence of what ignites your passion for Los Angeles.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
L.A. SUPPORTS WINE COUNTRY EVENT
Wed. Nov. 15, 2017
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
9882 S Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills
CA 90212
VIP: 6:00-9:30 PM
General: 7:00-9:30 PM
A benefit for Wildfire Relief Supporting Habitat for Humanity ensuring funds raised go to fire victims in Northern California who need it most. Imagine 100 Wineries, dozens of great restaurants and vendors - all working together to raise money - Los Angeles Style! Entertainers, bands, DJ's appearing on all 3 mega stages - Costumed performers walking the aisles - Artwork from local artists - Silent Auction items a plenty! Food, food, and more food with over 100 wineries invited! Come and do some holiday shopping and give 100% of the proceeds to charity! Over 8,000 structures and thousands of lives were damaged in the recent disaster. Let's all lend a hand and show the world that L.A. Supports Wine Country.
STARS OF CABERNET
Wednesday / November 15, 2017
Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel
9882 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
VIP Ticket Experience / 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Gold Ticket Experience / 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
A Cabernet lovers showcase bringing together the most revered wine producers and a beautiful Los Angeles audience! Come meet the best in the business and taste over 100 wines at Beverly Hills most luxurious venue! Proceeds from the silent auction benefit 501c3 Habitat for Humanity in efforts to help the victims of the devastating Northern California Fires.
WWW.WINELA.COM
Monday, September 25, 2017
9/25 AVERYL DUNN, WASHINGTON STATE WINE, 2018 TASTE WASHINGTON FESTIVAL, IAN BLACKBURN, BEEKEEPER CELLARS, WINE LA
AVERYL DUNN FROM WASHINGTON STATE WINE - DATES ANNOUNCED FOR 2018 TASTE WASHINGTON FESTIVAL
DATES ANNOUNCED FOR 2018 TASTE WASHINGTON FESTIVAL
SEATTLE’S PREMIER WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL, TASTE WASHINGTON RETURNS MARCH 22-25, 2018
Coming off its biggest year ever, Taste Washington will be back for another four-day festival March 22-25, 2018.
This past March, the 20th anniversary celebration drew more than 7,000 attendees – a festival record. The Grand Tasting poured over 675 wines, served bites from 65 restaurants – honoring Capital Grille as 2017 Best Bite award - and shucked 9,600 oysters! Planning for 2018 has begun and will include popular events including the Grand Tasting, educational seminars led by industry leaders, the Red and White Party, Taste Washington on the Farm, and the New Vintage. Tickets to the 21st annual Taste Washington will go on sale December 1, 2017 at www.tastewashington.org.
About Taste Washington:
Taste Washington is the largest single-region wine and food event in the United States, featuring more than 225 Washington State wineries and more than 65 Pacific Northwest restaurants. The 21st annual event will be held on March 22-25, 2018 at various locations in Seattle. The 2018 Taste Washington welcoming sponsor is Alaska Mileage Plan. The Washington State Wine Commission launched Taste Washington in 1998 and the festival is now produced by Visit Seattle. For more information, visit www.tastewashington.org.
About Washington State Wine:
Washington State Wine represents every licensed winery and wine grape grower in Washington State. Guided by an appointed board, WSW provides a marketing platform to raise positive awareness of the Washington State wine industry and generate greater demand for its wines. Funded almost entirely by the industry through assessments based on grape and wine sales, WSW is a state government agency, established by the legislature in 1987. To learn more, visit www.washingtonwine.org.
WWW.WASHINGTONWINE.ORG
WWW.TASTEWASHINGTON.ORG
IAN BLACKBURN – FOUNDER/CO-WINEMAKER, BEEKEEPER CELLARS & OWNER/FOUNDER, WINE LA
ABOUT BEEKEEPER CELLARS
Beekeeper Cellars is the vision of best friends and co-winemakers Ian Blackburn and Clay Mauritson. The two collaborated after adventurous individual careers in the wine business, and at last, decided to work together on a project of their own.
Clay, a 7th generation grape grower, and his family found themselves the owners of a significant slice of the Rockpile Appellation, through an amazing set of historical land transactions. The Mauritson family realized the potential and parented the creation of the ROCKPILE AVA. In 1998, Ian and Clay climbed the hill and watched the Madrone Spring Vineyard get planted, while discussing the future of Rockpile and the dream it represented.
In 2008, Clay saw the fruits of his family's labor taking shape and came to Ian with a unique opportunity to source some of the Rockpile fruit. He told Ian in the difficult days of 2008, “now is the time to get in and build the business and have it take shape as the market improves, and to not wait until business is strong as you will have a hard time getting access to the right quality assets.” Ian took heed of Clay’s wise comment and said "When your best friend is Clay Mauritson and he offers Rockpile fruit and to assist with winemaking…... you make Zinfandel.”
In Los Angeles, Ian operates a specialty wine marketing organization known as wineLA and has pioneered wine education for the past 20 years (since 1995) through www.learnaboutwine.com and www.wineLA.com. Beekeeper Cellars is also involved in Ian’s Masters of Wine Thesis project and provides him the winemaking training he requires to help pass the difficult Masters of Wine exam...an ongoing pursuit.
ABOUT WINELA
wineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. To do so, wine must be in rhythm with fashion, music, food and other beverages. It must take advantage of the geography, the architecture and the centers of interest. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, roof tops, gardens, and magical views. We want to be a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place and the passion.
wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve. Edicts: innovate, evolve and excite.
We thank you for joining our newsletter, we will be sending fewer emails and packing them with amazing content. We want to be your wine content provider and would love to hear about your favorite places, your music, your locations - we want to be under the influence of what ignites your passion for Los Angeles.
OCTOBER EVENTS:
WINES OF SOUTH AFRICA
100+ WINES - 200 GUESTS
Marina City Club - Marina Del Rey
Oct. 04, 2017 / 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
THE FOOD EVENT 2017
THE NAME SAYS IT ALL - TONS OF WINE, BEER, FOOD & FUN!
Saddlerock Ranch - Malibu
Oct. 15, 2017 / 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
LA TIMES "BITE NIGHT"
CELEBRATING J. GOLDS TOP 101
The MacArthur - Los Angeles
Oct. 23, 2017 / 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
COLLECTABLE BURGUNDY VS. AGED BAROLO DINNER
Otium - Los Angeles
Oct. 26, 2017 / 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
FALL FOOD + WINE FESTIVAL
33RD ANNUAL EVENT
Parkway Grill - Pasadena
Oct. 29, 2017 / 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
9TH ANNUAL
STARS OF CABERNET
35 WINERIES - 1 NIGHT ONLY
Peninsula Beverly Hills
Nov. 15, 2017 / 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
WWW.WINELA.COM
WWW.BEEKEEPERCELLARS.COM
SEATTLE’S PREMIER WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL, TASTE WASHINGTON RETURNS MARCH 22-25, 2018
Coming off its biggest year ever, Taste Washington will be back for another four-day festival March 22-25, 2018.
This past March, the 20th anniversary celebration drew more than 7,000 attendees – a festival record. The Grand Tasting poured over 675 wines, served bites from 65 restaurants – honoring Capital Grille as 2017 Best Bite award - and shucked 9,600 oysters! Planning for 2018 has begun and will include popular events including the Grand Tasting, educational seminars led by industry leaders, the Red and White Party, Taste Washington on the Farm, and the New Vintage. Tickets to the 21st annual Taste Washington will go on sale December 1, 2017 at www.tastewashington.org.
About Taste Washington:
Taste Washington is the largest single-region wine and food event in the United States, featuring more than 225 Washington State wineries and more than 65 Pacific Northwest restaurants. The 21st annual event will be held on March 22-25, 2018 at various locations in Seattle. The 2018 Taste Washington welcoming sponsor is Alaska Mileage Plan. The Washington State Wine Commission launched Taste Washington in 1998 and the festival is now produced by Visit Seattle. For more information, visit www.tastewashington.org.
About Washington State Wine:
Washington State Wine represents every licensed winery and wine grape grower in Washington State. Guided by an appointed board, WSW provides a marketing platform to raise positive awareness of the Washington State wine industry and generate greater demand for its wines. Funded almost entirely by the industry through assessments based on grape and wine sales, WSW is a state government agency, established by the legislature in 1987. To learn more, visit www.washingtonwine.org.
WWW.WASHINGTONWINE.ORG
WWW.TASTEWASHINGTON.ORG
IAN BLACKBURN – FOUNDER/CO-WINEMAKER, BEEKEEPER CELLARS & OWNER/FOUNDER, WINE LA
Beekeeper Cellars is the vision of best friends and co-winemakers Ian Blackburn and Clay Mauritson. The two collaborated after adventurous individual careers in the wine business, and at last, decided to work together on a project of their own.
Clay, a 7th generation grape grower, and his family found themselves the owners of a significant slice of the Rockpile Appellation, through an amazing set of historical land transactions. The Mauritson family realized the potential and parented the creation of the ROCKPILE AVA. In 1998, Ian and Clay climbed the hill and watched the Madrone Spring Vineyard get planted, while discussing the future of Rockpile and the dream it represented.
In 2008, Clay saw the fruits of his family's labor taking shape and came to Ian with a unique opportunity to source some of the Rockpile fruit. He told Ian in the difficult days of 2008, “now is the time to get in and build the business and have it take shape as the market improves, and to not wait until business is strong as you will have a hard time getting access to the right quality assets.” Ian took heed of Clay’s wise comment and said "When your best friend is Clay Mauritson and he offers Rockpile fruit and to assist with winemaking…... you make Zinfandel.”
In Los Angeles, Ian operates a specialty wine marketing organization known as wineLA and has pioneered wine education for the past 20 years (since 1995) through www.learnaboutwine.com and www.wineLA.com. Beekeeper Cellars is also involved in Ian’s Masters of Wine Thesis project and provides him the winemaking training he requires to help pass the difficult Masters of Wine exam...an ongoing pursuit.
ABOUT WINELA
wineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. To do so, wine must be in rhythm with fashion, music, food and other beverages. It must take advantage of the geography, the architecture and the centers of interest. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, roof tops, gardens, and magical views. We want to be a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place and the passion.
wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve. Edicts: innovate, evolve and excite.
We thank you for joining our newsletter, we will be sending fewer emails and packing them with amazing content. We want to be your wine content provider and would love to hear about your favorite places, your music, your locations - we want to be under the influence of what ignites your passion for Los Angeles.
OCTOBER EVENTS:
WINES OF SOUTH AFRICA
100+ WINES - 200 GUESTS
Marina City Club - Marina Del Rey
Oct. 04, 2017 / 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
THE FOOD EVENT 2017
THE NAME SAYS IT ALL - TONS OF WINE, BEER, FOOD & FUN!
Saddlerock Ranch - Malibu
Oct. 15, 2017 / 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
LA TIMES "BITE NIGHT"
CELEBRATING J. GOLDS TOP 101
The MacArthur - Los Angeles
Oct. 23, 2017 / 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
COLLECTABLE BURGUNDY VS. AGED BAROLO DINNER
Otium - Los Angeles
Oct. 26, 2017 / 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
FALL FOOD + WINE FESTIVAL
33RD ANNUAL EVENT
Parkway Grill - Pasadena
Oct. 29, 2017 / 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
9TH ANNUAL
STARS OF CABERNET
35 WINERIES - 1 NIGHT ONLY
Peninsula Beverly Hills
Nov. 15, 2017 / 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
WWW.WINELA.COM
WWW.BEEKEEPERCELLARS.COM
Monday, February 13, 2017
02/13 NORM YOST, FLYING GOAT CELLARS, WOPN, IAN BLACKBURN, WINE LA
NORM YOST - OWNER/WINEMAKER, FLYING GOAT CELLARS - TALKS WOPN
Two pygmy goats, Never and Epernay, inspired winemaker Norm Yost to name his winery Flying Goat Cellars.
The goats were his pets and lawnmowers and came to be a source of entertainment and enjoyment, with their unrestrained spiral loops, flipper turns and straight-legged leaps. When pondering a name for his new wines and brand, Norm wanted to project fun, enjoyment and happiness. While many people put their own name or their children’s name on their label or vineyard, Norm’s playful spirit opted to name it after his kids. His kids, of course, were those two pygmy goat pets, who had always inspired him and made him laugh.
With this same spirit of enthusiasm, Flying Goat Cellars and Goat Bubbles were launched in Lompoc, CA.
Norm Yost graduated from the University of California, Davis with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies in 1981. When his college roommate graduated from the winemaking program with a job and Norm didn’t have employment, he morphed from a beer drinking football player into a winemaking craftsman. During his 35+ vintages in the industry, Norm worked for diverse wineries in cool climate regions, from Oregon’s Willamette Valley to the Russian River in Sonoma County and finally Santa Barbara County. He attributes his vast experience in the industry to the success of Flying Goat Cellars, which he launched in 2000. As the proprietor of his own business, Norm enjoys the freedom to focus on his passion for making vineyard designated Pinot Noir and sparkling wine. Half of Norm’s winemaking career has now been in Santa Barbara County, where he celebrates working with the exceptional local fruit. He is currently a board director of World of Pinot Noir; formerly a board director of Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance and Santa Barbara County Vintners Association and a winemaking instructor at Allan Hancock College.
March 3-4, 2017
WORLD OF PINOT NOIR
BACARA RESORT & SPA
santa barbara, california
2017 WORLD OF PINOT NOIR
The 17th Annual World of Pinot Noir takes place at the luxurious Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, CA on Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4, 2017. Featuring nearly 200 wineries showcasing Pinot Noirs from around the world, the event includes two days of dinners, in-depth wine seminars, luncheons and two grand tastings. The picturesque backdrop for the entire event is the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara. Guests can stay at the resort, attend tastings and dinners and soak in the beauty of California's beautiful Central Coast.
WWW.FLYINGGOATCELLARS.COM
www.worldofpinotnoir.com
IAN BLACKBURN – WINE LA - TALKS LODI WINES
ABOUT WINELA
wineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. To do so, wine must be in rhythm with fashion, music, food and other beverages. It must take advantage of the geography, the architecture and the centers of interest. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, roof tops, gardens, and magical views. We want to be a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place and the passion. wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve. Edicts: innovate, evolve and excite.
We thank you for joining our newsletter, we will be sending fewer emails and packing them with amazing content. We want to be your wine content provider and would love to hear about your favorite places, your music, your locations - we want to be under the influence of what ignites your passion for Los Angeles.
ABOUT BEEKEEPER CELLARS
Beekeeper Cellars is the vision of best friends and co-winemakers IanBlackburn and Clay Mauritson. The two collaborated after adventurous individual careers in the wine business, and at last, decided to work together on a project of their own.
Clay, a 7th generation grape grower, and his family found themselves the owners of a significant slice of the Rockpile Appellation, through an amazing set of historical land transactions. The Mauritson family realized the potential and parented the creation of the ROCKPILE AVA. In 1998, Ian and Clay climbed the hill and watched the Madrone Spring Vineyard get planted, while discussing the future of Rockpile and the dream it represented.
In 2008, Clay saw the fruits of his family's labor taking shape and came to Ian with a unique opportunity to source some of the Rockpile fruit. He told Ian in the difficult days of 2008, “now is the time to get in and build the business and have it take shape as the market improves, and to not wait until business is strong as you will have a hard time getting access to the right quality assets.” Ian took heed of Clay’s wise comment and said "When your best friend is Clay Mauritson and he offers Rockpile fruit and to assist with winemaking…... you make Zinfandel.”
In Los Angeles, Ian operates a specialty wine marketing organization known as wineLA and has pioneered wine education for the past 20 years (since 1995) through www.learnaboutwine.com andwww.wineLA.com. Beekeeper Cellars is also involved in Ian’s Masters of Wine Thesis project and provides him the winemaking training he requires to help pass the difficult Masters of Wine exam...an ongoing pursuit.
WWW.WINELA.COM
WWW.BEEKEEPERCELLARS.COM
The goats were his pets and lawnmowers and came to be a source of entertainment and enjoyment, with their unrestrained spiral loops, flipper turns and straight-legged leaps. When pondering a name for his new wines and brand, Norm wanted to project fun, enjoyment and happiness. While many people put their own name or their children’s name on their label or vineyard, Norm’s playful spirit opted to name it after his kids. His kids, of course, were those two pygmy goat pets, who had always inspired him and made him laugh.
With this same spirit of enthusiasm, Flying Goat Cellars and Goat Bubbles were launched in Lompoc, CA.
Norm Yost graduated from the University of California, Davis with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies in 1981. When his college roommate graduated from the winemaking program with a job and Norm didn’t have employment, he morphed from a beer drinking football player into a winemaking craftsman. During his 35+ vintages in the industry, Norm worked for diverse wineries in cool climate regions, from Oregon’s Willamette Valley to the Russian River in Sonoma County and finally Santa Barbara County. He attributes his vast experience in the industry to the success of Flying Goat Cellars, which he launched in 2000. As the proprietor of his own business, Norm enjoys the freedom to focus on his passion for making vineyard designated Pinot Noir and sparkling wine. Half of Norm’s winemaking career has now been in Santa Barbara County, where he celebrates working with the exceptional local fruit. He is currently a board director of World of Pinot Noir; formerly a board director of Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance and Santa Barbara County Vintners Association and a winemaking instructor at Allan Hancock College.
March 3-4, 2017WORLD OF PINOT NOIR
BACARA RESORT & SPA
santa barbara, california
2017 WORLD OF PINOT NOIR
The 17th Annual World of Pinot Noir takes place at the luxurious Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, CA on Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4, 2017. Featuring nearly 200 wineries showcasing Pinot Noirs from around the world, the event includes two days of dinners, in-depth wine seminars, luncheons and two grand tastings. The picturesque backdrop for the entire event is the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara. Guests can stay at the resort, attend tastings and dinners and soak in the beauty of California's beautiful Central Coast.
WWW.FLYINGGOATCELLARS.COM
www.worldofpinotnoir.com
IAN BLACKBURN – WINE LA - TALKS LODI WINES
wineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. To do so, wine must be in rhythm with fashion, music, food and other beverages. It must take advantage of the geography, the architecture and the centers of interest. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, roof tops, gardens, and magical views. We want to be a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place and the passion. wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve. Edicts: innovate, evolve and excite.
We thank you for joining our newsletter, we will be sending fewer emails and packing them with amazing content. We want to be your wine content provider and would love to hear about your favorite places, your music, your locations - we want to be under the influence of what ignites your passion for Los Angeles.
ABOUT BEEKEEPER CELLARS
Clay, a 7th generation grape grower, and his family found themselves the owners of a significant slice of the Rockpile Appellation, through an amazing set of historical land transactions. The Mauritson family realized the potential and parented the creation of the ROCKPILE AVA. In 1998, Ian and Clay climbed the hill and watched the Madrone Spring Vineyard get planted, while discussing the future of Rockpile and the dream it represented.
In 2008, Clay saw the fruits of his family's labor taking shape and came to Ian with a unique opportunity to source some of the Rockpile fruit. He told Ian in the difficult days of 2008, “now is the time to get in and build the business and have it take shape as the market improves, and to not wait until business is strong as you will have a hard time getting access to the right quality assets.” Ian took heed of Clay’s wise comment and said "When your best friend is Clay Mauritson and he offers Rockpile fruit and to assist with winemaking…... you make Zinfandel.”
In Los Angeles, Ian operates a specialty wine marketing organization known as wineLA and has pioneered wine education for the past 20 years (since 1995) through www.learnaboutwine.com andwww.wineLA.com. Beekeeper Cellars is also involved in Ian’s Masters of Wine Thesis project and provides him the winemaking training he requires to help pass the difficult Masters of Wine exam...an ongoing pursuit.
WWW.WINELA.COM
WWW.BEEKEEPERCELLARS.COM
Monday, December 12, 2016
12/12 MICHAEL C KEENAN, ROBERT KEENAN WINERY, IAN BLACKBURN, WINE LA, BEEKEEPER CELLARS
MICHAEL C KEENAN – PRESIDENT, ROBERT KEENAN WINERY
Certain that mountain side vineyards in Napa Valley could produce world class wines, in 1974 Robert Keenan purchased 180 acres in the Spring Mountain District at an elevation of 1700 feet. Located on the eastern slope of the Mayacamas mountain range, Spring Mountain District gained recognition as an American Vineyard Appellation (AVA) in 1993. The low vigor soils unique to the region were known to create a stressful environment for vine growth, setting up perfect conditions to encourage vineyards planted on the steep, rocky, mountainsides to produce wines of great concentration, structure, and pure varietal flavors.
The original acreage Robert acquired included the crumbling Peter Conradi Winery, founded in the late 19th Century and one of the first pioneering properties established on Spring Mountain. Peter Conradi had originally planted the vineyards to Zinfandel and Syrah, but they declined when the property was abandoned during Prohibition, and by the time Keenan arrived in 1974, none of the original vineyards were producing. Robert cleared the estate of tree stumps and rocks, extended the original vineyard acreage and replanted the property to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. He built a new winery using the existing stonewalls from the old Conradi building, and celebrated Keenan Winery’s first harvest there in 1977.
When Michael Keenan took over leadership of the estate in 1998, we made the decision to replant the vineyards with an eye toward increasing grape quality. In addition, we built a solar power system that went on-line in 2007 and now supplies all of the estate’s energy needs, including the winery, administrative offices, visitor hospitality area, and the homes located on the property. The Napa Valley Vintners have recognized Keenan as a “green” winery, which we now proudly announce on our back labels: Solar Powered and Sustainably Farmed.
Today Keenan Winery produces four superb and distinctive wines exclusively from grapes grown our Spring Mountain Estate: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Cabernet Franc and a Merlot Reserve from the Mailbox Vineyard. Keenan also offers wines produced from estate fruit blended with grapes grown in carefully selected Napa Valley vineyards: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and the Mernet Reserve, which is a proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Our Summer Blend, an annual spring release, is composed of mostly Chardonnay and blended with small amounts of Viognier and Albarino.
WWW.KEENANWINERY.COM
LET’S TALK CHAMPAGNE WITH IAN BLACKBURN – OWNER/FOUNDER, WINE LA & FOUNDER/CO-WINEMAKER, BEEKEEPER CELLARS
wineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. To do so, wine must be in rhythm with fashion, music, food and other beverages. It must take advantage of the geography, the architecture and the centers of interest. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, roof tops, gardens, and magical views. We want to be a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place and the passion.
wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve. Edicts: innovate, evolve and excite.
We thank you for joining our newsletter, we will be sending fewer emails and packing them with amazing content. We want to be your wine content provider and would love to hear about your favorite places, your music, your locations - we want to be under the influence of what ignites your passion for Los Angeles.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
CHAMPAGNE NEW YEARS PRIMER
EAT.DRINK.AMERICANO
DEC 17, 2016
3:00PM-5:00PM
New Year’s Eve Champagne Prep – a comprehensive overview of the world of sparkling to help you become more well-rounded and educated about great sparkling wine.
Class is accompanied by a delicious small cheese plate.
EXPLORING CHAMPAGNE
EAT.DRINK.AMERICANO
DEC 17, 2016
7:00PM-9:30PM
Take your palate for a journey around the world in this "Exploring Wines" event. Taste a variety of wines and champagnes from all over the world paired with different artisanal cheeses... each flight is served blind so that we may assess the wines as a group and rate them. See what you like and prefer - of course you will love all the wines - but a few may show you which style you learn towards.... Pinot or Chard? Clean and fresh or Bold and Rich... blended or vintage... which vintage... we love to explore the questions of fine wine... and share our findings.
Class is accompanied by a delicious small cheese plate.
ABOUT BEEKEEPER CELLARS
Beekeeper Cellars is the vision of best friends and co-winemakers Ian Blackburn and Clay Mauritson. The two collaborated after adventurous individual careers in the wine business, and at last, decided to work together on a project of their own.
Clay, a 7th generation grape grower, and his family found themselves the owners of a significant slice of the Rockpile Appellation, through an amazing set of historical land transactions. The Mauritson family realized the potential and parented the creation of the ROCKPILE AVA. In 1998, Ian and Clay climbed the hill and watched the Madrone Spring Vineyard get planted, while discussing the future of Rockpile and the dream it represented.
In 2008, Clay saw the fruits of his family's labor taking shape and came to Ian with a unique opportunity to source some of the Rockpile fruit. He told Ian in the difficult days of 2008, “now is the time to get in and build the business and have it take shape as the market improves, and to not wait until business is strong as you will have a hard time getting access to the right quality assets.” Ian took heed of Clay’s wise comment and said "When your best friend is Clay Mauritson and he offers Rockpile fruit and to assist with winemaking…... you make Zinfandel.”
In Los Angeles, Ian operates a specialty wine marketing organization known as wineLA and has pioneered wine education for the past 20 years (since 1995) through www.learnaboutwine.com and www.wineLA.com. Beekeeper Cellars is also involved in Ian’s Masters of Wine Thesis project and provides him the winemaking training he requires to help pass the difficult Masters of Wine exam...an ongoing pursuit.
WWW.WINELA.COM
WWW.BEEKEEPERCELLARS.COM
The original acreage Robert acquired included the crumbling Peter Conradi Winery, founded in the late 19th Century and one of the first pioneering properties established on Spring Mountain. Peter Conradi had originally planted the vineyards to Zinfandel and Syrah, but they declined when the property was abandoned during Prohibition, and by the time Keenan arrived in 1974, none of the original vineyards were producing. Robert cleared the estate of tree stumps and rocks, extended the original vineyard acreage and replanted the property to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. He built a new winery using the existing stonewalls from the old Conradi building, and celebrated Keenan Winery’s first harvest there in 1977.
When Michael Keenan took over leadership of the estate in 1998, we made the decision to replant the vineyards with an eye toward increasing grape quality. In addition, we built a solar power system that went on-line in 2007 and now supplies all of the estate’s energy needs, including the winery, administrative offices, visitor hospitality area, and the homes located on the property. The Napa Valley Vintners have recognized Keenan as a “green” winery, which we now proudly announce on our back labels: Solar Powered and Sustainably Farmed.
Today Keenan Winery produces four superb and distinctive wines exclusively from grapes grown our Spring Mountain Estate: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Cabernet Franc and a Merlot Reserve from the Mailbox Vineyard. Keenan also offers wines produced from estate fruit blended with grapes grown in carefully selected Napa Valley vineyards: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and the Mernet Reserve, which is a proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Our Summer Blend, an annual spring release, is composed of mostly Chardonnay and blended with small amounts of Viognier and Albarino.
WWW.KEENANWINERY.COM
LET’S TALK CHAMPAGNE WITH IAN BLACKBURN – OWNER/FOUNDER, WINE LA & FOUNDER/CO-WINEMAKER, BEEKEEPER CELLARS
wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve. Edicts: innovate, evolve and excite.
We thank you for joining our newsletter, we will be sending fewer emails and packing them with amazing content. We want to be your wine content provider and would love to hear about your favorite places, your music, your locations - we want to be under the influence of what ignites your passion for Los Angeles.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
CHAMPAGNE NEW YEARS PRIMER
EAT.DRINK.AMERICANO
DEC 17, 2016
3:00PM-5:00PM
New Year’s Eve Champagne Prep – a comprehensive overview of the world of sparkling to help you become more well-rounded and educated about great sparkling wine.
Class is accompanied by a delicious small cheese plate.
EXPLORING CHAMPAGNE
EAT.DRINK.AMERICANO
DEC 17, 2016
7:00PM-9:30PM
Take your palate for a journey around the world in this "Exploring Wines" event. Taste a variety of wines and champagnes from all over the world paired with different artisanal cheeses... each flight is served blind so that we may assess the wines as a group and rate them. See what you like and prefer - of course you will love all the wines - but a few may show you which style you learn towards.... Pinot or Chard? Clean and fresh or Bold and Rich... blended or vintage... which vintage... we love to explore the questions of fine wine... and share our findings.
Class is accompanied by a delicious small cheese plate.
ABOUT BEEKEEPER CELLARS
Beekeeper Cellars is the vision of best friends and co-winemakers Ian Blackburn and Clay Mauritson. The two collaborated after adventurous individual careers in the wine business, and at last, decided to work together on a project of their own.
Clay, a 7th generation grape grower, and his family found themselves the owners of a significant slice of the Rockpile Appellation, through an amazing set of historical land transactions. The Mauritson family realized the potential and parented the creation of the ROCKPILE AVA. In 1998, Ian and Clay climbed the hill and watched the Madrone Spring Vineyard get planted, while discussing the future of Rockpile and the dream it represented.
In 2008, Clay saw the fruits of his family's labor taking shape and came to Ian with a unique opportunity to source some of the Rockpile fruit. He told Ian in the difficult days of 2008, “now is the time to get in and build the business and have it take shape as the market improves, and to not wait until business is strong as you will have a hard time getting access to the right quality assets.” Ian took heed of Clay’s wise comment and said "When your best friend is Clay Mauritson and he offers Rockpile fruit and to assist with winemaking…... you make Zinfandel.”
In Los Angeles, Ian operates a specialty wine marketing organization known as wineLA and has pioneered wine education for the past 20 years (since 1995) through www.learnaboutwine.com and www.wineLA.com. Beekeeper Cellars is also involved in Ian’s Masters of Wine Thesis project and provides him the winemaking training he requires to help pass the difficult Masters of Wine exam...an ongoing pursuit.
WWW.WINELA.COM
WWW.BEEKEEPERCELLARS.COM
Monday, October 24, 2016
10/24 WES HAGEN, J. WILKES WINES, IAN BLACKBURN, WINE LA & FOUNDER, BEEKEEPER CELLARS, ITALIAN WINE STARS
WES HAGEN - WINEMAKER, BRAND AMBASSADOR, J. WILKES WINES
A STORY AS BIG AS THE WEST
JEFF(ERSON) WILKES WAS A WINEGROWER AND WINE GRAPE SALESMAN AT BIEN NACIDO AND SOLOMON HILLS VINEYARDS IN THE SANTA MARIA VALLEY AS WELL AS FRENCH CAMP VINEYARD IN THE PASO ROBLES HIGHLANDS FOR TWENTY YEARS (1981-2001).
Jeff’s tireless promotion and demand for quality anchored the Bien Nacido Vineyard, Solomon Hills and the Santa Maria Valley as the heart and soul of Santa Barbara County winegrowing, providing grapes to some of the greatest winemakers in California. Jeff launched his ‘J.Wilkes’ label in 2001, focusing on Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, and made his last wine in 2010 before his untimely passing late in that same year. Soon after, the label was relaunched as a tribute to Jeff’s unwavering love of the Santa Maria Valley, his commitment to value and quality, and later as a vehicle for blending AVA wines that show the best of the Central Coast and our diversity of meso-climates..
Jeff’s love of the Old West and sailing the Pacific Ocean continue to guide our winemaking team. The freedom that the West and the Pacific represent are in every sip of J.Wilkes, as is the pursuit of discovery that drives humans to search for new experiences and better lives. A bottle of J.Wilkes is an investment to keep your friends and family at the table for an extra hour. We believe the combination of food, love and wine is one of the most important rituals left in this country and is the cure for spending too much time with technology..
ABOUT WES HAGEN:
WES HAGEN IS THE WINEMAKER AND BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR J. WILKES WINES IN THE SANTA MARIA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA. IN 2013, MICHAEL CERVIN (WALL STREET JOURNAL, DECANTER) RATED WES AS ONE OF THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WINEMAKERS IN THE UNITED STATES (#68).
Wes worked as Vineyard Manager and Winemaker at Clos Pepe Vineyards and Estate Wines in the Sta. Rita Hills for 21 years and is considered an industry leader in Santa Barbara Wine, having served for more than a decade on the Board of Directors for both Santa Barbara County Vintners and Santa Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance.
Wes is an accomplished wine writer, researcher and lecturer; He has written for the L.A Times Magazine, Sommelier Journal, Burgundy Report and has appeared and been featured / quoted numerous times in the Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast. Wes researched, wrote and had approved the last three AVA’s in Santa Barbara County: Sta. Rita Hills, Happy Canyon and Ballard Canyon.
Wes taught the Food and Wine Pairing program at Allan Hancock College for four years and has lectured on the History of Wine and Santa Barbara Wine at Cornell University, Caltech and many, many other prestigious institutions. His most recent achievement is having been nominated for a TED-talk on the History of Wine.
Wes has an active and impressive social media following on Facebook (Wes Hagen), Twitter, Instagram and Delectable (@weshagen).
“Every wine deserves an hour at table, delicious food and two people in love. Wine cannot be fully understood unless all three of these conditions are met."" --WD Hagen
JWILKES.COM
IAN BLACKBURN – OWNER/FOUNDER, WINE LA & FOUNDER/CO-WINEMAKER, BEEKEEPER CELLARS – TALKS UPCOMING EVENTS (ITALIAN WINE STARS-OCTOBER 26)
ABOUT IAN BLACKBURN, CSW, JWE - LEARNABOUTWINE & WINELA PROFESSIONAL SOMMELIER
Ian drinks wine for a living and plans 50-100 public and private events a year. Ian stays busy buying collectible wines for high profile clients, planning luxury wine trips for his audience, hosting corporate events, and studying for his Master of Wine. Since 1995, LearnAboutWine has done the hard work of building a better culture for fine wine, opening the doors for more quality products to enter the marketplace and has taught over 800,000 students. With a reach of over 80,000 current subscribers and followers, LearnAboutWine now focuses on the best quality events and classes, and wine credential programs which have graduated over 1000 wine students in the last 9 years with a Junior Wine Executive credential (JWE).
ABOUT BEEKEEPER CELLARS
Beekeeper Cellars is the vision of best friends and co-winemakers Ian Blackburn and Clay Mauritson. The two collaborated after adventurous individual careers in the wine business, and at last, decided to work together on a project of their own.
Clay, a 7th generation grape grower, and his family found themselves the owners of a significant slice of the Rockpile Appellation, through an amazing set of historical land transactions. The Mauritson family realized the potential and parented the creation of the ROCKPILE AVA. In 1998, Ian and Clay climbed the hill and watched the Madrone Spring Vineyard get planted, while discussing the future of Rockpile and the dream it represented.
In 2008, Clay saw the fruits of his family's labor taking shape and came to Ian with a unique opportunity to source some of the Rockpile fruit. He told Ian in the difficult days of 2008, “now is the time to get in and build the business and have it take shape as the market improves, and to not wait until business is strong as you will have a hard time getting access to the right quality assets.” Ian took heed of Clay’s wise comment and said "When your best friend is Clay Mauritson and he offers Rockpile fruit and to assist with winemaking…... you make Zinfandel.”
In Los Angeles, Ian operates a specialty wine marketing organization known as wineLA and has pioneered wine education for the past 20 years (since 1995) through www.learnaboutwine.com and www.wineLA.com. Beekeeper Cellars is also involved in Ian’s Masters of Wine Thesis project and provides him the winemaking training he requires to help pass the difficult Masters of Wine exam...an ongoing pursuit.
ITALIAN WINE STARS WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 26, 2016
LA’s LARGEST GATHERING of ULTRA PREMIUM ITALIAN WINES
10% of all proceeds from wine purchases at this event will benefit TJ MARTELL FOUNDATION supporting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
VIP Admission
6:00PM - 9:00PM
Gold Admission
7:00PM - 9:00PM
PENINSULA BEVERLY HILLS
9882 S Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
WWW.WINELA.COM
WWW.BEEKEEPERCELLARS.COM
JEFF(ERSON) WILKES WAS A WINEGROWER AND WINE GRAPE SALESMAN AT BIEN NACIDO AND SOLOMON HILLS VINEYARDS IN THE SANTA MARIA VALLEY AS WELL AS FRENCH CAMP VINEYARD IN THE PASO ROBLES HIGHLANDS FOR TWENTY YEARS (1981-2001).
Jeff’s tireless promotion and demand for quality anchored the Bien Nacido Vineyard, Solomon Hills and the Santa Maria Valley as the heart and soul of Santa Barbara County winegrowing, providing grapes to some of the greatest winemakers in California. Jeff launched his ‘J.Wilkes’ label in 2001, focusing on Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, and made his last wine in 2010 before his untimely passing late in that same year. Soon after, the label was relaunched as a tribute to Jeff’s unwavering love of the Santa Maria Valley, his commitment to value and quality, and later as a vehicle for blending AVA wines that show the best of the Central Coast and our diversity of meso-climates..
Jeff’s love of the Old West and sailing the Pacific Ocean continue to guide our winemaking team. The freedom that the West and the Pacific represent are in every sip of J.Wilkes, as is the pursuit of discovery that drives humans to search for new experiences and better lives. A bottle of J.Wilkes is an investment to keep your friends and family at the table for an extra hour. We believe the combination of food, love and wine is one of the most important rituals left in this country and is the cure for spending too much time with technology..
ABOUT WES HAGEN:
WES HAGEN IS THE WINEMAKER AND BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR J. WILKES WINES IN THE SANTA MARIA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA. IN 2013, MICHAEL CERVIN (WALL STREET JOURNAL, DECANTER) RATED WES AS ONE OF THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WINEMAKERS IN THE UNITED STATES (#68).
Wes worked as Vineyard Manager and Winemaker at Clos Pepe Vineyards and Estate Wines in the Sta. Rita Hills for 21 years and is considered an industry leader in Santa Barbara Wine, having served for more than a decade on the Board of Directors for both Santa Barbara County Vintners and Santa Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance.
Wes is an accomplished wine writer, researcher and lecturer; He has written for the L.A Times Magazine, Sommelier Journal, Burgundy Report and has appeared and been featured / quoted numerous times in the Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast. Wes researched, wrote and had approved the last three AVA’s in Santa Barbara County: Sta. Rita Hills, Happy Canyon and Ballard Canyon.
Wes taught the Food and Wine Pairing program at Allan Hancock College for four years and has lectured on the History of Wine and Santa Barbara Wine at Cornell University, Caltech and many, many other prestigious institutions. His most recent achievement is having been nominated for a TED-talk on the History of Wine.
Wes has an active and impressive social media following on Facebook (Wes Hagen), Twitter, Instagram and Delectable (@weshagen).
“Every wine deserves an hour at table, delicious food and two people in love. Wine cannot be fully understood unless all three of these conditions are met."" --WD Hagen
JWILKES.COM
IAN BLACKBURN – OWNER/FOUNDER, WINE LA & FOUNDER/CO-WINEMAKER, BEEKEEPER CELLARS – TALKS UPCOMING EVENTS (ITALIAN WINE STARS-OCTOBER 26)
Ian drinks wine for a living and plans 50-100 public and private events a year. Ian stays busy buying collectible wines for high profile clients, planning luxury wine trips for his audience, hosting corporate events, and studying for his Master of Wine. Since 1995, LearnAboutWine has done the hard work of building a better culture for fine wine, opening the doors for more quality products to enter the marketplace and has taught over 800,000 students. With a reach of over 80,000 current subscribers and followers, LearnAboutWine now focuses on the best quality events and classes, and wine credential programs which have graduated over 1000 wine students in the last 9 years with a Junior Wine Executive credential (JWE).
ABOUT BEEKEEPER CELLARS
Beekeeper Cellars is the vision of best friends and co-winemakers Ian Blackburn and Clay Mauritson. The two collaborated after adventurous individual careers in the wine business, and at last, decided to work together on a project of their own.
Clay, a 7th generation grape grower, and his family found themselves the owners of a significant slice of the Rockpile Appellation, through an amazing set of historical land transactions. The Mauritson family realized the potential and parented the creation of the ROCKPILE AVA. In 1998, Ian and Clay climbed the hill and watched the Madrone Spring Vineyard get planted, while discussing the future of Rockpile and the dream it represented.
In 2008, Clay saw the fruits of his family's labor taking shape and came to Ian with a unique opportunity to source some of the Rockpile fruit. He told Ian in the difficult days of 2008, “now is the time to get in and build the business and have it take shape as the market improves, and to not wait until business is strong as you will have a hard time getting access to the right quality assets.” Ian took heed of Clay’s wise comment and said "When your best friend is Clay Mauritson and he offers Rockpile fruit and to assist with winemaking…... you make Zinfandel.”
In Los Angeles, Ian operates a specialty wine marketing organization known as wineLA and has pioneered wine education for the past 20 years (since 1995) through www.learnaboutwine.com and www.wineLA.com. Beekeeper Cellars is also involved in Ian’s Masters of Wine Thesis project and provides him the winemaking training he requires to help pass the difficult Masters of Wine exam...an ongoing pursuit.
ITALIAN WINE STARS WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 26, 2016
LA’s LARGEST GATHERING of ULTRA PREMIUM ITALIAN WINES
10% of all proceeds from wine purchases at this event will benefit TJ MARTELL FOUNDATION supporting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
VIP Admission
6:00PM - 9:00PM
Gold Admission
7:00PM - 9:00PM
PENINSULA BEVERLY HILLS
9882 S Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
WWW.WINELA.COM
WWW.BEEKEEPERCELLARS.COM
Monday, February 29, 2016
02/29 ALLEN BALIK, 27TH ANNUAL CULINARY EVENING WITH THE CALIFORNIA WINEMASTERS, IAN BLACKBURN, WINE LA
ALLEN BALIK – AUTHOR & EDUCATOR | PRESIDENT OF CLUB ESSENCE TALKS SEASONAL WINE TRENDS AND THE UPCOMING 27TH ANNUAL CULINARY EVENING WITH THE CALIFORNIA WINEMASTERS
Allen is a noted wine collector and recognized authority on California and European wines. As a member of numerous tasting groups, Allen samples between 1,200 and 1,500 wines each year, for pleasure and education. He also serves as a consultant for restaurant and retail store buyers and evaluates wine for many panels and publications. Allen is the Founder and Co-Chairman of A Culinary Evening with the California Winemasters – a Wine Spectator Top Ten Charity Wine Auction – that pairs the talents of 45 international chefs with 70 of California’s finest wineries.
In his travels, Allen has toured wine growing areas around the world and tasted at numerous wineries, chateaux, and domaines throughout the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Australia and Chile. Allen co-authored Guide to Choosing, Serving and Enjoying Wine. Rather than another wine primer, the Guide demystifies wine, encouraging readers to try the beverage as a normal part of their mealtime enjoyment.
ABOUT THE 27TH ANNUAL CULINARY EVENING WITH THE CALIFORNIA WINEMASTERS
Saturday, May 14th, 2016 6PM
at Warner Bros., “Midwest Street”
A wine tasting extraordinaire and spectacular hors d’oeuvres dinner benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. One of WINE SPECTATOR’S “TOP TEN U.S. CHARITY WINE AUCTIONS” will be held on the “Midwest Street” backlot at Warner Bros.
The California Winemasters is a perennial Wine Spectator Top 10 Charity Wine Auction set for May 14, 2016 at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. This extraordinary event showcases 50 international chefs and 75 of California’s Finest Wineries. “Winemasters” has raised nearly $29 million in support of the mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The CF Foundation is a nonprofit donor-supported organization dedicated to attacking cystic fibrosis from every angle. It’s focus is to support the development of new drugs to fight the disease, improve the quality of life for those with CF and ultimately, to find a cure. The Foundation’s drug development success has been recognized by Harvard Business School and by publications such as Forbes, Discover Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Make your reservations NOW for this wine tasting extraordinaire and spectacular hors d’oeuves dinner!
CALIFORNIAWINEMASTERS.ORG
ABOUT CLUB ESSENCE:
Club Essence – Savor Life Through Wine is the first and only club of its kind dedicated to experiencing life’s greatest pleasures through wine. There’s no cost – just FUN!!
Club Essence will transform your routine business meetings, dinners and personal entertainment into extraordinary occasions through the wonders of wine.
Learn how to enjoy wine to its fullest. Share the experience with your friends, clients, and the ones you love. Wine education is part of each event and is designed for the enjoyment of novices and experts alike within the same group. Club Essence Co-Founder and President Allen Balik will personally plan, accompany and moderate each event. Click through to sign-up
At Club Essence it is our goal to make the whole wine experience more enjoyable and exciting while enhancing any meeting or meal. You’ll shine as you show your friends and clients how to enjoy life’s greatest pleasures through wine. Napa Valley alone hosts more than 4 million guests each year. You can experience this region (as well as any other wine destination) in a completely unique style when you are a member of Club Essence!
WWW.SAVORLIFETHROUGHWINE.COM
IAN BLACKBURN – WINE EDUCATOR AND FOUNDER, WINE LA – UPCOMING EVENTS
ABOUT WINELA
wineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. To do so, wine must be in rhythm with fashion, music, food and other beverages. It must take advantage of the geography, the architecture and the centers of interest. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, roof tops, gardens, and magical views. We want to be a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place and the passion.
wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve. Edicts: innovate, evolve and excite.
We thank you for joining our newsletter, we will be sending fewer emails and packing them with amazing content. We want to be your wine content provider and would love to hear about your favorite places, your music, your locations - we want to be under the influence of what ignites your passion for Los Angeles.
WWW.WINELA.COM
Allen is a noted wine collector and recognized authority on California and European wines. As a member of numerous tasting groups, Allen samples between 1,200 and 1,500 wines each year, for pleasure and education. He also serves as a consultant for restaurant and retail store buyers and evaluates wine for many panels and publications. Allen is the Founder and Co-Chairman of A Culinary Evening with the California Winemasters – a Wine Spectator Top Ten Charity Wine Auction – that pairs the talents of 45 international chefs with 70 of California’s finest wineries.
In his travels, Allen has toured wine growing areas around the world and tasted at numerous wineries, chateaux, and domaines throughout the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Australia and Chile. Allen co-authored Guide to Choosing, Serving and Enjoying Wine. Rather than another wine primer, the Guide demystifies wine, encouraging readers to try the beverage as a normal part of their mealtime enjoyment.
ABOUT THE 27TH ANNUAL CULINARY EVENING WITH THE CALIFORNIA WINEMASTERS
Saturday, May 14th, 2016 6PM
at Warner Bros., “Midwest Street”
A wine tasting extraordinaire and spectacular hors d’oeuvres dinner benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. One of WINE SPECTATOR’S “TOP TEN U.S. CHARITY WINE AUCTIONS” will be held on the “Midwest Street” backlot at Warner Bros.
The California Winemasters is a perennial Wine Spectator Top 10 Charity Wine Auction set for May 14, 2016 at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. This extraordinary event showcases 50 international chefs and 75 of California’s Finest Wineries. “Winemasters” has raised nearly $29 million in support of the mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The CF Foundation is a nonprofit donor-supported organization dedicated to attacking cystic fibrosis from every angle. It’s focus is to support the development of new drugs to fight the disease, improve the quality of life for those with CF and ultimately, to find a cure. The Foundation’s drug development success has been recognized by Harvard Business School and by publications such as Forbes, Discover Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Make your reservations NOW for this wine tasting extraordinaire and spectacular hors d’oeuves dinner!
CALIFORNIAWINEMASTERS.ORG
ABOUT CLUB ESSENCE:
Club Essence – Savor Life Through Wine is the first and only club of its kind dedicated to experiencing life’s greatest pleasures through wine. There’s no cost – just FUN!!
Club Essence will transform your routine business meetings, dinners and personal entertainment into extraordinary occasions through the wonders of wine.
Learn how to enjoy wine to its fullest. Share the experience with your friends, clients, and the ones you love. Wine education is part of each event and is designed for the enjoyment of novices and experts alike within the same group. Club Essence Co-Founder and President Allen Balik will personally plan, accompany and moderate each event. Click through to sign-up
At Club Essence it is our goal to make the whole wine experience more enjoyable and exciting while enhancing any meeting or meal. You’ll shine as you show your friends and clients how to enjoy life’s greatest pleasures through wine. Napa Valley alone hosts more than 4 million guests each year. You can experience this region (as well as any other wine destination) in a completely unique style when you are a member of Club Essence!
WWW.SAVORLIFETHROUGHWINE.COM
IAN BLACKBURN – WINE EDUCATOR AND FOUNDER, WINE LA – UPCOMING EVENTS
wineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. To do so, wine must be in rhythm with fashion, music, food and other beverages. It must take advantage of the geography, the architecture and the centers of interest. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, roof tops, gardens, and magical views. We want to be a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place and the passion.
wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve. Edicts: innovate, evolve and excite.
We thank you for joining our newsletter, we will be sending fewer emails and packing them with amazing content. We want to be your wine content provider and would love to hear about your favorite places, your music, your locations - we want to be under the influence of what ignites your passion for Los Angeles.
WWW.WINELA.COM
Monday, October 5, 2015
10/05 GERRET & TATIANA COPELAND, BOUCHAINE, IAN BLACKBURN, LEARNABOUTWINES.COM, 7TH ANNUAL STARS OF CABERNET
GERRET & TATIANA COPELAND – PROPRIETORS, BOUCHAINE
Bouchaine is the oldest continuously operating winery in the Carneros District - a winery that began making wine long before the region earned its reputation for producing the great Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays of Carneros today. The land was first owned by a Missouri native with the rather remarkable name of Boon Fly. Fly grew grapes and fruit trees on the property in the late 1880s. In 1927, an Italian winemaker named Johnny Garetto purchased the parcel that is today's Bouchaine. Beringer bought the estate from Garetto in 1961 and used it as a storage and blending facility until 1981, when a partnership that included the current owners, Gerret and Tatiana Copeland, purchased the winery and surrounding land. At the time, only a few winemaking pioneers realized the potential for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Carneros. And by appearance, this run-down Carneros property hardly inspired optimism.
OWNERSHIP
While Bouchaine’s first vintage premiered over 30 years ago, the inspiration and vision took root long before. For owners Gerret and Tatiana Copeland, Bouchaine Vineyards is the perfect manifestation of their shared vision of a classic California winery. A vision built on equal parts love of wine, inspiration and adventure.
GERRET COPELAND - PROPRIETOR & CHAIRMAN
For Gerret, a love of wine and the journey that leads to the next great bottle is in his blood. Gerret’s father, Lammot du Pont Copeland, was the 11th president of the DuPont Company. Perhaps more influential to his son’s passion for wine, he was also a founder of the Wilmington, Delaware, chapter of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. His mother, Pamela Copeland, a noted horticulturist, enjoyed fine wine as well and was the first woman in the U.S. invited to join the Chevaliers du Tastevin. Today, Gerret continues his parents’ legacy in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
Gerret’s wine education began early. His parents adopted the uniquely French tradition of diluting a half-glass of wine with water for their children at dinnertime. As the proportion of water decreased, Gerret's appreciation grew. Gerret and his wife, Tatiana, along with a group of partners, purchased and began renovating the oldest winery in the Carneros region. They gave a nod to his family's old world heritage by naming it Château Bouchaine. A decade later, Gerret and Tatiana bought out the original partners and became sole proprietors of the winery and renamed it Bouchaine Vineyards. The Copelands and their new Bouchaine team revamped and rebuilt every aspect of both the winery and the vineyards.
Gerret’s passion for wine is matched by his passion for the environment. After a career in finance, during which he developed a successful New York Stock Exchange brokerage firm, he helped establish the Brandywine Conservancy in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. The Conservancy continues to protect the Brandywine River Valley from pollution and over-development. He is also active with Longwood Gardens (world famous gardens in Pennsylvania), The Mount Cuba Center for Piedmont Flora (his childhood home, and now a major horticultural center in Delaware), and is the Chairman of the The Delaware Art Museum (founded by his grandmother). Gerret Copeland’s palate and his joie de vivre are complemented by his passion for beauty, his dedication to the environment, and his love of wine. For him, Bouchaine is the ultimate adventure.
TATIANA COPELAND - PROPRIETOR & PRESIDENT
For Tatiana Copeland, the spirit of discovery and commitment to creating a unique and exceptional experience at Bouchaine is simply the natural extension of her roots. Heir to a truly remarkable legacy, Tatiana’s family tree includes such luminaries as her great uncle, composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, and her grandmother, the first woman to drive a car through Moscow’s Red Square. A true polyglot, Tatiana fluently speaks Russian, French, Spanish, German and English.
While her heritage reaches back over 1,000 years in Russia, Tatiana’s personal story began in Dresden, Germany, where she was born. After living in Denmark for several years, the family emigrated to Argentina where she would spend most of her childhood. she says, recalling family gatherings. The family then moved to California where Tatiana enrolled at UCLA and quickly began what would become a remarkable academic and professional career. At UCLA, she would make Phi Beta Kappa before graduating summa cum laude, ranking first in her class of 500. She then went on to earn her M.B.A. at the University of California at Berkeley.
At a time when women in business were rare, Tatiana went to work for Price Waterhouse before putting her multi-cultural perspective, extensive linguistic skills, and strategic business thinking to use at the DuPont Company's European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Soon after she returned to DuPont in Delaware, she met her future husband, Gerret Copeland. They quickly discovered a shared appreciation of beauty, a love of fine wine and food, and a strong commitment to philanthropy.
Tatiana has made it her personal challenge to use her business know-how, leadership skills and community standing to help benefit the world of music, arts and culture. She serves on the board of The Grand Opera House (Wilmington's historic opera house) and as Chairman of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. She donated a sculpture garden to the Delaware Art Museum and underwrote the new student center at the Delaware College of Art & Design. Her efforts in helping to recreate the “Kalmar Nyckel” (a full-size replica of the ship which brought the first Swedish settlers to America in the 1600s) resulted in her effigy being immortalized with a life-size carving at the ship's bow. She also loves to look out for the underdog – literally. After Hurricane Katrina, Tatiana helped rescue 150 dogs abandoned in New Orleans.
Both Tatiana and Gerret are deeply committed to the arts and have recently established a unique model of community philanthropy for the long-term stabilization of arts and culture in their home state of Delaware. In appreciation of this, they were awarded the "Order of the First State," the highest honor for meritorious service which can be granted by Governor Jack Markell. Today, Tatiana continues to exercise her business acumen. She directs the winery's marketing and finances, leaving the wines themselves in the hands of her husband and the winemaking team. Her pencil is at its sharpest when she is balancing beauty and the bottom-line at Bouchaine.
WWW.BOUCHAINE.COM
IAN BLACKBURN – FOUNDER, LEARNABOUTWINES.COM - UPCOMING EVENTS
7TH ANNUAL STARS OF CABERNET ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015
Upcoming wine tasting event showcases prestigious collectable wines from California and Washington; over 150 wines from 40 top Cabernet producers on Wednesday, November 18th, 2015 at PENINSULA Beverly Hills.
Beverly Hills, California (September 25, 2015) – wineLA has exceeded annual expectations and has procured the best ever - STARS of Cabernet gathering.
It's back and better than ever! Over 40 top Cabernet brands featured including wineries from Napa Valley: Duckhorn, Alpha Omega, Paradigm, Michael Mondavi, Hendry, Raymond, Cairdean Estate, Acumen, St. Supery Estate, Tierra Roja, The Debate by Jean Hoefliger, Oakville East, Coquerel Family, ZD, Parry Cellars, Mario Bazan, Signorello Estate, Frank Family, Oakville Ranch, Ackerman Family, Priest Ranch, Bougetz, Salvestrin, Cain, Patland, Krupp Brothers, Round Pond Estate, Heitz Cellar, Broman Cellars, and Modus Operandi Wineries. Paso Robles: Justin, Eberle, DAOU, and Calcareous! and from Walla Walla in Washington: Long Shadows, Sleight of Hand Cellars, Va Piano, John Bookwalter and other parts of California: Jordan (Sonoma), Hawk & Horse (Lake County), Westerly Wines (Happy Canyon), and Hidden Ridge (Sonoma)!
Meet the winemakers, executives or winery owners in this intimate tasting featuring over 100 wines. STARS of Cabernet features not only the best in Cabernet but a ratio of one winery to four guests - unmatched in the wine event universe.
Included in the “General Admission Ticket" are unlimited wine tasting, tray passed hors d’oeuvres, and an elegant assortment of breads, cheeses, and chocolate. Wine aficionados can choose from 2 VIP tickets, a $200 VIP ticket ($250 at the door) which includes a “Master Class with Jean Hoefliger" or a $250 VIP ticket ($300 at the door) that includes a "Master Class with 100-Point Collectable Producer - Lawrence Fairchild." Both include the special VIP tasting w/dinner and a VIP Gift Bag from the event sponsors and partners.
Guests will also have a chance to bid on an array of extraordinary auction items: wine, dinners, collectables and trips ranging in value from $100 to $10,000. One hundred percent of the silent auction proceeds benefit the TJ Martell Foundation, a Los-Angeles based 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to supporting innovative groundbreaking research for leukemia, cancer, and AIDS. We have raised over $300,000 and want to make this our largest contribution yet!
STARS of Cabernet begins at 7:00 p.m. for general admission ticket holders and 6:00 p.m. for VIP attendees.
WWW.STARSOFCABERNET.COM
ABOUT WINELA
wineLA is focused on enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. wineLA hosts significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is the second phase of what the organization started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation.
To accomplish its' mission, wineLA recognizes that wine must be placed in rhythm with fashion, music, food, geography, centers of interest, and architecture. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, rooftops, gardens, and magical views. wineLA is leaving a footprint of wine lifestyle by celebrating people, places, and passion.
WWW.WINELA.COM
ABOUT IAN BLACKBURN:
Master of Wine Student and innovative wine industry spokesperson, Ian Blackburn drinks wine for a living. Since it was established in 1995, Ian Blackburn has worked on building Learn About Wineinto the leading source for wine education and events in Southern California. LearnAboutWine was the first business of its kind: a wine education and event website dedicated to the education, service, and enjoyment of wine.
Today LearnAboutWine has developed into Southern California’s premier company for wine education and events. Ian continues to innovate and focus on demystifying wine for everyone from the casual drinker to the potential collector. LearnAboutWine events include the wildly successful, monthly “TASTE” Series, a large-scale wine social; “PALATE BUILDER” Sensory evaluation class, VINTAGE – High end collectables tastings and LAW SCHOOL – the four week credential program that concludes with the BAR exam (Beverage Aptitude Review). Over 30,000 students in Southern California have participated in LearnAboutWine’s core class “Wine Camp,” an introduction into wine, and it is considered one of the top introduction courses in the region.
With a database of over 18,000 subscribers, Ian’s following and notoriety has grown with the popularity of wine. He has taught classes at Cordon Bleu, Cal Poly Pomona, UCLA, The Learning Annex, and other prestigious universities. LearnAboutWine maintains an active calendar of classes and events offered to the public, but thrive as a source of private and corporate events. Ian’s clients range from small social clubs and church organizations, to Fortune Five Hundred companies like Amgen, Pfizer, Disney, Nestle, Deloitte, Latham Watkins, Ernest and Young, Bank of America/US Trust/Countrywide, Paul Hastings, Quinn Emanuel and KPMG.
Ian’s passion for wine and entertaining makes him one of the top spokespersons in the United States; he was trained as an educational Ambassador for the Napa Valley Vintners and the Region of Champagne, France. Ian’s expertise and entertaining ways can be heard regularly on Los Angeles radio airwaves likeKCRW, KLOS, KROQ, INDIE 103.1, 98.7 and Ian even appeared as an expert on ABC’s “The Bachelor.” Creating wine lifestyle events in order to get more people involved in the enjoyment and appreciation of wine is Ian’s forte. Commissioned by Wiley Publications to write The Pleasure of Wine in 2004, Ian is currently studying for his Masters of Wine and working on his second book at his home office in Downtown Los Angeles.
OWNERSHIP
While Bouchaine’s first vintage premiered over 30 years ago, the inspiration and vision took root long before. For owners Gerret and Tatiana Copeland, Bouchaine Vineyards is the perfect manifestation of their shared vision of a classic California winery. A vision built on equal parts love of wine, inspiration and adventure.
GERRET COPELAND - PROPRIETOR & CHAIRMAN
For Gerret, a love of wine and the journey that leads to the next great bottle is in his blood. Gerret’s father, Lammot du Pont Copeland, was the 11th president of the DuPont Company. Perhaps more influential to his son’s passion for wine, he was also a founder of the Wilmington, Delaware, chapter of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. His mother, Pamela Copeland, a noted horticulturist, enjoyed fine wine as well and was the first woman in the U.S. invited to join the Chevaliers du Tastevin. Today, Gerret continues his parents’ legacy in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
Gerret’s wine education began early. His parents adopted the uniquely French tradition of diluting a half-glass of wine with water for their children at dinnertime. As the proportion of water decreased, Gerret's appreciation grew. Gerret and his wife, Tatiana, along with a group of partners, purchased and began renovating the oldest winery in the Carneros region. They gave a nod to his family's old world heritage by naming it Château Bouchaine. A decade later, Gerret and Tatiana bought out the original partners and became sole proprietors of the winery and renamed it Bouchaine Vineyards. The Copelands and their new Bouchaine team revamped and rebuilt every aspect of both the winery and the vineyards.
Gerret’s passion for wine is matched by his passion for the environment. After a career in finance, during which he developed a successful New York Stock Exchange brokerage firm, he helped establish the Brandywine Conservancy in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. The Conservancy continues to protect the Brandywine River Valley from pollution and over-development. He is also active with Longwood Gardens (world famous gardens in Pennsylvania), The Mount Cuba Center for Piedmont Flora (his childhood home, and now a major horticultural center in Delaware), and is the Chairman of the The Delaware Art Museum (founded by his grandmother). Gerret Copeland’s palate and his joie de vivre are complemented by his passion for beauty, his dedication to the environment, and his love of wine. For him, Bouchaine is the ultimate adventure.
TATIANA COPELAND - PROPRIETOR & PRESIDENT
For Tatiana Copeland, the spirit of discovery and commitment to creating a unique and exceptional experience at Bouchaine is simply the natural extension of her roots. Heir to a truly remarkable legacy, Tatiana’s family tree includes such luminaries as her great uncle, composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, and her grandmother, the first woman to drive a car through Moscow’s Red Square. A true polyglot, Tatiana fluently speaks Russian, French, Spanish, German and English.
While her heritage reaches back over 1,000 years in Russia, Tatiana’s personal story began in Dresden, Germany, where she was born. After living in Denmark for several years, the family emigrated to Argentina where she would spend most of her childhood. she says, recalling family gatherings. The family then moved to California where Tatiana enrolled at UCLA and quickly began what would become a remarkable academic and professional career. At UCLA, she would make Phi Beta Kappa before graduating summa cum laude, ranking first in her class of 500. She then went on to earn her M.B.A. at the University of California at Berkeley.
At a time when women in business were rare, Tatiana went to work for Price Waterhouse before putting her multi-cultural perspective, extensive linguistic skills, and strategic business thinking to use at the DuPont Company's European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Soon after she returned to DuPont in Delaware, she met her future husband, Gerret Copeland. They quickly discovered a shared appreciation of beauty, a love of fine wine and food, and a strong commitment to philanthropy.
Tatiana has made it her personal challenge to use her business know-how, leadership skills and community standing to help benefit the world of music, arts and culture. She serves on the board of The Grand Opera House (Wilmington's historic opera house) and as Chairman of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. She donated a sculpture garden to the Delaware Art Museum and underwrote the new student center at the Delaware College of Art & Design. Her efforts in helping to recreate the “Kalmar Nyckel” (a full-size replica of the ship which brought the first Swedish settlers to America in the 1600s) resulted in her effigy being immortalized with a life-size carving at the ship's bow. She also loves to look out for the underdog – literally. After Hurricane Katrina, Tatiana helped rescue 150 dogs abandoned in New Orleans.
Both Tatiana and Gerret are deeply committed to the arts and have recently established a unique model of community philanthropy for the long-term stabilization of arts and culture in their home state of Delaware. In appreciation of this, they were awarded the "Order of the First State," the highest honor for meritorious service which can be granted by Governor Jack Markell. Today, Tatiana continues to exercise her business acumen. She directs the winery's marketing and finances, leaving the wines themselves in the hands of her husband and the winemaking team. Her pencil is at its sharpest when she is balancing beauty and the bottom-line at Bouchaine.
WWW.BOUCHAINE.COM
IAN BLACKBURN – FOUNDER, LEARNABOUTWINES.COM - UPCOMING EVENTS
Upcoming wine tasting event showcases prestigious collectable wines from California and Washington; over 150 wines from 40 top Cabernet producers on Wednesday, November 18th, 2015 at PENINSULA Beverly Hills.
Beverly Hills, California (September 25, 2015) – wineLA has exceeded annual expectations and has procured the best ever - STARS of Cabernet gathering.
It's back and better than ever! Over 40 top Cabernet brands featured including wineries from Napa Valley: Duckhorn, Alpha Omega, Paradigm, Michael Mondavi, Hendry, Raymond, Cairdean Estate, Acumen, St. Supery Estate, Tierra Roja, The Debate by Jean Hoefliger, Oakville East, Coquerel Family, ZD, Parry Cellars, Mario Bazan, Signorello Estate, Frank Family, Oakville Ranch, Ackerman Family, Priest Ranch, Bougetz, Salvestrin, Cain, Patland, Krupp Brothers, Round Pond Estate, Heitz Cellar, Broman Cellars, and Modus Operandi Wineries. Paso Robles: Justin, Eberle, DAOU, and Calcareous! and from Walla Walla in Washington: Long Shadows, Sleight of Hand Cellars, Va Piano, John Bookwalter and other parts of California: Jordan (Sonoma), Hawk & Horse (Lake County), Westerly Wines (Happy Canyon), and Hidden Ridge (Sonoma)!
Meet the winemakers, executives or winery owners in this intimate tasting featuring over 100 wines. STARS of Cabernet features not only the best in Cabernet but a ratio of one winery to four guests - unmatched in the wine event universe.
Included in the “General Admission Ticket" are unlimited wine tasting, tray passed hors d’oeuvres, and an elegant assortment of breads, cheeses, and chocolate. Wine aficionados can choose from 2 VIP tickets, a $200 VIP ticket ($250 at the door) which includes a “Master Class with Jean Hoefliger" or a $250 VIP ticket ($300 at the door) that includes a "Master Class with 100-Point Collectable Producer - Lawrence Fairchild." Both include the special VIP tasting w/dinner and a VIP Gift Bag from the event sponsors and partners.
Guests will also have a chance to bid on an array of extraordinary auction items: wine, dinners, collectables and trips ranging in value from $100 to $10,000. One hundred percent of the silent auction proceeds benefit the TJ Martell Foundation, a Los-Angeles based 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to supporting innovative groundbreaking research for leukemia, cancer, and AIDS. We have raised over $300,000 and want to make this our largest contribution yet!
STARS of Cabernet begins at 7:00 p.m. for general admission ticket holders and 6:00 p.m. for VIP attendees.
WWW.STARSOFCABERNET.COM
ABOUT WINELA
wineLA is focused on enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. wineLA hosts significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is the second phase of what the organization started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation.
To accomplish its' mission, wineLA recognizes that wine must be placed in rhythm with fashion, music, food, geography, centers of interest, and architecture. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, rooftops, gardens, and magical views. wineLA is leaving a footprint of wine lifestyle by celebrating people, places, and passion.
WWW.WINELA.COM
ABOUT IAN BLACKBURN:
Master of Wine Student and innovative wine industry spokesperson, Ian Blackburn drinks wine for a living. Since it was established in 1995, Ian Blackburn has worked on building Learn About Wineinto the leading source for wine education and events in Southern California. LearnAboutWine was the first business of its kind: a wine education and event website dedicated to the education, service, and enjoyment of wine.
Today LearnAboutWine has developed into Southern California’s premier company for wine education and events. Ian continues to innovate and focus on demystifying wine for everyone from the casual drinker to the potential collector. LearnAboutWine events include the wildly successful, monthly “TASTE” Series, a large-scale wine social; “PALATE BUILDER” Sensory evaluation class, VINTAGE – High end collectables tastings and LAW SCHOOL – the four week credential program that concludes with the BAR exam (Beverage Aptitude Review). Over 30,000 students in Southern California have participated in LearnAboutWine’s core class “Wine Camp,” an introduction into wine, and it is considered one of the top introduction courses in the region.
With a database of over 18,000 subscribers, Ian’s following and notoriety has grown with the popularity of wine. He has taught classes at Cordon Bleu, Cal Poly Pomona, UCLA, The Learning Annex, and other prestigious universities. LearnAboutWine maintains an active calendar of classes and events offered to the public, but thrive as a source of private and corporate events. Ian’s clients range from small social clubs and church organizations, to Fortune Five Hundred companies like Amgen, Pfizer, Disney, Nestle, Deloitte, Latham Watkins, Ernest and Young, Bank of America/US Trust/Countrywide, Paul Hastings, Quinn Emanuel and KPMG.
Ian’s passion for wine and entertaining makes him one of the top spokespersons in the United States; he was trained as an educational Ambassador for the Napa Valley Vintners and the Region of Champagne, France. Ian’s expertise and entertaining ways can be heard regularly on Los Angeles radio airwaves likeKCRW, KLOS, KROQ, INDIE 103.1, 98.7 and Ian even appeared as an expert on ABC’s “The Bachelor.” Creating wine lifestyle events in order to get more people involved in the enjoyment and appreciation of wine is Ian’s forte. Commissioned by Wiley Publications to write The Pleasure of Wine in 2004, Ian is currently studying for his Masters of Wine and working on his second book at his home office in Downtown Los Angeles.
Monday, August 10, 2015
08/10 IAN BLACKBURN, LEARNABOUTWINES.COM, STARS OF PINOT, TOM C. DAVIES, V. SATTUI WINERY, HARVEST STOMP
IAN BLACKBURN – FOUNDER, LEARNABOUTWINES.COM – STARS OF PINOT AUGUST 19TH
ABOUT IAN BLACKBURN:
Master of Wine Student and innovative wine industry spokesperson, Ian Blackburn drinks wine for a living. Since it was established in 1995, Ian Blackburn has worked on building Learn About Wineinto the leading source for wine education and events in Southern California.
LearnAboutWine was the first business of its kind: a wine education and event website dedicated to the education, service, and enjoyment of wine.
Today LearnAboutWine has developed into Southern California’s premier company for wine education and events. Ian continues to innovate and focus on demystifying wine for everyone from the casual drinker to the potential collector. LearnAboutWine events include the wildly successful, monthly “TASTE” Series, a large-scale wine social; “PALATE BUILDER” Sensory evaluation class, VINTAGE – High end collectables tastings and LAW SCHOOL – the four week credential program that concludes with the BAR exam (Beverage Aptitude Review). Over 30,000 students in Southern California have participated in LearnAboutWine’s core class “Wine Camp,” an introduction into wine, and it is considered one of the top introduction courses in the region.
With a database of over 18,000 subscribers, Ian’s following and notoriety has grown with the popularity of wine. He has taught classes at Cordon Bleu, Cal Poly Pomona, UCLA, The Learning Annex, and other prestigious universities. LearnAboutWine maintains an active calendar of classes and events offered to the public, but thrive as a source of private and corporate events. Ian’s clients range from small social clubs and church organizations, to Fortune Five Hundred companies like Amgen, Pfizer, Disney, Nestle, Deloitte, Latham Watkins, Ernest and Young, Bank of America/US Trust/Countrywide, Paul Hastings, Quinn Emanuel and KPMG.
Ian’s passion for wine and entertaining makes him one of the top spokespersons in the United States; he was trained as an educational Ambassador for the Napa Valley Vintners and the Region of Champagne, France. Ian’s expertise and entertaining ways can be heard regularly on Los Angeles radio airwaves likeKCRW, KLOS, KROQ, INDIE 103.1, 98.7 and Ian even appeared as an expert on ABC’s “The Bachelor.” Creating wine lifestyle events in order to get more people involved in the enjoyment and appreciation of wine is Ian’s forte. Commissioned by Wiley Publications to write The Pleasure of Wine in 2004, Ian is currently studying for his Masters of Wine and working on his second book at his home office in Downtown Los Angeles.
LEARN ABOUT WINE’S PHILOSOPHY
To demystify wine for everyone from the casual drinker to the potential collector. Whether it is an intimate sensory class, corporate team building exercise or a large-scale wine social, Learn About Wine is the one stop resource for education, service and enjoyment of wine.
STARS of PINOT:
August 19th
Sofitel
2-5pm Trade tasting
6pm VIP Panel Tasting with MW AMY CHRISTINE
7pm-9:30pm Consumer Charity Tasting
Taste over 200 varieties of Pinot Noir by 450 of the worlds top producers. The STARS of Pinot will be a showcase of both well-known high tier producers and exciting new top quality brands. We invite relevant press and trade accounts to attend an effective trade tasting, and market and promote a successful consumer event with a charity benefactor (not a charity tasting – but a wine marketing event that benefits a charity). The events will benefit T.J. Martell Foundation - Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research
WWW.LEARNABOUTWINE.COM
WWW.STARSOFPINOT.COM
TOM C. DAVIES – PRESIDENT OF V. SATTUI WINERY AND CO-CHAIR OF THE 8TH ANNUAL HARVEST STOMP AUGUST 22ND
ABOUT STOMP - THE BEST HARVEST PARTY OF THE YEAR!
Over the past seven years, Harvest STOMP has sold out with over 550 guests in attendance including the industry’s most renowned grapegrowers, vineyard owners, and top-tier consumers from throughout the United States and beyond – with over 150 Napa Valley wineries pouring the best wines Napa Valley has to offer.
Proceeds from Harvest STOMP support the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation and our mission to preserve and promote Napa Valley’s World-Class Vineyards!
V. SATTUI’S HISTORIC HENRY RANCH WILL HOST THIS YEARS EVENT
V. Sattui Winery is proud to host this year’s STOMP at its historic, 525-acre Henry Ranch, part of an original Spanish land grant that lies in southwestern corner of the Napa Valley.
A long country road leads to the ranch that was once home to Spanish and Mexican immigrants—and finally the Henry family, who pioneered the area in 1850. When you arrive at the Henry Ranch you will be in the midst of a place few have ever seen. It is rich with remnants of the county’s agricultural past and magnificent beauty of a narrow valley and rolling hills framed by low mountain ranges that offer views as far south as San Francisco.
As their winery members can attest, Dario and Tom know how to throw a party! Their commitment to memorable experiences and excellence in hospitality will guarantee STOMP 2015 to be a great celebration!
2015 HARVEST STOMP CHAIRS
Owner Dario Sattui, the visionary entrepreneur behind both V. Sattui Winery and Castello di Amorosa, purchased the land from Herb Henry in 1993. Herb, now 92 years of age and a legend in the area, lived his entire life on the ranch without electrical power or modern equipment. To date, 120 acres of sustainably-farmed vineyards have been planted and virtually all of the 525 acres of land has been protected by any further development through conservation easements and the Land Trust of Napa County, ensuring the unspoiled beauty of this ranch for future generations.
Co-Chair, Tom Davies began his career with V. Sattui as one of the first 7 employees in 1980 and became Dario’s partner in the late 80s and later President in 1993. Together, Dario and Tom have devoted most of their adult lives to building V. Sattui Winery to be the ultimate warm and welcoming Napa Valley experience.
ABOUT TOM DAVIES:
A native of Palm Springs, California, Tom Davies graduated from Chico State University in 1979 with a degree in Business Management. He was so committed to getting into the wine business, he slept in a tent at the State Park in the Napa Valley to save money while searching for work. Impressed with his attitude and enthusiasm, Dario Sattui hired him in the summer of 1980 at $5 an hour to work in V. Sattui Winery’s tasting room and cellar. Tom was among the first 10 employees hired at V. Sattui. His great business sense and knowledge of the wine industry propelled him to the top at V. Sattui. Tom is President and Part-Owner of V. Sattui Winery.
During Tom’s 30-year tenure at V. Sattui, the winery pioneered the direct-to-consumer wine business model. V. Sattui started the second wine club in the Napa Valley and was one of the first wineries in the nation to ship wine directly to consumer’s homes and to host wine club events, dinners and weddings. Through the years, V. Sattui wines earn the highest recognition in both national & international competitions. In 2012 the winery was twice named "Winery of the Year" at the 2012 Winemaker's Challenge and the 2012 Monterey Wine Competition, and then voted "Best Winery" for the second year in a row by the San Francisco Bay Guardian Readers Poll. Most recently V. Sattui Winery was again name the 2013 “Winery of the Year” at the prestigious Winemaker’s Challenge making the 11th time in 8 years the winery garnered this recognition.
Tom has been married to his wife, Cara for the past 31 years. They have a daughter Michaela who is a sophomore at the University of San Diego. Tom and Cara have traveled extensively in Europe, and have made Italy their favorite home away from the Napa Valley, spending time there every summer since the early eighties.
WWW.VSATTUI.COM
WWW.NAPAGROWERS.ORG
ABOUT IAN BLACKBURN:Master of Wine Student and innovative wine industry spokesperson, Ian Blackburn drinks wine for a living. Since it was established in 1995, Ian Blackburn has worked on building Learn About Wineinto the leading source for wine education and events in Southern California.
LearnAboutWine was the first business of its kind: a wine education and event website dedicated to the education, service, and enjoyment of wine.
Today LearnAboutWine has developed into Southern California’s premier company for wine education and events. Ian continues to innovate and focus on demystifying wine for everyone from the casual drinker to the potential collector. LearnAboutWine events include the wildly successful, monthly “TASTE” Series, a large-scale wine social; “PALATE BUILDER” Sensory evaluation class, VINTAGE – High end collectables tastings and LAW SCHOOL – the four week credential program that concludes with the BAR exam (Beverage Aptitude Review). Over 30,000 students in Southern California have participated in LearnAboutWine’s core class “Wine Camp,” an introduction into wine, and it is considered one of the top introduction courses in the region.
With a database of over 18,000 subscribers, Ian’s following and notoriety has grown with the popularity of wine. He has taught classes at Cordon Bleu, Cal Poly Pomona, UCLA, The Learning Annex, and other prestigious universities. LearnAboutWine maintains an active calendar of classes and events offered to the public, but thrive as a source of private and corporate events. Ian’s clients range from small social clubs and church organizations, to Fortune Five Hundred companies like Amgen, Pfizer, Disney, Nestle, Deloitte, Latham Watkins, Ernest and Young, Bank of America/US Trust/Countrywide, Paul Hastings, Quinn Emanuel and KPMG.
Ian’s passion for wine and entertaining makes him one of the top spokespersons in the United States; he was trained as an educational Ambassador for the Napa Valley Vintners and the Region of Champagne, France. Ian’s expertise and entertaining ways can be heard regularly on Los Angeles radio airwaves likeKCRW, KLOS, KROQ, INDIE 103.1, 98.7 and Ian even appeared as an expert on ABC’s “The Bachelor.” Creating wine lifestyle events in order to get more people involved in the enjoyment and appreciation of wine is Ian’s forte. Commissioned by Wiley Publications to write The Pleasure of Wine in 2004, Ian is currently studying for his Masters of Wine and working on his second book at his home office in Downtown Los Angeles.
LEARN ABOUT WINE’S PHILOSOPHY
To demystify wine for everyone from the casual drinker to the potential collector. Whether it is an intimate sensory class, corporate team building exercise or a large-scale wine social, Learn About Wine is the one stop resource for education, service and enjoyment of wine.
STARS of PINOT:
August 19th
Sofitel
2-5pm Trade tasting
6pm VIP Panel Tasting with MW AMY CHRISTINE
7pm-9:30pm Consumer Charity Tasting
Taste over 200 varieties of Pinot Noir by 450 of the worlds top producers. The STARS of Pinot will be a showcase of both well-known high tier producers and exciting new top quality brands. We invite relevant press and trade accounts to attend an effective trade tasting, and market and promote a successful consumer event with a charity benefactor (not a charity tasting – but a wine marketing event that benefits a charity). The events will benefit T.J. Martell Foundation - Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research
WWW.LEARNABOUTWINE.COM
WWW.STARSOFPINOT.COM
TOM C. DAVIES – PRESIDENT OF V. SATTUI WINERY AND CO-CHAIR OF THE 8TH ANNUAL HARVEST STOMP AUGUST 22ND
Over the past seven years, Harvest STOMP has sold out with over 550 guests in attendance including the industry’s most renowned grapegrowers, vineyard owners, and top-tier consumers from throughout the United States and beyond – with over 150 Napa Valley wineries pouring the best wines Napa Valley has to offer.
Proceeds from Harvest STOMP support the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation and our mission to preserve and promote Napa Valley’s World-Class Vineyards!
V. SATTUI’S HISTORIC HENRY RANCH WILL HOST THIS YEARS EVENT
V. Sattui Winery is proud to host this year’s STOMP at its historic, 525-acre Henry Ranch, part of an original Spanish land grant that lies in southwestern corner of the Napa Valley.
A long country road leads to the ranch that was once home to Spanish and Mexican immigrants—and finally the Henry family, who pioneered the area in 1850. When you arrive at the Henry Ranch you will be in the midst of a place few have ever seen. It is rich with remnants of the county’s agricultural past and magnificent beauty of a narrow valley and rolling hills framed by low mountain ranges that offer views as far south as San Francisco.
As their winery members can attest, Dario and Tom know how to throw a party! Their commitment to memorable experiences and excellence in hospitality will guarantee STOMP 2015 to be a great celebration!
2015 HARVEST STOMP CHAIRS
Owner Dario Sattui, the visionary entrepreneur behind both V. Sattui Winery and Castello di Amorosa, purchased the land from Herb Henry in 1993. Herb, now 92 years of age and a legend in the area, lived his entire life on the ranch without electrical power or modern equipment. To date, 120 acres of sustainably-farmed vineyards have been planted and virtually all of the 525 acres of land has been protected by any further development through conservation easements and the Land Trust of Napa County, ensuring the unspoiled beauty of this ranch for future generations.
Co-Chair, Tom Davies began his career with V. Sattui as one of the first 7 employees in 1980 and became Dario’s partner in the late 80s and later President in 1993. Together, Dario and Tom have devoted most of their adult lives to building V. Sattui Winery to be the ultimate warm and welcoming Napa Valley experience.
ABOUT TOM DAVIES:
A native of Palm Springs, California, Tom Davies graduated from Chico State University in 1979 with a degree in Business Management. He was so committed to getting into the wine business, he slept in a tent at the State Park in the Napa Valley to save money while searching for work. Impressed with his attitude and enthusiasm, Dario Sattui hired him in the summer of 1980 at $5 an hour to work in V. Sattui Winery’s tasting room and cellar. Tom was among the first 10 employees hired at V. Sattui. His great business sense and knowledge of the wine industry propelled him to the top at V. Sattui. Tom is President and Part-Owner of V. Sattui Winery.
During Tom’s 30-year tenure at V. Sattui, the winery pioneered the direct-to-consumer wine business model. V. Sattui started the second wine club in the Napa Valley and was one of the first wineries in the nation to ship wine directly to consumer’s homes and to host wine club events, dinners and weddings. Through the years, V. Sattui wines earn the highest recognition in both national & international competitions. In 2012 the winery was twice named "Winery of the Year" at the 2012 Winemaker's Challenge and the 2012 Monterey Wine Competition, and then voted "Best Winery" for the second year in a row by the San Francisco Bay Guardian Readers Poll. Most recently V. Sattui Winery was again name the 2013 “Winery of the Year” at the prestigious Winemaker’s Challenge making the 11th time in 8 years the winery garnered this recognition.
Tom has been married to his wife, Cara for the past 31 years. They have a daughter Michaela who is a sophomore at the University of San Diego. Tom and Cara have traveled extensively in Europe, and have made Italy their favorite home away from the Napa Valley, spending time there every summer since the early eighties.
WWW.VSATTUI.COM
WWW.NAPAGROWERS.ORG
Monday, March 9, 2015
03/09 IAN BLACKBURN, LEARN ABOUT WINE, STARS OF NAPA VALLEY, PETER WORK, AMPELOS CELLARS
IAN BLACKBURN – MASTER OF WINE STUDENT, INNOVATIVE WINE INDUSTRY SPOKESPERSON AND FOUNDER OF LEARN ABOUT WINE - STARS OF NAPA VALLEY TASTING 3/26
STARS of Napa Valley | March 26th, 2015 | THE SHADE HOTEL Manhattan Beach
After nine years of hosting its annual Ultimate Wine Festival, Manhattan Beach’s only luxury boutique hotel, Shade, today announced plans to partner with wineLA to host the area’s first annual Stars of Napa Valley Wine Festival on Thursday, March 26. With 40 notable wineries set to participate in the festivities, Shade Hotel will expect to welcome hundreds of wine enthusiasts in celebration of Napa Valley’s most coveted wines.
General Admission: 7pm Admission (event ends at 9:30)
In addition to unlimited wine tasting of The Stars of Napa Valley wine (hosted by winemakers, owners, winery executives); General Admission will include an elegant assortment of tray-passed hors d’oeuvres a and a chance to mingle with the who’s who of Manhattan Beach. Dress code is resort casual, DJ music will fill the air, a great celebration of Napa Valley Wine. A selection number of auction items will be available to bid on; auction items will range from $250 to $2,000; One hundred percent of silent auction dollars will benefit Manhattan Beach Middle School. Click here if you are interested in donating an auction item.
VIP Admission: 6:15 Admission (event ends at 9:30) - VIP benefits end at 7pm (please arrive on time) 6:15 early admission, special wines available to taste, enhanced tray passed appetizers for a small and limited audience; Legendary winemakers will be hosting a Panel tasting from 6;30 to 7:00pm exclusively for the vip, showing rare wines from older vintages and discussing topical issues important to the Napa Valley wine lover. All VIPS will also benefit from a nice VIP gift bag.
This event is limited to 350 total guests and, similar to Shade’s past wine events, is expected to sell out immediately.
ABOUT IAN BLACKBURN:
Master of Wine Student and innovative wine industry spokesperson, Ian Blackburn drinks wine for a living. Since it was established in 1995, Ian Blackburn has worked on building Learn About Wine into the leading source for wine education and events in Southern California. LearnAboutWine was the first business of its kind: a wine education and event website dedicated to the education, service, and enjoyment of wine.
Today LearnAboutWine has developed into Southern California’s premier company for wine education and events. Ian continues to innovate and focus on demystifying wine for everyone from the casual drinker to the potential collector. LearnAboutWine events include the wildly successful, monthly “TASTE” Series, a large-scale wine social; “PALATE BUILDER” Sensory evaluation class, VINTAGE – High end collectables tastings and LAW SCHOOL – the four week credential program that concludes with the BAR exam (Beverage Aptitude Review). Over 30,000 students in Southern California have participated in LearnAboutWine’s core class “Wine Camp,” an introduction into wine, and it is considered one of the top introduction courses in the region.
With a database of over 18,000 subscribers, Ian’s following and notoriety has grown with the popularity of wine. He has taught classes at Cordon Bleu, Cal Poly Pomona, UCLA, The Learning Annex, and other prestigious universities. LearnAboutWine maintains an active calendar of classes and events offered to the public, but thrive as a source of private and corporate events. Ian’s clients range from small social clubs and church organizations, to Fortune Five Hundred companies like Amgen, Pfizer, Disney, Nestle, Deloitte, Latham Watkins, Ernest and Young, Bank of America/US Trust/Countrywide, Paul Hastings, Quinn Emanuel and KPMG.
Ian’s passion for wine and entertaining makes him one of the top spokespersons in the United States; he was trained as an educational Ambassador for the Napa Valley Vintners and the Region of Champagne, France. Ian’s expertise and entertaining ways can be heard regularly on Los Angeles radio airwaves likeKCRW, KLOS, KROQ, INDIE 103.1, 98.7 and Ian even appeared as an expert on ABC’s “The Bachelor.” Creating wine lifestyle events in order to get more people involved in the enjoyment and appreciation of wine is Ian’s forte. Commissioned by Wiley Publications to write The Pleasure of Wine in 2004, Ian is currently studying for his Masters of Wine and working on his second book at his home office in Downtown Los Angeles.
WWW.LEARNABOUTWINE.COM
PETER WORK – WINEMAKER, AMPELOS CELLARS
OUR STORY
Some dream of spending the rest of their lives on golf courses and cruise ships, but with a taste for business and a love of Santa Barbara wine country, we chose a different retirement plan.
In 1999 we purchased 82 acres in what would later become the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, and named it “Ampelos”, which is the Greek word for vine. The name has a two-fold purpose. First, we believe that all great wines start in the vineyard.
Secondly, we have close-ties with Greece; we were married there and own a small bed and breakfast, called Ampelos Resort, on the island of Folegandros. We bought the land with dreams of someday watching the nightly sunset over the hills and our dogs running through the vines.
At the time we were still working long hours in corporate America, and delegated our son Don (now winemaker at Sea Smoke) to get the vineyard started. Our vineyard consultant assured us that the land could produce a great vineyard with patience and care, but we had little time to focus on the vineyard with non-stop business travel, meetings and conferences.
In 2001, the first 15 acres were planted in the Ampelos vineyard. That same year, we landed in Newark on the morning of September 11th. Peter had a meeting in the first tower of the World Trade Center, and interrupted his plan to board Path 1 of the New York Subway when his meeting was canceled. If he had gotten on the train, 8:45 am would have found him under the towers as the first plane hit.
When we finally got out of the city five days later, we went straight to our safe place—the Ampelos vineyard. That is when we made the life-changing decision to quit our corporate jobs and focus all our effort into pursuing our dream of full-time viticulture. “Someday” was no longer part of our vocabulary.
We moved to the Santa Ynez Valley in January of 2002. We began to learn to nurture the soil and prune the vines to prepare for the first harvest, and purchased one ton of Pinot Noir and two tons of Syrah in order to learn winemaking as we waited for the vines to mature. We toiled under the tutelage of our son Don and several expert consultants.
2004 marked the inaugural Ampelos vineyard harvest. The first harvest yielded 15 tons of Pinot Noir and 6 tons of Syrah. In 2005, we planted 10 acres on top of the original 15, totaling 25 acres. Pinot Noir and Syrah remain our primary varietals, with a line of Viognier and just under two acres of Grenache—the unsung hero of the Sta. Rita Hills. We persist in experimenting with different grapes and winemaking styles, as we are major believers in the journey being the destination.
With the efforts of family and friends, wise guides, and a twist of fate, we have come to create our small, sustainable vineyard and winery. We have gone from expanding big businesses to focusing on creating a limited release of high-quality product that people can afford to share with friends and loved ones. For us, sharing those gifts is what makes it all worthwhile.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
You can depend on Ampelos wine to present the essence of each varietal in its purest form. Our winemaking processes are minimalist, meaning no added yeast, no artificial tannins, no artificial malolactic bacteria, and no artificial coloring. Every sip evokes cool ocean breezes and sunny afternoons wondering at the beauty of the rolling Sta. Rita Hills.
We experiment with both old and new winemaking processes, with eyes always fixed on eco-friendly, natural winemaking. With respect to longstanding winemaking traditions coupled with flexibility, we believe our results will be improvements to the cellar resulting in intriguing and complex wines.
WWW.AMPELOSCELLARS.COM
STARS of Napa Valley | March 26th, 2015 | THE SHADE HOTEL Manhattan BeachAfter nine years of hosting its annual Ultimate Wine Festival, Manhattan Beach’s only luxury boutique hotel, Shade, today announced plans to partner with wineLA to host the area’s first annual Stars of Napa Valley Wine Festival on Thursday, March 26. With 40 notable wineries set to participate in the festivities, Shade Hotel will expect to welcome hundreds of wine enthusiasts in celebration of Napa Valley’s most coveted wines.
General Admission: 7pm Admission (event ends at 9:30)
In addition to unlimited wine tasting of The Stars of Napa Valley wine (hosted by winemakers, owners, winery executives); General Admission will include an elegant assortment of tray-passed hors d’oeuvres a and a chance to mingle with the who’s who of Manhattan Beach. Dress code is resort casual, DJ music will fill the air, a great celebration of Napa Valley Wine. A selection number of auction items will be available to bid on; auction items will range from $250 to $2,000; One hundred percent of silent auction dollars will benefit Manhattan Beach Middle School. Click here if you are interested in donating an auction item.
VIP Admission: 6:15 Admission (event ends at 9:30) - VIP benefits end at 7pm (please arrive on time) 6:15 early admission, special wines available to taste, enhanced tray passed appetizers for a small and limited audience; Legendary winemakers will be hosting a Panel tasting from 6;30 to 7:00pm exclusively for the vip, showing rare wines from older vintages and discussing topical issues important to the Napa Valley wine lover. All VIPS will also benefit from a nice VIP gift bag.
This event is limited to 350 total guests and, similar to Shade’s past wine events, is expected to sell out immediately.
ABOUT IAN BLACKBURN:
Master of Wine Student and innovative wine industry spokesperson, Ian Blackburn drinks wine for a living. Since it was established in 1995, Ian Blackburn has worked on building Learn About Wine into the leading source for wine education and events in Southern California. LearnAboutWine was the first business of its kind: a wine education and event website dedicated to the education, service, and enjoyment of wine.
Today LearnAboutWine has developed into Southern California’s premier company for wine education and events. Ian continues to innovate and focus on demystifying wine for everyone from the casual drinker to the potential collector. LearnAboutWine events include the wildly successful, monthly “TASTE” Series, a large-scale wine social; “PALATE BUILDER” Sensory evaluation class, VINTAGE – High end collectables tastings and LAW SCHOOL – the four week credential program that concludes with the BAR exam (Beverage Aptitude Review). Over 30,000 students in Southern California have participated in LearnAboutWine’s core class “Wine Camp,” an introduction into wine, and it is considered one of the top introduction courses in the region.
With a database of over 18,000 subscribers, Ian’s following and notoriety has grown with the popularity of wine. He has taught classes at Cordon Bleu, Cal Poly Pomona, UCLA, The Learning Annex, and other prestigious universities. LearnAboutWine maintains an active calendar of classes and events offered to the public, but thrive as a source of private and corporate events. Ian’s clients range from small social clubs and church organizations, to Fortune Five Hundred companies like Amgen, Pfizer, Disney, Nestle, Deloitte, Latham Watkins, Ernest and Young, Bank of America/US Trust/Countrywide, Paul Hastings, Quinn Emanuel and KPMG.
Ian’s passion for wine and entertaining makes him one of the top spokespersons in the United States; he was trained as an educational Ambassador for the Napa Valley Vintners and the Region of Champagne, France. Ian’s expertise and entertaining ways can be heard regularly on Los Angeles radio airwaves likeKCRW, KLOS, KROQ, INDIE 103.1, 98.7 and Ian even appeared as an expert on ABC’s “The Bachelor.” Creating wine lifestyle events in order to get more people involved in the enjoyment and appreciation of wine is Ian’s forte. Commissioned by Wiley Publications to write The Pleasure of Wine in 2004, Ian is currently studying for his Masters of Wine and working on his second book at his home office in Downtown Los Angeles.
WWW.LEARNABOUTWINE.COM
PETER WORK – WINEMAKER, AMPELOS CELLARS
Some dream of spending the rest of their lives on golf courses and cruise ships, but with a taste for business and a love of Santa Barbara wine country, we chose a different retirement plan.
In 1999 we purchased 82 acres in what would later become the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, and named it “Ampelos”, which is the Greek word for vine. The name has a two-fold purpose. First, we believe that all great wines start in the vineyard.
Secondly, we have close-ties with Greece; we were married there and own a small bed and breakfast, called Ampelos Resort, on the island of Folegandros. We bought the land with dreams of someday watching the nightly sunset over the hills and our dogs running through the vines.
At the time we were still working long hours in corporate America, and delegated our son Don (now winemaker at Sea Smoke) to get the vineyard started. Our vineyard consultant assured us that the land could produce a great vineyard with patience and care, but we had little time to focus on the vineyard with non-stop business travel, meetings and conferences.
In 2001, the first 15 acres were planted in the Ampelos vineyard. That same year, we landed in Newark on the morning of September 11th. Peter had a meeting in the first tower of the World Trade Center, and interrupted his plan to board Path 1 of the New York Subway when his meeting was canceled. If he had gotten on the train, 8:45 am would have found him under the towers as the first plane hit.
When we finally got out of the city five days later, we went straight to our safe place—the Ampelos vineyard. That is when we made the life-changing decision to quit our corporate jobs and focus all our effort into pursuing our dream of full-time viticulture. “Someday” was no longer part of our vocabulary.
We moved to the Santa Ynez Valley in January of 2002. We began to learn to nurture the soil and prune the vines to prepare for the first harvest, and purchased one ton of Pinot Noir and two tons of Syrah in order to learn winemaking as we waited for the vines to mature. We toiled under the tutelage of our son Don and several expert consultants.
2004 marked the inaugural Ampelos vineyard harvest. The first harvest yielded 15 tons of Pinot Noir and 6 tons of Syrah. In 2005, we planted 10 acres on top of the original 15, totaling 25 acres. Pinot Noir and Syrah remain our primary varietals, with a line of Viognier and just under two acres of Grenache—the unsung hero of the Sta. Rita Hills. We persist in experimenting with different grapes and winemaking styles, as we are major believers in the journey being the destination.
With the efforts of family and friends, wise guides, and a twist of fate, we have come to create our small, sustainable vineyard and winery. We have gone from expanding big businesses to focusing on creating a limited release of high-quality product that people can afford to share with friends and loved ones. For us, sharing those gifts is what makes it all worthwhile.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
You can depend on Ampelos wine to present the essence of each varietal in its purest form. Our winemaking processes are minimalist, meaning no added yeast, no artificial tannins, no artificial malolactic bacteria, and no artificial coloring. Every sip evokes cool ocean breezes and sunny afternoons wondering at the beauty of the rolling Sta. Rita Hills.
We experiment with both old and new winemaking processes, with eyes always fixed on eco-friendly, natural winemaking. With respect to longstanding winemaking traditions coupled with flexibility, we believe our results will be improvements to the cellar resulting in intriguing and complex wines.
WWW.AMPELOSCELLARS.COM
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