How to NOT Gather over Wine and Spirits

January 15, 2021 by evebushman

We wine (and spirit) drinkers are social beasts. We like to drink with friends, discuss a wine or spirit, and maybe settle in for a lengthy multi-bottle tasting over a long luxurious meal. So the question I had was: What have you done, or would like to do, to enjoy liquor without gathering with friends?

For me I’ve had more time to study wine, and am working on some “single bottle posts” where I dedicate an entire blog post to one wine or spirit. What about you? Here are three answers to my query, each expressing a different idea that I’m sharing with my comments:

This was an all-white party celebrating red wine, and orchestrated by my wine friend Doug Gould years ago. Hope we can all gather together safely soon.

Virtual tasting was Mary G’s choice: I am going to virtually taste with my best friend six different sparkling wines six different days! Since we can’t do together right now.

From EB: That’s a lot of sparkling wine, I hope Mary and her pal have splits as those bubbles won’t keep. But yes, ordering the same wine with a pal, and virtually taste together, mimics a real get together. If it were me I would add tasting notes, and see how they compare.

Also, I love that this is just with one good pal, because if they were doing this with a bunch of people over zoom most would have to be muted. And muting isn’t fun at all in my opinion. When I go to a winery tasting room (or a distillery) I get to talk to a representative, owner or winemaker/distiller. Sure, I need to listen, but then I need to ask questions.

Wine Education is something Cathy M is interested in: Interesting…I want to learn more about LA County’s past involvement with wine and spirits. From what I’ve read LA would have resembled wine growing regions like France. Stupid prohibition.

From EB: I think it would be most interesting to hear from LA County winemakers in a class that also includes flights to purchase. Again, as it’s just going to be me and a bottle it’s a bit much to do alone. Oh yea, and I think prohibition was stupid too.

Note: I know some winemakers are offering zoom classes, and I use LearnAboutWine.com and LocalWineEvents.com for finding those. But most Zoom formats are selling something, which is reasonable. Our wineries are in a hard spot right now and we do want to support them, whether you are offered wines by the bottle or flight, do what suits you and your budget.

Innovative distanced gatherings are what Katy M has been doing: Necessity is the mother of invention. We’ve enjoyed themed dinners over Zoom, gathered regularly at a neighborhood park safely distanced and celebrated ‘next’ to each other on our porches. Having to come up with these solutions has made me appreciate the people in my life even more.

From EB: Katy sounds like the perfect party planner that can adapt to any situation. I adore that she is so involved with her neighbors and community. I think she’s really onto something. Motivating me a bit to try to organize a block party, if we are still on lockdown when the weather warms up, where we each gather in front of our homes/driveways to enjoy a meal and drinks NEAR each other.

Back in March of 2020 I tried to organize a block party and a couple of neighbors strolled by, at a distance. We sat on the curb to chat a little and drink wine. It’s time to get back to that. And to being good neighbors.

Conclusion: Did you notice that Zoom meetings are not the only way to enjoy wines with friends? I did. We also had no clue that this situation would last so long. It’s time to get back to checking in with each other, and talking over some ideas to enjoy wine and spirits without gathering. If you have more ideas please share them: Eve@EveWine101.com

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

The 12th Annual STARS of Cabernet 2020 At Home Edition: November 18th, 20th, and 21st

November 9, 2020 by evebushman

For 11 years – we gathered winemakers from all over the world for one special night in Beverly Hills and celebrated amazing Cabernet. This year, we take the event to ZOOM and bring the event to you wherever you are! We have wine flights or full bottle kits delivered to you – a Cabernet lover’s showcase delivered to your home! Join the winemakers LIVE and taste; join in one tasting or join them all! A silent auction will benefit 501(c)(3) Unite The United for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Single night tickets are $50 with a tasting kit – and that includes delivery in California!

Join all THREE events with tasting kits for $100 – and that includes delivery in California!
www.STARSofCabernet.com for details, wine list, and option to have your tasting kit picked up at TESSE RESTAURANT with a special STARS dinner menu!

THE STARS OF CABERNET 2020 | Wednesday 11/18 at 7pm

Mauritson

PEJU

Crown Point Vineyards

S. R. Tonella Cellars

Reynolds Family Winery

Dusty Nabor Wines

THE STARS OF CABERNET 2020 | Friday 11/20 at 7pm

Blagden Wines

Robert Young Estate

Rocca Family Vineyards

Mullan Road Cellars

Dana Estates

Sullivan Rutherford Estate

THE STARS OF CABERNET 2020 | Saturday 11/21 at 7pm

Hertelendy Vineyards

Carte Blanche

Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate

AXR Napa Valley

Tierra Roja Vineyard

Frank Family Vineyards

Tickets will sell out and prices do increase as the event date approaches – buy your tickets now!

For information and ticket purchasing, please visit STARSofcabernet.com

About Unite The United:

Unite The United Foundation is a public 501(c)(3) non-profit, fundraising organization founded by the producers of the Vans Warped Tour and Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival. Their mission is to encourage fans, artists and industry leaders from the music, touring and action sports worlds to work toward positive change, by supporting local charities, producing events, and participating in community volunteerism events across the United States.

About Ian Blackburn – Founder of wineLA.com and LearnAboutWine.com

Since 1995, Ian Blackburn has focused on improving Los Angeles wine culture through ongoing educational tastings, classes and experiences. Educating and edu-taining with precision, we invite and welcome the best of the wine world to partake. LearnAboutWine was the first of its kind and continues to innovate, fortifying a quality wine audience one class, one tasting, one experience at a time. We are a part of the Los Angeles lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people and the place with passion. The pandemic only made us better, stronger, and now we’re going nationwide!!!
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For more information visit www.wineLA.com or call 310-451-7600.

The 9th Annual “STARS of Cabernet”

November 8, 2017 by evebushman

LOS ANGELES – LearnAboutWine, a wine education and event website dedicated to the education, service, and enjoyment of wine, is pleased to announce a stellar lineup of wineries appearing at the 9th annual “STARS of Cabernet” event on November 15 at One of the top hotels in the Los Angeles area, The Peninsula Beverly Hills.

Facebook Banner “STARS of Cabernet” is the premier tasting of the year that celebrates Cabernet Sauvignon. Over 36 of the best Cabernet producing wineries in California and the world will showcase their Cabernet as well as other wines. Tasting over 100 wines including cabernet and variety of others. Wineries come from Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, France, Argentina and Chile. The only event of its kind in the Los Angeles area, which showcases some of the top bottles of Cabernet.

There will be guest winemakers that will host an intimate VIP reception before the Grand Tasting and share their experiences and expertise with the select crowd. Featuring Wines from: Hess Collection, Hertelendy Vineyards, Metaphora Wines, St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery, Guarachi Family Wines, Garden Creek Ranch Vineyards Winery, Cornerstone Cellars & Clos Du Val.

A silent auction, containing lots of collectable and large format wines, benefits TJ Martell Foundation. The T.J. Martell Foundation is the music industry’s largest foundation that funds innovative medical research focused on finding cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS. The Foundation sources and supports early-stage research projects aimed at developing more effective clinical treatments for patients which otherwise might not be funded. Learn more at tjmartell.org .

Tickets now on sale.
For more information about the event and to purchase tickets please visit StarsofCabernet.com

Stars of Cabernet thanks its’ sponsors: Peninsula Hotel, Los Angeles Magazine, Evian, Robb Report, The Somm Journal & Tasting Panel

Confirmed Wineries:

Addendum Napa Valley

Arrowood Vineyards and Winery

Bernardus Winery Bordeaux

CAMi Vineyards

Clos Du Val

Cornerstone Cellars

Derenoncourt (Montesquieu Winery)

Duckhorn Wine Company D

unn Vineyards

Ehlers Estate

Folio Fine Wine Partners

Frank Family Vineyards Frog’s Leap

Gamble Family Vineyards

Garden Creek Ranch Vineyards Winery

Guarachi Family Wines

Hawk and Horse Vineyards

Hertelendy Vineyards

Hess Collection

Hestan Vineyards JH Collection

La Sirena Metaphora Wines Nellcôte

O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery

Oakville Ranch Winery

Silverado Vineyards

Smoking Gun Wines Spire collection/ Mount Brave Spottswoode/ Pilcrow/ True North

St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery

Stanton Vineyards

ZD Wines, Napa Valley

About Peninsula Hotel:
The only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star-rated hotel in Southern California every year since 1993, The Peninsula Beverly Hills offers 194 guest rooms, including 38 suites and 16 private villas, nestled among lush tropical gardens in the heart of Beverly Hills. The Peninsula is located at the intersection of Wilshire and South Santa Monica Boulevards, within easy walking distance of Century City and Beverly Hills’ legendary Rodeo Drive.

About LearnAboutWine and the new wineLA.com
Ian Blackburn, founder of LearnAboutWine, drinks wine for a living. Since it was established in 1995, he has built LearnAboutWine into the leading source for wine education and events in Southern California and as it turns 20 years old in 2015. To celebrate its 20th Anniversary, LearnAboutWine will get a big facelift and a new brand called wineLA (.com) will take over events and classes in Los Angeles. Ian Blackburn say’s “LearnAboutWine has a higher purpose that we intend to grow nationwide in 2015… an exciting time for us indeed.” Ian continues to innovate and focus on demystifying wine for everyone from the casual drinker to the potential collector and was voted as “One of the Top 5 Places to Taste Wine in Los Angeles” by LAist.com (8/2013). Ian’s passion for wine and entertaining makes him one of the top spokespersons in the United States and currently Ian is studying for his Masters of Wine. Ian’s entertaining ways can heard on YouTube, or on many of Los Angeles radio airwaves; ABC’s “The Bachelor” and on Wealth TV.

Vintage Eve Circa March 2013: A Special Meeting with Santa Barbara, Paso Robles and Napa Valley Producers

March 28, 2017 by evebushman

Vintage Eve Circa Feb 2013: Mosel Riesling MASTER Class

March 7, 2017 by evebushman

The Invitation
A very special and rare lecture and tasting with Raimund Prüm, owner and winemaker at the SA PRUM estate in Germany’s Mosel Valley. SA PRUM ranks among the region’s top producers of high quality Riesling.

Come join us to learn about the history, geography, style and characteristics of Mosel Riesling. We will taste a special selection of classic wines during the class and a different selection at the lunch/tasting to follow.

Raimund Prüm, owner and winemaker of S.A. Prum

Ian Blackburn, our host from www.LearnAboutWine.com, introduced Raimund Prüm by stating that Prüm’s Rieslings were not “sweet wines” in fact when Blackburn had visited “the Mosel” he found that white asparagus was in season and was one of many foods that he was surprised that paired so well with Prüm’s wines.

“Forget everything,” began Prüm, “that you ever learned about Rieslings. Think of this as an outstanding wine grape – and we are going to take you by the hand and down to our cellar to show you what is going on there.”

Prüm’s family dates back to 1156 in the Mosel Valley, 90 minutes from Frankfurt, and Raimund Prüm made his first vintage on Christmas Eve in 1970 – an Eiswein (Ice Wine). By 1971, after his father passed away, Prüm found himself making wine full time. Forty years later Prüm has produced over a million bottles of wine from his 28,000 acres.

Prüm, with the help of a slide show, explained the terroir of the Mosel: Steep hillsides – the highest elevations in all of Germany at 900 feet – and the grey and red slate that can be found layered in the mineral-rich soil.

A notable Sundial appeared on one of the slides, the first one was circa 1842, which marked where the best Rieslings, his Rieslings, were grown. Now that sundial has been duplicated in other vineyards, denoting them as the finest.

The Tasting:
1. Wehlener Sonnenuhr Erste Lage* “Old Vines Grosse Gewachs Dry Riesling 2004

The palest of the line up with lemon, green apple, citrus, very smooth and balanced. The term “Erst Lage” on a label is their version of a “Grand Cru”.

Wehlener Sonnenuhr Erste Lage “Old Vines Grosse Gewachs Dry Riesling 2006

Honeysuckle, jasmine, sharper lemony taste, grass, slightly acidic, long finish.

Graacher Dompropst Grosse Gewachs Riesling 2007

Honeyed-grapefruit, white pepper, dried apricot, pear, a tingling finish and not what I considered sweet. An early favorite for me.

Urziger Wurzgarten Kabinett Riesling 2009

Green hay, a trail mix filled with flavorful dried fruit, tangerine, round and coating on the tongue.

Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese Riesling 2010

Vanilla, peach, like a 50-50 ice cream bar: orange sherbet wrapped around creamy vanilla ice cream, another interesting favorite.

Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Riesling 2009

Candied ginger, pineapple, ripe persimmon and balanced with some spice on the back palate.

Graacher Himmelreich Eiswein 2004

Spice, dried apple slices, golden raisin, tangy edge.

Wehlener Sonnenuhr TBA 2005 *extremely limited and rare

Deep burnt orange in color, and from inches away I could smell orange rind and spice rack, getting closer I detected a silkiness, honey and those golden raisins again.

Conclusion

Balanced. It was the one word that kept coming up as I sniffed, swirled and sampled the Rieslings. And, apparently, it was on Prüm’s tongue as well.

He mentioned all kinds of pairings from cheeses, salads, seafood, pork dishes, filet mignon to Thai food. “These are food friendly wines. Stop thinking red wine and red meat.” In conclusion Prüm said, “Someone once commented to me that my wines have too much balance. Is there such a thing?” No, thank Bacchus, there is not.

About SA PRUM
Family-owned S.A. Prüm, founded in 1911 by Sebastian Alois Prüm, has been in the hands of Raimund Prüm, head winemaker and Sebastian’s grandson, since 1971. Under Raimund’s leadership the property has earned a reputation as one of the most successful wineries in Germany’s celebrated Mosel wine region.

The Prüm family has a rich and ancient history in the mid-Mosel. Here they have owned vineyards in the towns of Bernkastel, Graach, Wehlen and Zeltingen since 1156. Today, the estate comprises 40 acres of vineyards planted principally with Riesling. Over 15 acres of S.A. Prüm’s holdings are located within the famed Wehlener Sonnenuhr (“sundial of Wehlen”) domain.

Named for the historic sundial painted on an outcrop of slate by a Prüm ancestor back in 1842, the incredibly steep Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard is a renowned source of what is arguably Germany’s finest Riesling. Here vines average 80 years and older and benefit from plentiful sunshine – a critical factor in the world’s northernmost wine-producing country. The soil is comprised of layers of finely decomposed, mineral-rich blue slate.

Underneath, deep-lying aquifers provide the vines with adequate water during dry periods.

S.A.Prüm is a founding member of the Association of German Premium Wineries (VDP), a consortium of Germany’s top producers. Raimund Prüm employs organic fertilization, hand-picking and strict yield control to ensure the utmost quality. Day-to-day operations at S.A. Prüm are a family effort. Daughter Saskia Andrea (another S.A. Prüm) is integrally involved and after working at top wineries around the world, is poised to take over the reins from her father.

Jennifer, Raimund’s second daughter, is involved in the administrative side of the business.

www.sapruem.com or www.PalmBay.com

Vintage Beacon Circa 12/2010: Dinner with Chris Phelps, Winemaker for Swanson Vineyards

September 1, 2015 by evebushman

Guests at Ca Del Sole restaurant passed our table and stopped to remark, “Are you having a wine tasting here? We figured with the three magnums on the table…” That what? We’d share? Oh no, I was going to take any extra wine home by employing the old trick of sticking that cork right back where it belonged, slipping it under my arm, getting it into the trunk of my car! They were Swanson magnums!

Okay, back to the dinner.

Winemaking

Napa winemaker, Chris Phelps, was in town for a two-day LearnAboutWine Cabernet event. But, lucky for me, Chris had a night in between the two days to share stories about himself and Swanson Vineyards. (Joining us for dinner was Sippity Sup’s Greg Henry and his friend Helen Melville.)

I had done a little homework on Chris before the evening. I knew that he had worked alongside, and was mentored by, the winemakers of Bordeaux (Christian Moueix and Jean-Claude Berrouet), and specifically, at the famed Petrus.

While on the Right Bank of Bordeaux, Chris learned that Merlot performed at its full potential only if grown under precisely the right conditions. The clay soil it thrives on at Swanson, for example, is critical: the Merlot grape likes the fact that clay meters water out slowly to the vine during the growing season. As Chris put it, “Merlot is a winemaker’s grape,” requiring less technical intervention if it is grown in the right place.

“When grown in clay Oakville soil, the wines have naturally good acidity, color and balance, exactly what we are seeking style-wise for our Oakville Merlot”, says Chris.

When Chris first arrived on the scene at Swanson the previous winemaker had been using only American Oak for Merlot. Chris shifted to half American and half French. This change, coupled with a custom, lighter toast, added more finesse and balance to the oak’s influence on the wines.

Chris is also very passionate about oak. He suggested that I visit a “cooperage” – a place where the barrels are made – to see how flavors such as vanilla, clove and spice emerge in the toasting process. (I can’t imagine pulling myself away from wine tasting the next time I’m in Napa, but he made this idea tempting.)

Swanson Vineyards

Swanson’s 90 Napa acres are attached to a true “family-owned winery,” Chris began. “An increasing number of wineries are owned by corporations.”

One of Swanson’s strengths is that it specializes in only 3 wines for the national – and international – market: Merlot, Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Sauvignon. Many wineries seem to lose their focus as they distribute a range of wines that is always expanding.

“Making white wines for the first time, I decided to make our Pinot Grigio more of an ode to Alsatian Pinot Gris,” Chris said. “We pick it early to lower the final alcohol content, aiming for about 13.5%. We then ferment the juice 100% in stainless tanks and barrels, instead of fermenting in neutral oak, which had been done in the past. We stir the wine on the lees until Christmas, and bottle in mid-February. We find that the wine retains its freshness and fruit much better with these three fundamental changes in our approach to Pinot Grigio winemaking.”

It was interesting that Chris decided to use screw caps for Pinot Grigio to avoid any cork taint at all in his wine, and to keep the wine fresh for at least 2 years in the bottle. He likes to say that, “the crisp break of the cap being opened tells me I should expect to experience a fresh, crisp wine.” I really liked that statement and thought it would read well on the bottle.

Chris also gave me a piece of information as to the cost of Napa wines. He said that the vines in many areas of Napa Valley have to be replanted every fifteen to twenty years due in large measure to leaf-roll virus. The cost for that replanting is definitely something to consider.

Alexis and Merlot

The Alexis Cabernet, a consistently highly rated wine by Wine Spectator magazine, is 90% Cabernet and 10% Merlot, with alcohol hovering around 14%, unfined and unfiltered.

We started with the 04, and I found it had pleasant black fruits in both the aroma and taste, very dry, with a lovely length. Chris obviously brought his Bordeaux style to Swanson with the 10% Merlot he blended into his Alexis Cabernet.

Next we sampled the 05 Alexis. Chris said that this one benefited from a long, cool vintage and, since 05 was a big year for quantity, they thinned more heavily. Chris found the wine “complex” and we agreed that it could compete with any outstanding Right Bank Bordeaux.

The final Alexis was an 06. I noted both anise and eucalyptus on the nose, a dry, tannic mouthfeel and asked Chris how long he would suggest we lay it down for. He thought that it could go 10-20 years, or 30 in a magnum.

The restaurant’s wine list included a 06 Merlot – that’s the one I took home – and I found it to have a lovely balance. Just like Chris.

Perlis Picks: STARS of California

June 13, 2015 by evebushman

Ian Blackburn has been teaching all of us about wine for the last 20 years. First with Learn About Wine and now with Wine LA, he has been teaching classes and putting on events which have been instrumental in turning a lot of wine drinkers into wine lovers.

His “Stars of…” events are legendary and for me the highlight of these is the Stars of California, recently held at the Peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills.

Now there are certainly far too many great wineries in California for all of them to be in attendance, but Ian did his usual great job of putting together a selection to highlight what makes California wine so great. The list of wineries reads like a veritable who’s-who of superstars.

The following wineries were represented:

Foxen

Keller Estate

Miura Vineyards

Truchard Vineyards

Modus Operandi Cellars

Graef Wines

Chesebro

Cole Bailey Vineyards

Cordon Wine

La Rochelle Wines

Law Estate

Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards

Metaphora Wines

Oakville Ranch Winery

Refugio Ranch Vineyards

RN Estates Winery

Robert Biale Vineyards

Saxon Brown Wines

Amici Cellars

Sonoma-Loeb Wines

Ahnfeldt Wines

St. Supery Estate Vineyards & Winery

Valdez Family Winery

Westerly Wines

Alma Rosa Winery

Aloft Wine

Cairdean Estate

Clos Selene

Epoch Estate Wines

Hawk and Horse Vineyards

Cellars 33

Argot Cellars

Beekeeper Cellars

Gentleman Farmer

Kosta Browne Winery

What a list!

Ian Blackburn, STARS of CA 2015

As with almost any event, you can’t taste everything. Of what my wife Karen and I tried, here’s what we liked the best…

Modus Operandi Cellars

I haven’t written about Jason Moore’s wines in some time. I first tasted this Napa Valley winemaker’s wines when visiting Silenus Cellars a few years ago. I really enjoyed his “Vicarious” blend and Cabernet Sauvignon, both from the 2012 vintage.

Jeff Cohn Cellars

Formerly known as JC Cellars, to me this winery does not get nearly enough attention. Jeff is making great wines in the Oakland/Alameda area, sourcing excellent fruit from various outstanding California vineyards. All four wines being poured this evening were delicious: The Imposter Zinfandel Blend, Rockpile Syrah, Botticelli Zinfandel and Misc Stuff [GSM Blend], all also from the 2012 vintage.

Law Estate

What can I say about this Paso Robles winery that I haven’t already said? They came out of the box swinging with their 2010 vintage and really brought it home bigtime with the 2011s. Being poured were the 2011 Intrepid [Syrah] and the Sagacious [Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache], all that is left from the 2011 vintage. The 2012s will be out this fall – don’t miss them!

Oakville Ranch Winery

I was excited to find this new-to-me Napa winery. Although the name may seem nondescript, the wines definitely weren’t. The 2012 Field Blend, 2011 Robert’s Cabernet Franc and 2012 Oakville Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon are all worth seeking out.

Robert Biale Vineyards

I’ve been a fan [and club member] of this Napa “zin house” for many years. Their Black Chicken Zinfandel and R.W. Moore Zinfandel both tasted great. And lest you think they are only about zin, they are doing what they can to put Petite Sirah back on the map. Being poured was the Royal Punishers Petite Sirah [ask me to explain the name sometime] – always one of my favorite “pets” and this was no exception. All three of these wines were from the 2013 vintage.

Valdez Family Winery

Based in Sonoma, this winery not only makes great wine, but there is a wonderful story behind the winery. Owner/winemaker Ulises Valdez came to the U.S. from Mexico to work in the fields and is now a respected vineyard manager as well as an excellent winemaker. The 2011 St. Peter’s Church Zinfandel and the 2009 Silver Eagle Syrah were both excellent.

Clos Solene

It amazes me how Guillaume Fabre continues to make such beautiful elegant wines at his small Paso Robles winery. All three wines he was pouring were amazing and worth finding: 2014 Hommage Blanc [blend of Roussanne and Viognier], 2013 Harmonie [Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre] and 2013 Hommage A Nos Pairs [mainly Syrah with a little Grenache and Roussanne].

Epoch Estate Wines

Continuing the Paso Robles theme, it is hard to find better wines there [or anywhere] than at Epoch. The 2013 Grenache Blanc, 2011 Ingenuity [Syrah blend] and 2012 Veracity [Grenache blend] were all showing very well. And in case you needed another reason to visit, they have finally moved winemaking operations into their new state-of-the-art winery.

Beekeeper Cellars

Ian Blackburn does more than teach us about wine. His Beekeeper Cellars produces some really tasty zinfandel. Both the 2011 Rockpile Zin and the 2012 Howell Mountain Zin are tasting great, showing delicious bold fruit without being overpowering.

Kosta Browne Winery

Kosta Browne participated in the pre-event VIP dinner, allowing us to enjoy their wonderful 2013 One Sixteen Chardonnay and 2012 Cirq Treehouse Pinot Noir.

Speaking of the VIP dinner, I highly recommend that, if you are attending an event of this magnitude, you spring for the VIP experience. Great food, special wines and early entrance to the tasting make the extra cost well worth it.

Kudos to Ian and his team for putting on another great event. And the setting at the Peninsula as well as the silent auction raising money for the TJ Martell Foundation just made it that much better.

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com

LearnAboutWine celebrates 12th Annual STARS of Santa Barbara

January 20, 2015 by evebushman

STARS of Santa Barbara wine tasting at Peninsula Hotel, Beverly Hills

Los Angeles – January 8, 2015 – LearnAboutWine is pleased to announce the 12th Annual STARS of Santa Barbara Wine Tasting at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. Long term industry stallworth, LearnAboutWine (now in its 20th year of service) has been introducing Santa Barbara wineries to key Los Angelenos long prior to Sideways.

Ian Blackburn says “The wines of Santa Barbara rival the best wines in the world, not just the state” and “the community of small producers is what really makes Santa Barbara fun, fresh and cutting edge.”

LearnAboutWine will bring together over 40 top producers for another SOLD OUT affair on January 21st at the Peninsula Hotel. Jonata winemaker, Matt Dees, will be attending and hosting a VIP tasting of his top tier wines, and the lineup of brands participating is set to represent a huge cross section of the best in the business.

Stars of Santa Barbara also informs the masses about the growing refinements in Santa Barbara and in its sub‐appellations; Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, Sta Rita Hills, Happy Canyon and most recently Ballard Canyon! There is always a great amount of change and evolution in Santa Barbara ‐ and if you think you have your hands around it ‐ check back next year its going to grow and change again!

A silent auction, containing lots of collectable and large format wines, benefits TJ Martell Foundation. The T.J. Martell Foundation is the music industry’s largest foundation that funds innovative medical research focused on finding cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS. The Foundation sources and supports early‐stage research projects aimed at developing more effective clinical treatments for patients which otherwise might not be funded. Learn more at tjmartell.org.

Tickets on sale now.
For more information about the event and to purchase tickets please visit StarsofSantaBarbara.com.

Confirmed Wineries so far (over 40 will appear)

Kenneth Volk Vineyards Jonata (VIP)

Brave & Maiden (NEW)

Thorne Wines

Alma Rosa Winery

Santa Barbara Winery

Larner Wine

Cebada Wines

Foxen Vineyards

Kita Wines (New)

Zaca Mesa

Barbieri

Silver

Summerland

Buttonwood Farm & Winery

Coquelicot

Tercero

Shai Cellars

Kaena

Tantara Winery

Bonaccorsi

Jaffurs

Imagine

Dolin

Westerly Wine

LaFond

Clos Pepe

Lindley

Fess Parker

Riverbench

Consilience, Marianello & Tre Anelli

Hilliard Bruce small + tall

La Fenêtre

Rancho Sisquoc

Refugio Ranch

Conarium

About LearnAboutWine and the new winela.com
Ian Blackburn, founder of LearnAboutWine, drinks wine for a living. Since it was established in 1995, he has built LearnAboutWine into the leading source for wine education and events in Southern California and as it turns 20 years old in 2015. To celebrate its 20th Anniversary, LearnAboutWine will get a big facelift and a new brand called wineLA (.com) will take over events and classes in Los Angeles. Ian Blackburn say’s “LearnAboutWine has a higher purpose that we intend to grow nationwide in 2015… an exciting time for us indeed.” Ian continues to innovate and focus on demystifying wine for everyone from the casual drinker to the potential collector and was voted as “One of the Top 5 Places to Taste Wine in Los Angeles” by LAist.com (8/2013). Ian’s passion for wine and entertaining makes him one of the top spokespersons in the United States and currently Ian is studying for his Masters of Wine. Ian’s entertaining ways can heard on You Tube, or on many of Los Angeles radio airwaves; ABC’s “The Bachelor” and on Wealth TV.

About Peninsula Hotel:
The only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star‐rated hotel in Southern California every year since 1993, The Peninsula Beverly Hills offers 194 guest rooms, including 38 suites and 16 private villas, nestled among lush tropical gardens in the heart of Beverly Hills. The Peninsula is located at the intersection of Wilshire and South Santa Monica Boulevards, within easy walking distance of Century City and Beverly Hills’ legendary Rodeo Drive.

Click HERE for photos of past events.

Argentine Wineries come to Southern California in October

September 28, 2014 by evebushman

LearnAboutWine hosts luxury wine tasting at Peninsula Hotel, Beverly Hills

Los Angeles – September 8th, 2014 – LearnAboutWine is pleased to announce a great line-up of Argentine wineries will be pouring Malbec and Torrontes, among other wines at Tasting Argentina on October 22nd at the Peninsula Hotel. This Wines of Argentina sponsored event will feature up to 40 wineries, featuring the best of Argentina.

Tickets on sale now at https://1022argentina.eventbrite.com.

For more information about the event and to purchase tickets please visit learnaboutwine.com.

Confirmed Wineries:

Achaval Ferrer	Alamos Winery	Bodega Argento
Bodega Caligiore	Bodega del Fin del Mundo Patagonia	Bodega Domingo Hermanos
Bodega Luigi Bosca I Familia Arizu	Bodega Vistalba	Bodegas Escorihuela
Casa Bianchi	Clos de Los 7	Dante Robino
El Esteco	Familia Schroeder	Familia Zuccardi
Filus Bodega y Vinedos	Finca Sophenia	Gougenheim Winery
Kaiken	M.P. Wines – Ex Salentein	Monteviejo
Munoz de Toro Wines	Nieto Senetiner	Norton
Pascual Toso	Proemio Wines	Pulentia Estate
Renacer	Vina Cobos	Vinedos Urraca
Vicentin

About LearnAboutWine:

Ian Blackburn, founder of LearnAboutWine, drinks wine for a living. Since it was established in 1995, he has built LearnAboutWine into the leading source for wine education and events in Southern California. Ian continues to innovate and focus on demystifying wine for everyone from the casual drinker to the potential collector and was voted as “One of the Top 5 Places to Taste Wine in Los Angeles” by LAist.com (8/2013). Ian’s passion for wine and entertaining makes him one of the top spokespersons in the United States and currently Ian is studying for his Masters of Wine. Ian’s entertaining ways can heard on You Tube, or on many of Los Angeles radio airwaves; ABC’s “The Bachelor” and on Wealth TV.

About Wines of Argentina:

Wines of Argentina is the organization that, since 1993, promotes the Argentine wine brand and image worldwide, spreading knowledge of the winemaking regions of Argentina. In addition, WofA contributes to direct the country’s export strategy by studying and analyzing changing trends in consumer markets. Its aim is to contribute to the consolidation of Argentina as one of the main wine exporting countries in the world and to the global success of the Argentine wine industry by enhancing its positive image in the wine trade, among opinion leaders and consumers.

About Peninsula Hotel:

The only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star-rated hotel in Southern California every year since 1993, The Peninsula Beverly Hills offers 194 guest rooms, including 38 suites and 16 private villas, nestled among lush tropical gardens in the heart of Beverly Hills. The Peninsula is located at the intersection of Wilshire and South Santa Monica Boulevards, within easy walking distance of Century City and Beverly Hills’ legendary Rodeo Drive.

VIP Guest Winemakers Announced For The 6th Annual Stars of Cabernet, presented by Infiniti of Beverly Hills

September 27, 2014 by evebushman

STARS of Cabernet wine tasting at Peninsula Hotel, Beverly Hills

LearnAboutWine is pleased to announce the sold out line-up of quality wineries attending Stars of Cabernet presented by Infiniti of Beverly Hills on November 12th at the Peninsula Hotel, now includes Alpha Omega winemaker, Jean Hoefliger, and TEXTBOOK winemaker, Jonathan Pey.

Jean Hoefliger is one of the premier winemakers of Napa Cabernet today, and for the second year in a row will be the VIP guest at Stars of Cabernet. Jean Hoefliger was born and raised in Switzerland. His initial experience took him from Switzerland to Bordeaux, and South Africa, making wine at the esteemed estates of Chateau Lynch-Bages, Chateau Carbonnieux, and Meerlust. Completing a winemaking and viticulture degree at the Swiss federal school of Changins, Jean came to California where he spent five years as winemaker for Newton Vineyard before joining Alpha Omega. Jean’s passion, knowledge, innate ability and scientific training puts him in a unique position to take the best grapes of Napa Valley and transform them into wines worthy of world class standing.

Jonathan Pey was born on the East Coast, growing up with a Dutch father. As a teenager Jonathan moved with his family to Paris, France for three years where his cheeseburger and Coca-Cola upbringing collided face-first with the culture of the fine wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux. These influences played important roles in swinging his interests toward the production fine wine. Upon his return to America Jonathan earned a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy, a Masters in Business Administration and attended UC Davis winegrowing courses. Since 1985 Jonathan has enjoyed a broad, successful career in the wine business, tasting, listening and learning while working with some of the leading winemakers in the world; Jacques Lardiére (Domâine Louis Jadot), Christian Moueix (Petrus), Peter Gago (Penfolds) and Mr. Robert Mondavi.

In 2004 Jonathan and his wife Susan founded TEXTBOOK where they today produce small lots of critically acclaimed Oakville, Rutherford and Napa Valley wines. Robert Parker recently noted; “TEXTBOOK is a serious winery with gems in its portfolio that consumers should keep their eyes on.”

These guest winemakers will host an intimate VIP reception before the Grand Tasting and share their experiences and expertise with the select crowd.

Stars of Cabernet is the premier tasting of the year that celebrates Cabernet Sauvignon. Forty of the best Cabernet producing wineries in California and the world will showcase their Cabernet and other wines. Wineries come from Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, France, Argentina and Chile.

Tickets are on sales now. For more information about the event and to purchase tickets please visit StarsofCabernet.com.

Stars of Cabernet thanks its’ sponsors: Infiniti of Beverly Hills, Real Hangover Relief, Infab Corp, Icelandic Glacial, Peninsula Hotel and Los Angeles Magazine.

Confirmed Wineries

Ackerman Family Vineyards	Lail Vineyards	Somerston
Alexander Valley Vineyards	Linked Vineyard	St Supery
Alpha Omega Winery	Mt. Brave	Steven Kent
Anakota	Mullan Road	Tanner Dafoe
Cain Five	Niner Wine	TEXTBOOK
Duckhorn	O’Connell Family Wines	The Farm Winery
Emblem Wines	Peju	Veedercrest
Frank Family Vineyards	Round Pond	ZD Wines
Hawk and Horse Vineyards	Shafer	Somerston
Joseph Phelps	Silverado Vineyards	St Supery
Blackbird Vineyards	Modus Operandi	Le Chanceux
Rocca Family Wines	Gamble	Frog’s Leap
Heitz Cellar	Bacio Divino	Bell Wine Cellars
Jordan Vineyard & Winery	Domaine Barons de Rothschild (Lafite)

About LearnAboutWine and the new wineLA.com

Ian Blackburn, founder of LearnAboutWine, drinks wine for a living. Since it was established in 1995, he has built LearnAboutWine into the leading source for wine education and events in Southern California and as it turns 20 years old in 2015. To celebrate its 20th Anniversary, LearnAboutWine will get a big facelift and a new brand, called wineLA (.com), will take over events and classes in Los Angeles. Ian Blackburn say’s “LearnAboutWine has a higher purpose that we intend to grow nationwide in 2015… an exciting time for us indeed.” Ian continues to innovate and focus on demystifying wine for everyone from the casual drinker to the potential collector and was voted as “One of the Top 5 Places to Taste Wine in Los Angeles” by LAist.com (8/2013). Ian’s passion for wine and entertaining makes him one of the top spokespersons in the United States and currently Ian is studying for his Master of Wine. Ian’s entertaining ways can be heard on You Tube, or on many of Los Angeles radio airwaves; ABC’s “The Bachelor” and on Wealth TV.

About Infiniti of Beverly Hills:

Infiniti of Beverly Hills is located in Los Angeles County and serving customers from all over California was built with one mission – Provide amenities to guarantee customer satisfaction before, during, and after the sale of our great Infiniti cars, and SUVS. If you are looking for a new Infiniti or used car, truck, van or SUV in LA County or other surrounding areas, we are a short drive away and want to earn your business today.

About Peninsula Hotel:

Click HERE for photos of past events.