Learn About Wine

05/30/10

Ian Blackburn does not know scotch

by ipsoZoltar

Sorry to stick a fork in it, but I recently attend Ian’s “Scotch School” in Downtown Los Angeles (provided through LeranAboutWine.c-o-m) and was so underwhelmed I figured I better warn would-be scotch enthusiasts from signing up. I’m confident his WINE classes/information is great, but stay away from the scotch class. Here is an expert from an email I sent to a friend just after the event:

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“If I were to sit down and pencil out a silly SNL skit it couldn’t be worse – like the guy next to me having so much cologne on I couldn’t taste anything but that. Like the instructor showing up in a kilt with a foot long feather in his cap and wingtips, playing new age Irish music while slowly mispronouncing almost every Gaelic-esq word (multiple ways) including “Islay” and “Laphroig” 30+ times, and providing the class with factual errors (almost like he knew it) while speaking over an unnecessary mic/amplifier system, and showing a ppt slide presentation in a fully lit room so no one could see anything (albeit apologetically) - providing pages of interesting words but no handouts – precious lost information. He bumbled along in the tasting reading scotch descriptions (squinting, word-for-word) from some website. He insisted that Laphroig was “the most peaty scotch”, which is ignorant overstatement. He also had numerous bumbling missteps in talking about the technical process in making scotch.

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Amateur night, all the way down the line – what is worse is that he knew it. I wish I had video recorded it and put it up on YouTube for you. I wish you were there so it could have been funny instead of so pathetic. (So ... It wasn’t entirely worthless; it can always serve as a bad example.)”

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Really nice guy, but don’t quite your wine job Ian. I hate to be a Richard, but people need to be warned.

• Pros: Great location, Ian is a nice guy
• Cons: Incompetent and under prepared teacher

09/17/09

BEST WINE EVENTS!

by FRED123

I've been to 2 of their wine events so far. I love their wine events! They are so detail oriented, and full of knowledge. I had such an amazing time! They made the evening such a blast!!!

• Pros: Very professional!

09/05/09

My favorite wine? What ever I have in my glass!!

by wineman4u

Ian Blackburn and his LearnAboutWine events have allowed me to combine my interest in wine with photography. I shot for Ian 3 years because of the exposure I was chosen to be the official photographer for the 2005 American Wine & Food Festival

Now my love for wine has taken me to the next level. With IB's help I got a gig in the wine industry & I am now selling the best wine in the world. Ian is a knowledgeable and well respected name in So Cal wine. Attend any events @ LAW and you will have a great time, tell friends, bring a friend, you will be glad you did, I was.

See LAW event photos goggle. m3pixs.smugmug. LearnAboutWine file

Cheers

DD

• Pros: Learning was never tastier
• Cons: My glass is MT

08/31/09

Wine is best served with some friends

by spongebob68

Ian is by far one of the most knowledgable wine educators I've ever met. Not only does he know what he's talking about, but he loves his work and the people surrounding the business. Do yourself a favor and bring some of your friends out to one of his events. You won't regret it!

• Pros: Very easy going and comforatable environment

08/29/09

Great way to learn about wine

by eyewell

I have been going to Ian's classes and events for 7+ years. To this day, most of what I know about wine, I have learned in his classes, or on his field trips to Santa Barbara wine country. All ages and levels of knowledge are welcome, and while his classes are fun and informative, the wine-related events that he organizes are a great day out with social fun people.

• Pros: unpretentious, informative, social
• Cons: only in LA