Learn About Wine Blog

On Thursday, December 15^th, 2011, Ian Blackburn of LearnAboutWine.com hosted a special dinner featuring top wines of Burgundy.

The event was taken place at Michelin 2 stars French restaurant Melisse in Santa Monica.

Ian Blackburn invited a special guest Ursula Hermacinski.   She is an Auction Expert, Leading Voice in Wine, Former Director of Screaming Eagle, Jonada, currently taking role as Senior Advisor at Zachys.

Following is the detail info about the event:

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File Under – Intimate Dinner – Private Room at Melisse – 10 Course Meal – 12 Grand Crus – 1 night only

Inclusive of all wines, tax, and tip, Valued over $1000
$799 – advanced Sale
Vintage Members $749

- Wine List -

Welcome Whites
Dominque Lafon, Mersault “Clos de la Barre” 2002 – Valued at $100
Domaine Faiveley, Corton Charlemagne, Grand Cru 2009 – Valued at $150
Domaine Michel Niellon, Batard-Montrachet, Grand Cru 2005 – Valued at $500
Etienne Sauzet, Montrachet,  Grand Cru 2008 – Valued over $500

Chambolle-Musigny
Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue, Bonnes-Mares, Grand Cru 1990 – Valued at $500
Drouhin, Bonnes Mares, Grand Cru 2007 – Valued at $300
Louis Jadot, Musigny, Grand Cru 2004 – Valued at $400

Vosne-Romanee
Domaine De La Romanee-Conti, Richebourg, Grand Cru 1998 – Valued at $1200+
Jayer-Gilles, Echezeau Grand Cru 1993 – Valued $400+
Domaine De La Romanee-Conti, Echezeaux Grand Cru 2002 – Valued at $1000+

Chambertain and Others
Camille Giroud, Chambertain, 2005 – Valued at $300

One bottle of wine will be opened per guest – 14 guests maximum

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The 10-course menu will accompany 10 of the greatest burgundy wines ever produced.

Menu ”10″ By Josiah Citrin

Amuse
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1. Egg Caviar
Soft Poached Egg, Lemon Crème Fraîche, American Caviar
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2. Wild Japanese Hamachi “Inada”
Fairview Baby Turnips, 7 Year Aged Acquerello Rice, Santa Barbara Uni, Meyer Lemon
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3. Roasted Mushroom Consommé
Lentils de Puy, Black Truffle Mousse
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4. Seared Foie Gras
Quince, Orange and Ceylon Cinnamon
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5. Santa Barbara Spot Prawn
Matsutake Mushrooms, Sunchokes, Roasted Sunchoke Emulsion
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6. Black Bass “En Ecailles”
European Crayfish, Tromboncchino Squash, Lobster Mushrooms, Nantua Sauce
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7. Prime Beef Rib Eye
Braised Swiss Chard, Bone Marrow, Brentwood Corn, Red Wine Herb Jus
Or
Jimenez Farms Lamb
Red, Chiogga and Gold Beets, Nantes Carrots, Portabella Mushroom, Lamb Jus
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8. Fourme d’Ambert
Roasted Flame Grapes, Candied Pecans, Peppered Honey
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9. Chocolate and Caramel Fondant
Hazelnut Crumble, Valrhona Abiano Sorbet, Mochaccino
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10. Second dessert

To read Ian Blackburn’s comments on the wines: CLICK HERE

To see future Vintage Dinner schedule: CLICK HERE

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s most celebrated and important grape varieties, in terms of total plantings and total dollars.

Rivaled only by Merlot as the most planted dark-skinned grapes and gaining ground on Grenache as one of the most planted varietals on earth.

Cabernet serves as a dominate blending varietal backing up a majority of the Medoc/Haut Medoc’s productions and the elite wines or Napa Valley, Chile, and Argentina.

Cabernet is the king of red wine varietal offerings with strong retail, wine by the glass, high volume productions as well as artisan productions with even the highest of price tags.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a relative newcomer onto the world scene of fine red wine production; it did not make its way into the wines of Médoc and Graves until the late-18^th century.   Today, the late-ripening Cabernet is now the dominant varietal on the left bank of Bordeaux and is creeping into the right back as well.

Planted all over Europe, it is the blending varietal with Sangiovese in Italy’s Super Tuscans and stretches from Spain to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Georgia, Russia and Lebanon. In North America, Cabernet Sauvignon has found its niche as a pure varietal in almost every region in California as well as Washington.   In South America, it is seeing a meteoric rise in Chile and Argentina and to a lesser extent Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Peru and Bolivia.

Cabernet Sauvignon’s origin was under much speculation until 1997 when DNA profiling proved that it was the result of a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc; thought to have been a happy accident in one of the many vineyards planted with a mixture of vines.

The distinctive small berries and their high ratio of pip to pulp are the major factors behind Cabernet’s tannic power and structure while the thickness of its dark skins account for the depth of color, ability for long maceration and worthiness of long-term aging.

Cabernet’s most remarkable quality is its signature cassis and blackcurrant fruit, eucalyptus/mint/menthol and green pepper/vegetal like aromas and its sturdy tannin structure.

Cabernet Sauvignon has an ability to convey individual vintage and individual vineyard characteristics and to showcase winemaking and aging techniques and most importantly find a wide audience of eager enthusiasts.

AKA:  Bouchet, Sauvignon Rouge, and Vidure

STARS of CABERNET November 16th at The Peninsula Beverly Hills

Trade Hours 2pm-5pm

Consumer Hours 7pm-9:30pm

Ian Blackburn, CEO of LearnAboutWine.com hosted a rare and gorgeous wine event at the Peninsula Beverly Hills collaborating with top Cabernet Sauvignon producers in California.

More than 200 wine buyers and sommeliers attended the trade portion of the event and for the night event 150 tickets were sold out!

Followings are the 2011 STARS of Cabernet Wine List:

Anderson’s Conn Valley Winery

Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Bernardus Winery

Marinus Estate Carmel Valley 2007

Swan Block Blend Estate Carmel Valley 2004

Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir SLH 2009

Cain Vineyard & Winery

Five, Spring Mtn District, Napa Valley 2007

Concept-The Benchland, Napa Valley 2007

Cuvee, Napa Valley NV”

Cliff Lede Vineyards

Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 2010

Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 2008

Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry 2008

Coup De Foudre

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2009

Cuvee blend Napa Valley 2009

Darms Lane

Bon Passe Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Linda’s Hillside Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Bon Passe Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

David Arthur Vineyards

3 Acre Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley 2009

Elevation 1147 Estate Napa Valley 2009

Dominari

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2006

Merlot Napa Valley 2007

Zinfandel Napa Valley 2007

Rose Napa Valley 2010

Duckhorn Wine Company

Decoy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Monitor Ledge Vineyard 2008

Duckhorn Vineyards Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Farella Vineyard

Estate Bottled Napa Valley La Luce”" Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Estate Bottled Napa Valley “”Coombsville Divide”" Merlot 2007

Estate Bottled Napa Valley “”West Face”" Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

“Alta”" Estate Bottled Napa Valley”" 2007

Frank Family Vineyards

Napa Cabernet

Rutherford Reserve Cabernet

Gentleman Farmer

Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Red Wine 2009

Grassini Family Vineyards

Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Grgich Hills Estate

Fume Blanc Napa Valley 2009

Chardonnay Napa Valley 2008

Zinfandel Napa Valley 2007

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007

Heitz Wine Cellars

Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2010

Chardonnay Napa Valley 2008

Cabernet Napa Valley 2006

Cabernet Oakville Martha’s Vineyard 2006

IDEOLOGY CELLARS

Cabernet Sauvignon Oak Knoll District 2008

Jaffe Estate

Metamorphosis Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena 2007

Transformation Proprietary blend of Cabernet & Merlot St Helena 2008

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2008

Insignia Napa Valley 2006

Insignia Napa Valley 2008

JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery

ISOSCELES (Cabernet, Merlot, Cab Franc) Paso Robles 2008

Cabernet Sauvignon (Cabernet) Paso Robles 2009

SAVANT (Syrah, Cabernet) Paso Robles 2009

Kathryn Kennedy Winery

ESTATE CABERNET Santa Cruz Mountains (Vintage TBD)

ESTATE CABERNET Santa Cruz Mountains (Vintage TBD #2)

LATERAL – 2008 Napa Valley Red Wine

Kelleher Family Vineyard

Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2010

Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville/Brix 2006

Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville/Brix 2007

Knights Bridge Winery

Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley/Estate 2008

Pont de Chevalier Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley/Estate 2008

Pont de Chevalier Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley/To Kalon Vineyard 2008

Lail Vineyards

Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2010

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2008

J. Daniel Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2008

Lancaster Estate

Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2007

Roth Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2008

Mauritson Wines

Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

LOAM 2008

LOAM Suther 2008

LOAM Positas 2008

LOAM Clough 2008

Moone Tsai Vineyards

Cor Leonis Cabernet Sauvignon  Napa Valley 2008

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2008

Howell Mountain Merlot  Napa Valley 2008

Chardonnay Napa Valley 2008

Patland Estate Vineyards

Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyards 2007

Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyards 2008

Syrah Stagecoach Vineyards 2007

PEJU

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007

Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Napa Valley 2007

Porter Family Vineyards

Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville 2005

Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville 2006

Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville 2007

Red Blend Coombsville 2008

Rocca Family Vineyards

Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Napa Valley/Grigsby Vineyard 2008

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa VAlley/ Collinetta Vineyard 2007

Round Pond Estate

Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 2008

Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford 2010

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2009

Rudius Wines

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Panek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena 2009

Signorello Estate

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007

Padrone 2007

Seta 2009

Silverado Vineyards

Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Solo Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Napa Valley 2007

Sylk Cellars

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Carlyn & Barton Vineyard 2007

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Carlyn & Barton Vineyard 2008

Satin Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2009

Tierra Roja

Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Napa Valley 2008

Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Napa Valley 2003

Va Piano Vineyards

Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2007

Syrah Columbia Valley 2008

Merlot Walla Walla Va Piano Estate 2008

Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Va Piano Estate 2008

Venge Vineyards

Bone Ash Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga Estate 2009

Silencieux Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2009

ZD Wines

Chardonnay California 2010

Pinot Noir Carneros 2009

Founder’s Reserve Pinot Noir Carneros 2009

Cabernet Napa Valley 2009

Reserve Cabernet, Napa Valley, 2008

PRESS Recap:

Topix local news

To read the full article: CLICK HERE

Examiner.com

To read the full article: CLICK HERE

Calon-Ségur Vertical Dinner: from 1961 to 2008 vintages

October 20, 2011 6:30 pm at Charlie Palmer in South Coast Plaza

We will be tasting 13 wines of Bordeaux 3rd Growth “Calon-Segur”, from vintage 1961.

FOR TICKETS & INFO: CLICK HERE
—PRESS—

Calon-Ségur Vertical Dinner as seen on Greer’s OC: CLICK HERE to see the article online

On Nov 16^th, LearnAboutWine will host the annual “STARS of Cabernet” at The Peninsula Hotel Beverly Hills.  The Trade hour is 2:00pm-5:00pm, and Consumer Event is 7:00pm-9:30pm.

To see Trade Event detail: CLICK HERE
To see Consumer Event detail: CLICK HERE

— Press —

STARS of Cab as seen on Booze News: CLICK HERE to see article online

STARS of Cab as seen on Examiner.com: CLICK HERE

STARS of Cab as seen on Beverly Hills Courier: CLICK HERE