Learn About Wine Blog

On Wednesday September 21^st, 2011, Ian Blackburn of LearnAboutWine hosted a fancy crazy wine dinner at UMAMI Burger, featuring 15 celebrity Cabernets.

The event’s wine list included the CULT wines such as Screaming Eagle, Scarecrow, Harlan, and Araujo which wine collectors, investors, and highly enthusiastic consumers pay unbelievably high prices to obtain.

Wines were divided in three flights and served BLIND.

After each flight, Wine Educator Ian Blackburn explained each wine using the screen.

To pair with those great wines, UMAMI Burger served fantastic house made pickles, two kinds of delicious potato fries with four gourmet sauces, a luxury burger, and tater-tots with cheese!

<First Flight>

The highlights of the first flight were ’91 Spottswoode and ’97 Jones.  ’91 had what could be described as fallen leaves character, a comfortable aroma that can be found in aged wines, while ’97 still displayed a layered aroma of rather fresh forest fruits.

Spottswoode, Napa Valley 1991
(WS 93, $125)

Cakebread, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007
(Valued at $75)

Justin, Isosceles, Paso Robles 2006
(Valued at $100)

Jones Family Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, 1997
(RP 94, $150)

Viader, Red Wine, Napa, 2007
(RP 90, $100+)

<Second Flight>

Among the five, ’04 Araujo was the favorite of the group. Their vineyard, Eisele, is praised as one of the most respected Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in Napa and it shares similar terroir structure as a premier cru Bordeaux.   The wine showed a complex aroma and a great silky texture on the palate.

Melka, “Métisse”, La Mekerra Vineyard, Knights Valley, 2007
(RP 91, $125+)

Araujo Estate Wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Eisele Vineyard, Napa, 2004
(RP 98, $300+)

Robert Foley, Claret, Napa, 2005
(RP 92, $150+)

Pride Mountain, “Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa/Sonoma, 2007
(RP 95, $180)

Scarecrow, “M.Etain”, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, 2008
(RP 93, $300+)

<Third Flight>

Last flight was almost “Where’s Waldo?” game.  The group seriously analyzed which wine would be the $2000 bottle Screaming Eagle.  Screaming Eagle tasted AMAZING. The wine could be described as “kaleidoscopic”, as it displayed almost strangely balanced beautiful complexity and provided evolving new aroma with time to time.

Harlan, “The Maiden”, Napa, 2006
(RP 91, $200+)

Joseph Phelps INSIGNIA 2006
(WS 94 $140)

Quilceda Creek, Cabernet Sauvignon, Galitzine Vineyard, Red Mountain, 2007
(RP 100, $300)

Screaming Eagle, Napa Valley, 2008
(RP 97, $1,450 +)

Scarecrow, Napa, 2008
(RP 93, $500+)

After the third flight, the group enjoyed bonus wines offered by a special guest Ms. Kata Adasz from Hungary.

She poured three beautiful HETSZOLO Tokaji dessert wine 3, 5, and 6 puttonyos (“puttonyos” signifies sugar level and there are level 1to 6, with 6 being the sweetest).

To see this event detail: CLICK HERE

To see LearnAboutWine future events: CLICK HERE

Photo credit: Andrew Hong

Blog: Alice Hama

On Thursday August 25^th, 2011, Ian Blackburn of LearnAboutWine hosted a special wine event at famous luxury hamburger place “UMAMI Burger” welcoming Mr. Dennis Cakebread from Cakebread Cellars as a guest.

The event was taken place at the patio in front of UMAMI Burger.

The night started with a refreshing crisp Sauvignon Blanc, a perfect aperitif for a summer evening.

While we tasted two whites, Dennis explained the history and winemaking process at Cakebread Cellars using the back screen.

Cakebread Cellar was founded by Dennis’s father Jack Cakebread in 1973.

Jack originally started his career as a professional photographer, however after taking his role as a wine country photographer; his passion for wine led him into the art of winemaking.

Jack is one of the most influential men in the California wine industry as he has been serving as a pioneer to introduce innovative farming techniques while maintaining the classic style of quality wines, and to establish cutting edge marketing strategies.

Cakebread Cellars’ wines are highly rated and they are no doubt the one of representatives of quality Napa wines.

At the event following wines were GENEROUSLY poured!

Wine List:

2010 Sauvignon Blanc

2010 Chardonnay

2008 Merlot

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

2009 Zinfandel

2008 Dancing Bear Cabernet Howell Mountain

The first Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from Rutherford, Carneros and Calistoga.  It does not have typical “grassy” character; rather, it has a layered aroma of zesty citrus and a hint of spiciness.   According to Dennis, a small portion of “Sauvignon Musque” a Sauvignon Blanc’s clone is added to give the wine more complexity.

Chardonnay is mainly sourced from the foggy area of Carneros, the area famous for producing sensitive cool climate grapes.   It has aroma of YUBARI melon, bananas, and a varieties of tropical fruits. This Chardonnay is very rich and has round finish attributed from partial malolactic fermentation and the “sur lie” technique.

Merlot is also from Carneros. The wine represents juicy fruits of cherries, plums and red and black berries.  Not like other casual Merlot, it has velvety character and complexity which can be found in an aged Cabernet. Winemakers use special Bordeaux juice extraction technique to fully develop Merlot’s potential attractiveness.

Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from multiple microclimates from warm Calistoga to cool Carneros. The wine has true Napa expression, with rich and opulent fruits aromas and flavors commingled with forest aromas such as cedar, sandal wood, and juniper.  Tannins are soft and provide comfortable finish.

Zinfandel is mainly sourced from Red Hills in Lake County, the area known for premium Zinfandel.  This Zinfandel displays black cherry, plum, and black current aromas and flavors followed by exotic spices and licorice hint.  It is very round and well-stretched on the palate and has long elegant finish.

Dancing Bear Cabernet shows more Bordeaux elegance. The grapes are sourced from Howell Mountain, higher elevation area. The wine has a pure acidity providing longer aging potential.  On the nose, beautiful forest fruits aromas are followed by complex “bouquet garni”.  Rich in concentrated fruits flavors yet elegant on the palate.  It shows evolving aromas as it spends time in a glass and has very long finish.

To see the event detail: CLICK HERE

To download the Cakebread Event Wine Mat: CLICK HERE

To see future LearnAboutWine events: CLICK HERE

Photo credit: Andrew Hong

Blog by: Alice Hama

Ian Blackburn, Founder of LearnAboutWine hosted this year’s first Sake Event “Top Sake with Kurtis Wells” on Sunday August 21^st at Aburiya Toranoko, Downtown LA.

The guest teacher Kurtis Wells is a Beverage Director & Mixologist at Aburiya Toranoko Sushi Bar & Izakaya and has a broad knowledge in Sake characteristics and how they are made.

He is one of the pioneers to educate and promote sake to the American community and he describes Sake as “the most amazing alcohol beverage on the planet”.

With increasing appearance of Sushi and other Japanese meals in the current restaurant world, Sake has secured a position as one of trendy alcohol beverages in the United States.

But what is Sake anyway?

Sake is a rice-based alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin.  In English, it is often referred to as “rice wine” but it has higher alcohol than wine and its brewing process is more like that of beer.

Sake’s aromatic components vary through fermentation process or by way of processing rice, therefore some Sake share similar aroma profile with certain high quality white wines.   This is one of the reasons that Sake gained fans from white wine lovers.

Kurtis explained how Sake was born and the history back in Yayoi Era (B.C.300 – A.D.300) where Sake was used only for a religious purpose.

Then the group went over Sake jargons such like “Junmai”,“Honjozo”, “Daiginjo” and tasted and compared how each differs from the others.

Sakes were paired with special 5 Japanese dishes prepared by Japanese chefs at Toranoko.

Sake List:

Hideyoshi Namacho Honjozo    (300ml)

Ichishima Tokubetsu Honjozo (720 ml)

Dewatsuru Kimoto Junmai   (720 ml)

Manabito Ginjo (720 ml)

Manabito Kimoto Junmai Ginjo (720 ml)

Chokaisan Junmai Daiginjo  (720 ml)

Minato Harbor Tsuchizaki  Yamahai, Nama Genshu  (720ml)

Ichishima Silk Delux Junmai (500 ml)

Sake with “Junmai” in the label, meaning the Sake is made only with rice, water, yeast and koji, seemed to express more fruity characters where the sake with the listing of only “Honjozo” or “Ginjo” that have a small amount of distilled alcohol added during the process had more depth and body. (*note the definitions may vary depending on regions or tradition)

The tasting group liked Nigori very much, the unfiltered Sake with a soft texture.

It was a rare and special opportunity to taste and learn the basics of Sake from the expert.

Kurtis is working on Sake Program where he teaches details of each Sake category. Check his program at Aburiya Toranoko, Downtonwn LA!

Also, CLICK HERE to see LearnAboutWine’s upcoming events!

Click to download the class brochure: Sake Class Brochure

Blog by Alice Hama

Ian Blackburn, Founder of LearnAboutWine hosted an advanced wine tasting class “Palate Builder” at the Bluewater Grill in Tustin on Wednesday August 10^th from 6:45pm.

The class was featured in “Greer’s Daily Dose of OC”

“Want to learn how to taste wines like a pro? Attend an advanced Learn About Wine event at Wednesday at 6:45 to 9 p.m. at The Bluewater Grill at The District at Tustin. At the Palate Builder class, hosted by wine expert Ian Blackburn, you’ll learn how to decipher the smells, flavors, and tastes of up to 20 diverse wines. Costs $95 per person; or $69 for an advanced online special. Just use code word “FAN”. LearnAboutWine members pay just $49. On the wine menu you can try artisan reds and whites including single vineyard wines, old versus new world reds.”

To read the full advertisement: CLICK HERE

LearnAboutWine’s  Tequila Event was featured in Urban Daddy!

“Tequila Tasting at Lexington Social House

An Exclusive Night Of Drinking A Whole Lot Of Tequila

Sunday, August 14—we hope you’re free. Because Perks is getting you into an exclusive tasting event at Lexington Social House. You’ll try 10 tequilas, enjoy small plates and commisserate with your host: Playboy scribe and occasional Conan guest Dan Dunn. But we had you at 10 tequilas”

For more information on this event: CLICK HERE

To read Urban Daddy’s page online: CLICK HERE