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About Aaron Pott, Winemaker & Owner
The Inspiration
Mention Paris to most people and you’ll get a rude waiter story; Aaron’s is that he was ten, and the sneering Monsieur brought him wine instead of the milk he had ordered, because milk ‘ees for babies.’
The France Years
Aaron found himself yearning for a French wine adventure. He asked Michel if he could find him a job somewhere. Heeding his master’s call (his mind filled with romantic expectations of pulling hoses around a cellar) he dutifully showed up at the appointed Chateau… only to be taken on as winemaker. So began 6 years of living and working in France, first as Winemaker at Château Troplong Mondot and later director of Château La Tour Figeac.
Back in Napa
Ready to come home in 1998, Aaron phased himself back to California with a stint as Beringer’s “flying winemaker” making wine in France, Italy and Chile. Here’s when he met and wooed his wife, Claire, with his “impossibly romantic” lifestyle, and found another great friend and mentor, Jean-Louis Mandreau (winemaker at Château Latour from 1970 to 1983) who wasn’t so impressed with the lifestyle, but thought Aaron had a lot of potential. Ready to stay in one place for a while, Aaron took over as winemaker for St. Clement in 2001, then in 2004 he moved to Quintessa as winemaker and general manager.
The Rise of Pott
In 2004, we purchased a 76 acre (.2 acres planted) property on Mt. Veeder and began to develop our dream of owning our own vineyards. In 2007 we launched Pott Wine and released our first vintage of Incubo, as well as our first collection of single-vineyard wines in 2009. The 2015 vintage marks the next big milestone for us; when our new vineyard was ready to make wines good enough to carry the purple seal of approval! The 2015 Viognier was released in 2016. The 2015 vintage estate reds, Incubo and Space and Time will be released end of Winter 2018.
**We can accommodate any dietary restrictions with a 72 hour notice.
Location
Located in the heart of the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles, next to Bavel, Girl and the Goat and Blue Bottle Coffee, The Private Event Classroom is the home of LearnAboutWine.com. The 2000 square foot loft space at 530 Molino (number #214) provides an intimate and modern setting to accompany the next steps in your journey into wine. Here you will explore the nuances and bold flavors of wines from all over the world, in a relaxed and discerning environment led by Ian Blackburn. Come and explore a new experience toward gaining an unparalleled appreciation of wine. Please note: there are no tickets available at the door. All tickets to the learnaboutwine.com classroom events must be purchased in advance on the website and your name must be on the guest list for admission. Please bring your id, no one under 21 years of age is permitted in the space.
530 Molino St #214, Los Angeles, CA 90013
View our new classroom here!
HOW IT WORKS:
- Phase One - we get enough support to go forward. We take a non-refundable deposit - this is not the cost of the dinner approx. will hold your space. Should the dinner not hit the minimum - we will refund your purchase. Should the dinner continue, deposit is forfeited if you do not complete the registration.
- Phase Two- we have reached enough reservations to go forward and have signed the agreement with the venue. Event is now rain or shine and no cancellation policy is enforced. We open 1 bottle per guest - maximum 15 guests/15 wines (minimum). We always aim to under promise and over deliver - and bring back of wines should we have an issue; but our policy is that corked wine can and does occur - see our policy - one bottle per paying guest, and price of dinner is not predicted on any one wine remain in place and are accepted at deposit.
- For some events, we will offer companion tickets (please inquire - they maybe sold out at this time) (only available with a full price companion - you will share their wine)
- Once we reach the minimum - we issue invoices that need to be paid inside of 48 hours. Deposit Price of the event includes tax but does not include service and 3.5% credit card fee.
Dinner Policy
All tickets (including deposits) are non-refundable. We can adjust your menu for dietary needs up to 72 hours prior without any additional cost. Wines can change without notice, failure or corked wines do not result in any type of credit or refund. We open one bottle minimum per paying guest, and can reduce the total number of bottles being opened so that the event does not have to cancel should ticket sales not reach potential. Fewer bottles will equal larger pours, so you will get the same quantity of wine and we always open the best wines for the quality of the event. Cancellation due to illness is understandable and appreciated, but does not qualify for a refund. If you are not well, you may ask for the food to be made available for togo or assign your seat to someone else without fee. The perishable nature of our product requires no cancellation, no credit, no refunds for any reason. Cost of ticketing fees and credit card fees are lost at purchase.
About
IAN BLACKBURN
Ian Blackburn, CSW, Event Producer
Ian discovered the wine industry while visiting the Napa Valley as a Culinary Student. Ian moved his focus to the front of the house, while working with Thomas Keller and Joachim Splichal in Los Angeles. Now in his 30th year hosting events; leading trips around the wine world; Ian has published a wine education book and is working on a new one; Ian has his own wine brand called Beekeeper Cellars and has sat for the difficult Master of Wine Exam! Today, Ian is considered one of the region’s best wine educators and works for his 120,000 followers (follow me), visiting vineyards and wine regions and produce over 100 wine classes and events per year for Learnaboutwine.com
