Ian Todd Blackburn, Wine Entrepreneur

Being a wine anything wasn’t part of the original plan - and when you're raised in a military family, drinking wine may not be the first idea that comes to mind, either. Ian discovered the wine industry at the ripe age of 21 and didn't consider it a career option, but working for top chefs in the formidable dining rooms of early 1990s Los Angeles blew doors open - leading Ian to a career in wine education.

In 1995, he started the internet’s first website dedicated to teaching the world about wine: LearnAboutWine.com. Hosting 100 classes a year for about 20 years – Ian is finally starting to get the hang of this. In 2009, Ian and his best friend Clay Mauritson started making wine together: BeekeeperCellars.com; while this brand remains a small production, Ian hopes to grow Beekeeper Zinfandel into something special.Working with and around great wine brands for most of his adult-life, and leading wine tours and culinary adventures around the world - Ian loves to share his story and his passion.

When Covid shut down his wineLA.com event business, Ian pivoted full circle and restarted LearnAboutWine.com and launched ZoomIntoWine.com as a way to bring his version of wine education and entertainment to a limitless audience. With his family’s wine store Merchantofwine.com, virtual wine tastings with wine delivered "at home"; is the latest chapter in the evolution of Ian’s dedication to wine education and the wine lifestyle. This bio is a work in progress…let's see what the next vintage provides. In the meantime, Ian continues to study for his Masters of Wine and to write his next book about his journey.