I thought this was a lot of fun. I went with my boyfriend and we had a ball. something different and they do educate you. The wines are good and it was worth the price. Too bad they are not in Hollywood! Traffic was a drag. read more

My wife and I went to Ian's class at the fabulous EatDrinkAmericano restaurant in downtown. Wow were we impressed, excited, and pleasantly satisfied with the evening event. We went this past Friday night and learned a lot about wine, drank some good American wines, ate some good cheese and enjoyed some casual banter with other classmates. It is a great date night and actually several people came to the event as singles... Our class was about 30 or so and created some great synergy. Ian is a wizard of wine and will continue to become more well known in the wine community. Thank you! read more

My wife and I attended a Learn About Wine Event last night and had the best time. What a treat! Ian, the host, was extremely knowledgable. Yet more importantly for our date, he made the evening fun! I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun evening and a creative way to learn about wine. read more

I've been to 3-4 events and they've all been excellent. Ian is passionate about wine and extremely knowledgeable. He's very pleasant, and you can tell he genuinely enjoys teaching people about the joys of wine. Considering he routinely pours some very spendy bottles at these classes, I've found them to be a great value to me. He pours wines I can't just go out and buy and drink at home. I will be going to many more LAW events. read more

I took my first Learn About Wines class this past weekend and was not disappointed. We were a bit late to start, but once Ian got going we were full steam ahead. I took the Business 101 class at the owner's live-work loft and found the class both informative and motivational. I intend to take more classes from LAW so I can be exposed to some great wines and meet other people interested in the wine bisiness. I didn't know what to expect and the location was a bit strange . . . but it all worked out. Give this local small business a try - they are a great resource to our city. I highly recommend this class to anyone interested in learning more about finding a roll in the wine biz. read more

I loved wine before I met Ian Blackburn of Learn About Wine. Now I love wine and know a lot about wine thanks to Learn About Wine. I've taken many classes and gone to many events. Not once have I said to myself that it wasn't worth the price of admission. Every single class has been fun, educational, and inspiring. I've even gone to repeats of the same class because it was that much fun. We wish we had more time and money to go to more events! read more

Best bang of the buck, wine tasting course yet. Ian Blackburn is the man. I went to an event with some high end tasting stuff, like Chateau Margaux, and other Bordeaux. Lots of cheese, crackers, and things to help pair and taste. Also went to one of the bigger tasting events, where there were various wine vendors from Santa Barbara at the cushy Peninsula Hotel. Unlimited wine and unlimited prime rib to rival the mighty Lawry's? I'm no wine expert, but Ian offers a very enjoyable way to get exposed to so many different wines. read more

I really like this wine class. I took my friend come with me together. The class is very informative. WineLA is very professional and have good reputation in this business. I enjoy the class very much here and will recommend my friends come too. read more

I attended a LearnAboutWine class last week entitled, Wine 2.0 - Greatest Hits of Europe. Getting to taste 12 wines+ Hilarious anecdotes from the instructor, Ian Blackburn + Boutique quality, artisan cheeses = an experience I wouldn't mind repeating several times over! read more

I have attended numerous wine classes since 1999. Ian has been a wonderful host and teacher. He is very knowledgeable about wine and his classes are very informative. I have traveled numerous times to Napa Valley with wineLA and internationally in exclusive wine trips. These trips have always been first class and the experiences were one of a kind. I enjoy spending time with Ian and his wife Alice and look forward to more wine events and wine travels read more

A great way to learn about wine! I attended the Wine, Chocolate, and Cheese class and it was fun to sample different wine and complementary food. Ian is extremely knowledgeable and describes all the wine in detail. The location of the classes is a cool downtown loft which is very relaxing and cozy. You should check out a class or two if you're interested in learning more about wine and want to have a great time doing so. read more

Took the Intro to Wine class with my boyfriend and loved it! Ian was kind enough to help us reschedule when my boyfriend got too sick to attend our original booking. The class was informative, fun, and peaked my curiosity to learn more! I can't wait to use some of my newly learned information at my next dinner party. read more

I went through LAW school and loved every minute of it. I learned a lot about wine, so much so, that I could tell when they tried to slip me a Chardonnay instead of a Gewurztraminer at the Grove. Highly recommended, but plan to study! There's a lot of reading, but worth every page. read more

I went to Loft 218 for Learn About Wine's Girls Only Truffle Making Class. We watched Clemence Gosset of Gournmandise Desserts make two types of truffles and toffee as well. At the same time, we were served five different wines which were all fantastic. I arrived about 5 minutes late for the class. As I was seated, we were served brownies, cookies and wine. The problem that I have with the class is that we had to wait for everyone to show up before we started. It was nice to mingle and snack but I don't think it's right to have to wait for everyone whose late. Sure I was late and I think it's ok to wait 5-10 minutes before you start but there's no reason to sit idle for 20+ minutes. Anyway, other than that, the class was fabulous. Clemence is super knowledgeable about baking and we asked her everything from how to make buttermilk to the difference between baking soda & baking powder. I was impressed by her positive attitude (she burnt the sugar on accident, but she didn't make a fuss about it & started over again) and her depth of knowledge. The baked goods she served us while we were eating were delicious and I could tell that she's great at baking. I love truffles but I didn't realize how messy truffle making really is. Everyone's hands were covered in chocolate and many people got it on their clothes. read more

This review is for the SummerTASTE Wine and Barbeque event at Santa Monica Place only. I have had many previous positive experiences at Learn About Wine Events. However, this one was very poorly planned. Several of the vineyards actually ran out of wine which was surprising given that I dont believe the event was sold out. I can't blame this on Learn About Wine as those representatives should have planned better. What I do hold Learn About Wine responsible for was the disasterous food situation. This was supposed to be a BBQ event. The food was a small table hosted by La Sendia Mexican restaurant which had chips and dip and small fried empanadas made of beef and pork (hardly BBQ). You had to use a meal ticket to even obtain some chips and other than the empanadas (which I couldn't eat due to the pork) there was no other food (and you were only allowed to go through the food line one time (the line took 15 minutes to get through). They ran out of the empanadas (which were later replaced by a single slider) so many times that the line continuously stalled and was always at least 20 people long. If they knew that they had failed to obtain adequate food sponsorship for the event then they should have at least gone to Costco and gotten some cheese and cracker platters and some type of dessert to place on a self service table. While I don't expect any substantial food at one of these events, we were so hungry that we had to leave early and go to Ozumo to get something to eat. Needless to say, I won't be attending any more SummerTASTE events. read more

First of all... single ladies, the owner/instructor Ian Blackburn is CUTE! You go to take a gander at him and stay for the wine! If you're not single, even better their events are great date experiences! If you live near LA and want to plan a nice romantic, fun wine weekend without having to go all the way up to Napa, then Learn About Wine is the place for you! Go to LearnAboutWine.com and sign up for an event you would like to attend, then coordinate with your significant other, plan your weekend around it. Check into one of the great downtown LA hotels (I like the JW Marriiot/Ritz Carlton, Wilshire Grand or The Standard) and do the downtown shopping thing in the morning and have a great brunch, then go to your Learn About Wine event where you will not be disappointed. First of all, you will never have a more fun time learning about wine. It's a great date! You get to dress up in fancy clothes, meet great people, and get some really useful knowledge about wine and maybe even start an impressive wine collection of your own. Learning about wine is about as impressive as learning a new language and not as difficult! You will become a better host/hostess of your own parties and you'll be an asset at fancy-dinners if you are with people who don't know much about wine. You owe it to yourself to at least learn the basics of wine and what you like. Learn About Wine makes becoming a wine aficionado very fun and easy. The pricing makes it accessible to everyone! The thing that makes Learn About Wine events truly impressive is the people that the events bring together. I met Max Riedel of the famous Riedel wine glass company at one event because he was the guest speaker. At another event, Dr. Dre and Timbaland were there with their wives. Ian knows the most fascinating people and by the end of the evening, you'll know them too! Depending on the time the class ends, everyone goes out to eat at a nice restaurant together! Too much fun! read more

I went to a Learn About Wine TASTE Sonoma event at the A+D Museum (Architecture and Design Museum) and LACMA. I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it because they had many Pinot Noirs on their list and I don't really like it because it takes like wood to me LOL. I got to taste several others and my favorite was Pinot Gris and all their sparkling wines. I had a great time, I learned a lot more about the different types of wines. The food was good too and the music was awesome since indie 103.1 had a guest DJ that night. I didn't think I would be able to get drunk at a tasting event but my friends and I were pretty wasted by the end of the night. Good times!!! read more

Pass on this unless you want to watch YouTube videos for 90 minutes. Learned nothing new from this class. Very disappointing.

This event was a pleasant surprise! I was a bit unsure as I waited in line with 200 other people trying to get in. I figured it would be overcrowded and stuffy. But as I got in, it was very spacious! The setting was amazing! Not only were you able to sample amazing wine but you also got to look at gorgeous furniture. The event was very well spread out and the lines for sampling were not that long. There was also an nice array of food sampling, but be warned they are the first tables to run out. This is a great place to take a date or for impressing your friends that are visiting. This is a definite must for the people who get bored with just going to bars! read more

oenophile playground tastings and classes and trips always satisfy read more

Learn About Wine has been on my radar since I went to my first "beginners" wine class with Ian Blackburn a couple of years ago. It was at Josie's Restaurant in Santa Monica, and it was a great way to ... guess what ... learn about wine! I was a total wine dummy back then, though I knew I like to drink it! Now, I actually work at a wine store and still go to Ian's events once in a while. I've been to a couple of those TASTE series events at HD Buttercup that others mentioned, and they were a blast. Tons of wines to taste, good food, good music, great crowd. Everybody is friendly... especially when you get to the third or fourth table. The classes are great too. I've taken the beginners class twice (Hey, it was YEARS apart, and I needed a refresher), the Passport to Wine international wine class, and been to two TASTE events. All have been fun, educational, and a great way to gain exposure to new, reasonably priced wines. Definitely recommend LearnAboutWine and you sign up for their classes online at www.learnaboutwine.com. They also have an email newsletter with updates about new classes. I really want to try the Wine on the 101 class where they load everybody up on a bus and cruise to all of the wineries on the 101 up to Santa Barbara. That's my kinda field trip! read more

Just got back from Wine Camp. I took a class senior year of college, learned some stuff, I'm sure... none of it stuck with me. The way Ian talks about wine will stay with you, and his goal is to get people interested in wine. It was well worth the money, and may have gotten me addicted to this whole series of classes. We tasted some great wines, met some great people, and left happy, even though it was in a scary part of downtown. read more

If you want to take a class to learn about wine, or go to a wine tasting event, you should attend one put on by Learn About Wine. I have been to a number of Ian Blackburn's events. I find them extremely well staged, with top wine producers present and available for questions. At each of his events I have been impressed by how well-attended they are and how much those in attendance were enjoying themselves. read more

Ian Blackburn does not know scotch. Pro: Great location, Ian is a nice guy Con: Incompetent teacher, under prepared 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: -----"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. 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.)"----- Really nice guy, but don't quite your wine job Ian. I hate to be a Richard, but people need to be warned. read more

The class i took was a "Girls only cupcake cooking class" This was a good event for a midday fun with the girls. It was informative and creative. It was more of a sit down lecture type of thing, I was disappointed because i was hoping it would be more hands on as in actually mixing batter and baking the cupcakes, but instead we just decorated it. This was my first time at Loft 218 so i didn't know what to expect. But still had a great time, especially for those wine lovers. It was great to be able to add a new wine to my list of favs. read more

Ian knows so much about wine, I trust my wine decisions with his artful knowledge!

First off i'll say that at the wine camp I attended i did learn about wine. the staff is helpful and friendly . The people i was sitting with were fun to talk to and the cheese that was served for the wine pairing was very nice. The wine selection was balanced and very tasty read more

I went to a Wine and Chocolate tasting at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and it was excellent. The wines were varied and wonderful. The most delicious chocolates I've tasted in a long time, and really great brie and cheddar. An unexpected treat was the gourmet macaroni and cheese appetizer. What a decadent and delicious evening. I highly recommend it. There were some really nice people there too - if you had the tawny port more than once you know who you are! Refined surroundings, a crowd that wasn't stuffy, plenty of great wine and food. Loved it! read more

Learn About Wine is definitely a unique experience. Last night my husband and I attended the "Valentine Wine, Cheese and Chocolate" class. I purchased our tickets of Goldstar, so we got a bit of deal. Overall I would definitely say this was worth the $90 for two people. The loft location was great - cool and intimate. The teacher was very knowledgeable and made great recommendations. We tried 10 wines, 5 cheeses and 5 chocolates. There were some great pairings. Since we were the last class of the day, the teacher put on music afterwards and let us revisit the wines we liked until he ran out. I really enjoyed how different this was - really great date night idea! read more

I've been to so many Learn About Wine events, I can't even begin to count them. Ian's events are always an amazing value, informative, and most of all, FUN. Whether at Loft 218 downtown, or any of the many high end venues he sources out, you'll have a great time. read more

Finally! Wine classes that are affordable, fun and practical in SoCal! Ian knows his wine and he presents the class with knowledge, expertise, and practical information about wine. He's engaging and funny too. Highly recommend for those who's been looking to learn more about wine tasting. Looking forward to doing more classes with Ian! read more

Really enjoyed attending the class and was impressed by how knowledgable Ian was. The wines we sampled were fantastic and I was amazed by how much I liked the cheeses we sampled as well (I normally do not eat chesse by itself). I definitely plan to go back in the near future for another class. read more

My first experience with Learn About Wine was over 8 years ago. I have recently started enjoying their events again and I must say that Ian, the owner, is super knowledgable about wine and a wonderful host. The events are always organized and people are made to feel very welcome. I highly suggest L.A.W. for both educational and social events. read more

I've been going to Learn About Wine tastings for years and have loved every one. They are fun, informative, and the wine is delicious!. Plus Ian Blackburn is a true professional. The LAW founder/instructor/guru leads sessions with class and tremendous expertise. If you can, get a taste of his Beekeeper Zin! Highly recommended. read more

I took the Chocolate, Wine and Cheese class with Ian Blackburn. Excellent class. Ian had videos and maps and handouts and everything you would want to know about wine. He is a great instructor and the class was so enjoyable I didn't want it to end. He selected some great wines, most at a good price point. The cheeses he selected were just as good as the wines. The Cheesecloth Cedar from Cabot is one of the best cheeses in the world for a reason. I like getting Learn about Wines emails for local tastings, I just wish they weren't during the week or so far from my work. Ian also sends out youtube videos for new wines he recommends! read more

Ok, so looking at the calendar... it's been AGES since the Malibu Wine Classic, but like a good wine - my memory gets even better with time! It was such a great event that I feel like it's worth a late post for those that may be considering attending next year. What a perfect way to spend an afternoon. Not only was the picturesque setting something worth celebrating, the amazing wines and foods from local Malibu eateries kept us toasting the good life all afternoon! Seriously, you don't know how good life can be until you're sipping endless supplies of California's finest wines, surrounded by the Beautiful People in Malibu. Whether you are a future sommelier or just a person who enjoys tasting great wine and hanging with friends, this is an event worth planning on! See you next year. read more

Attended and enjoyed tremendously the "Wine Business 101" class last Saturday. The 3-hour seminar was packed with helpful information. Instructor Ian Blackburn was very knowledgeable and personable. It is also nice to have the handout material emailed to each attendee in electronic format with all the hyperlinks. Last year I took a wine trip from Learn About Wines, and it was very nice too. read more

Tons of events, opportunities to learn and great people. So good I joined the Vintages club to take advantage of even more ! Thanks Ian. Great Job read more

Thank you Ian... My husband started drinking wine because of you...THANK YOU...I've been trying for years. We have attended several of your events, now...watch out wine enthusiast...here comes Paul. Tasting at dinners, choosing wines, asking questions...now I find him in the Costco Wine Department...reading labels. Thank you for your knowledge and your presentations which are always fun to attend. Eileen read more

We attended the "Palate Builder" class at Josie restaurant on 5/19. We had a great time. There were 18 wines on a list, and they poured 3 at a time and you had to try and guess which each one was. Some they would give clues on, others you were left to sniff and drink it out for yourself. Descriptions were given of all the wines on the list before we started tasting. Very fun social experience, working with our "team" (the other folks seated at our table) to figure out what we had. As a wine lover, this is a really great way to improve your knowledge and enjoyment of wine. The 18 wines they served were all very interesting and very good. The one thing about Learn About Wine is that they are always bringing wines to the table that you would never come across on your own. After the event we stayed in the restaurant to have dinner and Ian, the owner of Learn About Wine, gifted us some of the leftover wines from the class to enjoy with our dinner. How great was that! Another great experience with Learn About Wine. This was around our 10th event with them and we have loved them all. read more