A long-term lurker on the message board. Just want to say how much I appreciate (though my wallet says otherwise) everyone’s participation and postings on this board as it has really helped with my entry into the wine world. I have been able to try so many different wines that I would have never known based on suggestions I’ve come across on this board.
I am very much a wine novice at the moment and looking for opportunities to expand the breadth of my knowledge and experience with wine. I have seen an organization called wineLA that has put on various wine events in the Los Angeles area. I have not been to any but seeing if anyone has heard about or experienced any of the events they have put on - particularly their WineCamp and Palette Builder events. Any thoughts or other Los Angeles wine suggestions would be much appreciate, thank you!
Welcome to the board, Benny. What part of LA are you in? Have you considered organizing or trying to join people’s offline groups? That’s going to be your best way to learn and always a fun way to meet other people from the board. Try posting an event in the Offline Forum. I’m sure you’ll catch a few takers that way.
Thank you for the replies and great ideas. I live in Downtown LA so I imagine there are some nearby people out this direction. Looking forward to my continuing the wine journey!
Yep. And let us know. There are a lot of people from this board in or near LA. There are a lot of events, especially in the fall, so you should have a lot to keep you busy right now.
I haven’t been so can’t speak directly to how they are run. But I’d recommend you at least go to one and see if you like the format and what not. If you do please report back on how it was. I’ve gotten some of those emails and was curious.
You should also look into what wine stores around you put on wine tastings. They are a great way to try a bunch of different things, usually for a modest price.
Benny it has been many years since I have been to an event, but when I was first getting into wine they were extremely helpful! Since it has been so long I cannot suggest any one specific class, but I can say that I loved the events I went to…
I’ve been to a few events and I think it’s a great way to get exposed to a lot of different wines. They serve the wines blind, 3 at a time, and usually have 20 wines or so to try. The format allows for discussion/interaction with other attendees and you could probably mind like minded people to drink with later on. I’d definitely give it a try.
I know the company and Ian quite well. He’s very good at whay he does and offers all kinds of classes. He also puts on a number of different events, and you may be able to help with those, thus allowing you to try more wines . . .
Thank you all for the further insights and suggestions. Sounds like these events have lots of potentials for someone like me and Ian sounds like a great guy. I will definitely attend one of their events in the near future and will update the board on the class in case anyone is interested.
Also, thank you for the suggestions about the various wine stores that may offer up tastings. I’ve been to K&L in Hollywood several times to make purchases and know that they offer up tastings. I’ll also try to make it out to the tastings that they hold every so often.
There is a wonderful event taking place this Saturday at UCLA called La loves Alex’s Lemonade. It is a benefit to raise money for Pediatric cancer research. There will be a number of wineries pouring as well as Brokers and Distributors pouring lots of import wines. And the food should be tremendous as there will be a number of high-end chefs there as well. Just something to consider.