Testimonials
“Ian was selected as the Distinguished Alumnus in 2008 at Cal Poly and we are pleased to see his efforts continue to grow the future of the industry.”
Andrew Hale Feinstein, Dean and James A. Collins Distinguished Chair
— Collins College of Hospitality Management, California Polytechnic University, Pomona
“Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, Good Value “Ian Blackburn and I met at an amazing event he pulled together in 7 days to raise $100.000 for Hurricane Katrina victims. After attending a marvelous LearnAboutWine seminar on Napa, I hired Ian to conduct the annual wine tasting event for University of Michigan Alumni of Orange County. It was the best ever!”
Ann Rebentisch, CMP, CMM
“I have spent the last 18 years of my professional life in the retail wine trade and during this time I have watched LearnAboutWine.com founder Ian Blackburn develop a cutting edge approach to wine education and wine events. Nobody does it better! LearnAboutWine.com is “the” place for wine education and events.”
Dan Isenhart, Wine Buyer
— Amazing Grapes Wine Store
“Ian has been both a mentor and a friend to me as I try to make the transition from systems geek to wine geek. His generosity with his knowledge and experience has been inspiring!”
Denise Lowe, Wine Educator
— LearnAboutWine.com
“Ian was an amazing performer with great communication skills, networking skills that many would envy and always an eye toward the future. A true gentleman and skilled multi-tasking juggler.”
Jeffrey "JC" Converse, Multi State Manager
— Kobrand Corporation
“There are few individuals who achieve both personal and professional success simultaneously. Ian is one of them. His honesty, candor, work ethic and collaborative skills make him a pleasure to work with. Of the 90 sales people within our firm, Ian was praised as one of the top 5 with my clients. His diplomacy, determination to make a sale and cultural sensitivity consistently delivered client satisfaction. All who work with him are better people for it.”
Lauren Nowicki, Brand Manager
— Kobrand Corporation
“Just went to your scotch tasting at the Beverly Hills Hotel...that was outrageously great...we love the work you do… See you soon.”
Mary Ruiz, Client
“The experience of partnering with Learn about Wine, as the benefit charity for the Monterey Wine & Jazz event, was great. Ian and his team were both professional and enthusiastic, providing us with a great opportunity to educate the public on Heal the Bay's work and effectively promoting and managing a highly successful silent auction for us. We would not hesitate to work with them again.”
Natalie Burdick, Development Officer
— Heal the Bay
“Ian is always great to work with. He is the consummate professional. Every detail is dealt with and taken care of. And yes, you do learn about wine from Ian.”
Stepan Baghdassarian, President & CEO
— Rio Joe's Brands, Inc. (www.RioJoes.com)
“Ian is an extremely creative, detail oriented and motivated person. Ian and I have known each other for more than 18 years and in this time I have valued Ian as a mentor, a collaborator and friend. Ian's success is driven by his ability to connect with people, his affability and the succinctness in his communication. I would recommend Ian as a partner, employee, employer and friend.”
Tim Skogstrom, Director of National Chains
— West, Francis Ford Coppola Presents
