This is a review of the 8th Annual Stars of Cabernet at the Fairmont Grand Hotel. It took place here in San Diego on November 9, 2016. Our title is 8th Annual Stars of Cabernet hits San Diego because that’s just what they did. They hit it right out of the park, with this 8th Annual Stars of Cabernet Event!
Ian Blackburn and I met many moons ago, (maybe 13 or 14) at an event he created in La Jolla and I have kept in touch and been following his career ever since.
He founded LearnAboutWine.com in 1995. He calls it LAW School (Learn about Wine) lol. So cute.
As a Professional Sommelier and Wine Host with a Hospitality Degree from Cal Poly Pomona, he assists small producers, large brands, and Wine Regions in the Greater Southern California Marketplace with events like these, not only educating members of the trade, but regular folk like you and me. Uuhhh… not to imply that either of us are just ‘regular‘ folk.
Reminds me of that joke: Everyone’s crazy except you and me…. and, I’m not to sure about you! lol Have I over stepped my boundaries here? Probably. Or it wouldn’t be me!
Back to the event: It seems like this event attracted the upper crust of San Diego’s Wine Drinkers. Great food and an incredible crew of people who do the hardest job around….. a job that is totally dependent on the weather.
And it’s interesting because whether his events are at The Grand in San Diego, the Peninsula in Beverly Hills, or just a really great restaurant … it is always Grand. Very well thought out, packed with information and interesting people which always gives you a great event to go to. And this was a charity event, which makes it even more special.
Their silent auction proceeds went to TJ Martell Foundation, a Nationwide Charity 501(c)(3) dedicated to supporting innovative and groundbreaking research for leukemia, cancer, and AIDS. Bravo!
This was a star studded event. The stars (for me) were:
- JH
- Krupp
- Alpha
- Neal
- Laurel Glen
- Kent
The vintners perked my interest in saying they were blending with Cabs with Cab Franc (among others) ….. one of the hardest wines to blend. But I guess over the years, they’ve gotten it down to a science.
The thing I especially enjoyed about some of the Vineyards is their unusual nose, their finish, and the fact that some are fruit forward, again unusual for a Cabernet. With all the different plots some Vintners own – some near the ocean, others high up in the hills, some next to award winning Vintners, some being one of those award winning Vintners, it was interesting to compare and contrast the different terroirs (grounds) to see what happens to a wine from areas with fog, rain, frost, etc.
We all know that the different regions affect how a wine turns out. So I was pleased to hear that many of them are planting all over them there hills, down to the ocean and everywhere in between. And when we talked about grapes in California, of course it’s fun to recall that many of our vintners went over to France and came back with seeds and seedlings as the wine industry grew, which accounts for much of the great wine coming out of California today.
No matter what industry you are in, everyone has their own ‘Rock Star’. Ian Blackburn qualifies. No joke!
He honored me with a Chef Marian code to give my groups, San Diego Foodies and Euro Lovers and Friends, so that they could enjoy a discount to this event or to the one in Los Angeles. Cool guy!
Stars of Cabernet comes around every year both in our neck of the woods and in Los Angeles. Check it out next time!
Happy Healthy Eating,
