A Dinner with Aaron Pott & Chef Emé | Dec 13 at DTLA Arts District

Intimate gathering - we will interview Aaron and hear about his illustrious career.

Top cuisine from a Michelin Starred Chef Christophe Emé!

We will taste wines from Aaron's many projects!

One Night Only - A rare visit to Los Angeles.

I will agree to purchase a minimum of 6 bottles and a minimum of $300 worth of wine - with this agreement we can give you $100 off this dinner.

**We can accommodate any dietary restrictions with a 72 hour notice.

The Inspiration

Mention Paris to most people and you’ll get a rude waiter story; Aaron’s is that he was ten, and the sneering Monsieur brought him wine instead of the milk he had ordered, because milk ‘ees for babies.’

The France Years

Aaron found himself yearning for a French wine adventure. He asked Michel if he could find him a job somewhere. Heeding his master’s call (his mind filled with romantic expectations of pulling hoses around a cellar) he dutifully showed up at the appointed Chateau… only to be taken on as winemaker. So began 6 years of living and working in France, first as Winemaker at Château Troplong Mondot and later director of Château La Tour Figeac.

Back in Napa

Ready to come home in 1998, Aaron phased himself back to California with a stint as Beringer’s “flying winemaker” making wine in France, Italy and Chile. Here’s when he met and wooed his wife, Claire, with his “impossibly romantic” lifestyle, and found another great friend and mentor, Jean-Louis Mandreau (winemaker at Château Latour from 1970 to 1983) who wasn’t so impressed with the lifestyle, but thought Aaron had a lot of potential. Ready to stay in one place for a while, Aaron took over as winemaker for St. Clement in 2001, then in 2004 he moved to Quintessa as winemaker and general manager.

The Rise of Pott

In 2004, we purchased a 76 acre (.2 acres planted) property on Mt. Veeder and began to develop our dream of owning our own vineyards. In 2007 we launched Pott Wine and released our first vintage of Incubo, as well as our first collection of single-vineyard wines in 2009. The 2015 vintage marks the next big milestone for us; when our new vineyard was ready to make wines good enough to carry the purple seal of approval! The 2015 Viognier was released in 2016. The 2015 vintage estate reds, Incubo and Space and Time will be released end of Winter 2018.

At 15, Emé began an apprenticeship at the Hôtel de France in Contres, embarking on a journey that would take him into the world’s most rarefied kitchens. During his career, he honed his skills at the Michelin two-starred Auberge des Templiers in the Loire Valley and cooked alongside such luminaries as Gérard Rabaey in Switzerland and maverick chef Marc Veyrat at his three-star Auberge de l’Eridan, in the French Alps. In Paris, Émé worked with chef Michel Rostang at his eponymous restaurant in the 17th Arrondissement, and with Philippe Legendre at Paris’ opulent three-star Taillevent and later assisted Taillevent owner Jean-Claude Vrinat in opening the exclusive Normandie Grill at the Hotel Oriental in Bangkok.

Emé arrived in the United States in 2001, briefly working in New York, before moving on to Los Angeles to cook at the venerable L’Orangerie. There he introduced his signature brand of modern French cuisine, which eschews heavy, cream-based sauces in favor of intensely flavored emulsions and natural jus.

After the traditional formality of L’Orangerie, Emé opened the legendary Michelin starred Ortolan. Los Angeles Resume: L’Orangerie Ortolan Kass.

LearnAboutWine Classroom

Located in the heart of the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles, next to Bavel, Girl and the Goat and Blue Bottle Coffee, The Private Event Classroom is the home of LearnAboutWine.com. The 2000 square foot loft space at 530 Molino (number #214) provides an intimate and modern setting to accompany the next steps in your journey into wine. Here you will explore the nuances and bold flavors of wines from all over the world, in a relaxed and discerning environment led by Ian Blackburn.

Come and explore a new experience toward gaining an unparalleled appreciation of wine.

Please note: there are no tickets available at the door. All tickets to the learnaboutwine.com classroom events must be purchased in advance on the website and your name must be on the guest list for admission. Please bring your ID, no one under 21 years of age is permitted in the space.

Phase One - we get enough support to go forward. We take a non-refundable deposit - this is not the cost of the dinner approx. will hold your space. Should the dinner not hit the minimum - we will refund your purchase. Should the dinner continue, deposit is forfeited if you do not complete the registration.

Phase Two- we have reached enough reservations to go forward and have signed the agreement with the venue. Event is now rain or shine and no cancellation policy is enforced. We open 1 bottle per guest - maximum 15 guests/15 wines (minimum). We always aim to under promise and over deliver - and bring back of wines should we have an issue; but our policy is that corked wine can and does occur - see our policy - one bottle per paying guest, and price of dinner is not predicted on any one wine remain in place and are accepted at deposit.

For some events, we will offer companion tickets (please inquire - they maybe sold out at this time) (only available with a full price companion - you will share their wine)

Once we reach the minimum - we issue invoices that need to be paid inside of 48 hours. Deposit Price of the event includes tax but does not include service and 3.5% credit card fee.

ABOUT IAN BLACKBURN, WINE EDUCATOR - 25 YEARS OF INDUSTRY SERVICE

Ian discovered the wine industry at the ripe age of 21 while working for famous chefs such as Thomas Keller and then at 24 for Joachim Splichal in Los Angeles’ top dining rooms. The discovery of wine and his endless need for knowledge quickly engulfed Ian’s life, and his passion redirected his career from restaurants and hotels to vineyards and education. In 1995 LearnAboutWine.com was born, becoming the first website dedicated to wine education.

With over 25-years of experience traveling the wine world, Ian is a published author (Wiley Publications, 2002), has 10 vintages of top level winemaking on his resume at Beekeeper Cellars, and is considered one of the region's best wine educators. Ian’s push to evolve and his ability to pivot has produced a strata of new concepts such as, ZoomIntoWine.com (virtual education), Merchantofwine.com (the family’s online wine store), and now the return of in-person gatherings with LearnAboutWine.com - using all the great gathering spots in LA as potential venues.merchantofwine.com | learnaboutwine.com | beekeepercellars.com

All tickets (including Deposits) are non-refundable. We can adjust your menu for dietary needs up to 72 hours prior without any additional cost. Wines can change without notice, failure or corked wines do not result in any type of credit or refund. We open one bottle minimum per paying guest, and can reduce the total number of bottles being opened so that the event does not have to cancel should ticket sales not reach potential. Fewer bottles will equal larger pours, so you will get the same quantity of wine and we always open the best wines for the quality of the event. Cancellation due to illness is understandable and appreciated, but does not qualify for a refund. If you are not well, you may ask for the food to be made available for togo or assign your seat to someone else without fee. The perishable nature of our product requires no cancellation, no credit, no refunds for any reason. Cost of ticketing fees and credit card fees are lost at purchase.

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NOTICE REGARDING ALLERGIES, FOOD RESTRICTIONS + LIMITATIONS INCLUDING BEVERAGES BUT NOT LIMITED TO WINE

*Please carefully review any programs you may be interested involving food/refreshment/beverages.

* All tickets are non-refundable. We can adjust your menu for dietary needs up to 72 hours prior without any additional cost. Wines can change without notice, failure or corked wine at the dinner does not result in any type of credit or refund. We open one bottle minimum per paying guest, and can reduce the total number of bottles being opened so that the dinner does not have to cancel should ticket sales not reach the minimum. Fewer bottles / larger pours - you will get the same quantity of wine and we always open the best wines for the quality of the event. Cancellation due to illness is not allowed, you may however take food to go - or assign your seat to someone else without fee. The perishable nature of our product requires no cancellation, no credit, no refunds for any reason.Unfortunately, refreshments and food & beverage substitutions are politely declined. We try our best to accommodate food limitations/restrictions, however, it is our policy is to inform you that we make no promises or guarantees of any particular food/ beverage accommodation, regardless of whether WineLA or our third-party venue is providing refreshments/ food and/or beverages.

We make no promises guarantees that if/ any refreshments/food and/or beverages are free of any allergens and/or health restricting products/elements.

We will not be held responsible/liable for/if any illness that may occur while consuming at his/her/their own free will and at his/her/their own discretion.

*Please be advised, outside food and beverage is not permitted at any of our events.

*Adult Participants must be 21 and over. Valid government issued ID required to attend this event. The entirety of the experience is important and vital for the enjoyment of all adult participants. Our private events are created for adults 21-years of age and older and unable to accommodate minors. Minors are not allowed into any of our events.

*ALL/ANY TICKET SALE IS FINAL. WE DO NOT OFFER REFUNDS/EXCHANGES/CREDITS/TRANSFERS BETWEEN OUR PROGRAMS.

Your ticket ownership is transferable: pass your ticket on to family/friends at your own discretion, and at no additional cost. Email us - [email protected]

PROPOSITION 65 WARNING: Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine, and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects.

Email us: [email protected]

LearnAboutWine.com Office | 10am-4pm PST Tuesday-Friday | 310-451-7600

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Learn About Wine Classroom, 530 Molino Street, Los Angeles, United States