Lisa and Ronnie Semler were drawn to Saddlerock Ranch for its beauty and serenity, where cave paintings date back to the mid-1700s.
By Joel Ball/Special to The Malibu Times
The distinctive geological formations tower above the Malibu mountain landscape. Their present-day names-Saddlerock and Mitt Rock-are derived from their resemblance to everyday objects familiar to Americans settlers. The names by which the Chumash Indians knew them may forever remain a mystery. Archaeologists believe, however, that they represented a sacred area that drew shamans from the Chumash to create nearby cave paintings containing empowering and protective symbols.
The rocks and cave paintings are now part of Saddlerock Ranch and vineyard, a sprawling estate owned by Ronnie Semler and his wife, Lisa. Semler purchased 300 acres that comprise the heart of the ranch after the fires of 1978. Although the fires left the natural formations intact, they destroyed an adobe ranch house, which had been occupied by the daughter of former owner, Harvey Mudd, for whom the Claremont College is named.
“I was always a frustrated cowboy, so I suppose owning and operating a ranch has been my lifelong dream,” Ronnie Semler says.
The Encino-born businessman has gradually added parcels until the ranch now encompasses nearly 1,000 acres. The Semlers operate the family business with the help of their nine children, deriving revenue from horse stabling and branding, winemaking, movie and television location shoots, weddings and agriculture. The ranch also houses Semler’s collection of antique automobiles and buggies, as well as an assortment of camels, llamas and a pair of zebras he gave Lisa for a recent birthday.
“I was drawn to this place for its beauty and serenity, which is probably the same reasons the Chumash shamans were drawn here, too,” Semler says.
Adds Lisa, “Historians believe this was a sacred place for the Chumash,” citing excavations of what is believed to be a Chumash princess by a UCLA team of archaeologists.
The Chumash, whose name means “Bead Money Makers,” occupied settlements from the Malibu area to northern San Luis Obispo County, inland, east of New Cuyama and included the Channel Islands. According to research published by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Chumash were hunters and gatherers, dependent for their food on the natural plants and animals of the region. They developed the tools and techniques for collecting, processing and storing foods efficiently. The Chumash employed an extensive trade network, stretching from the Channel Islands to the mountain forests, which gave them access to a wide variety of food, regardless of the season. Because of their ability to leverage the natural environment, they did not engage in agriculture or domestication of animals, as many other American Indians did.
The overhanging rock cliff upon which the paintings at Saddlerock Ranch are found faces northward, offering protection from direct sunlight. They have been preserved to a greater degree than others found on the eastern face, on which only faint images can be discerned. The ochre-colored figures leap out from the rock-face, depicting runners as well as riders on horses. In contrast to some Chumash cave paintings thought to date back more than 1,000 years, the paintings at Saddlerock appear to have been painted after 1769. The reason, says Semler, is the presence of horses and riders with broad-brimmed hats in the paintings-indicating contact with Europeans, probably the Spanish-led Portola expedition.
The Semlers are glad to share the experience of viewing the example of the internationally renowned Chumash ceremonial art with educational groups. Several schools have taken advantage, organizing field trips to Saddlerock Ranch.
The cave paintings are not the only artwork gracing the ranch, however. The Semlers commissioned Malibu artist David Legaspi III to paint murals to adorn three water tanks that support the property’s water needs. The murals seek to represent the daily life of the Chumash people prior to the Spanish settlements, which transformed the indigenous people and culture. Lisa Semler, an illustrator and artist herself, contributed to the murals along with Legaspi.
For now, the Semlers have turned their focus to the art of winemaking. The Semlers previously harvested avocados from more than 13,000 trees. However, the rising cost of water, and their love for good wine led them to start planting vines.
“Grapes require only one-seventh as much water as avocados,” Semler says. He notes the land has the perfect combination for winemaking. “Cool evenings, hot days, rocky soil and good drainage; exactly what you need to produce top-quality grapes.”
The Semlers presently nurture more than 56,000 grape vines, with a goal of eventually maintaining 100,000. Saddlerock Vineyards bottled more than 650 cases in 2000, when they were first able to obtain a use permit from Los Angeles County. Within a few years, they hope to be producing 20,000 cases of cabernet, merlot and syrah under the Saddlerock and Semler labels.
The wine is currently bottled in San Miguel, but the Semlers eventually hope to build their own winery on the ranch, including a hospitality center. The couple takes pride in the innovative artwork on their bottles. The label adorning the 2000 vintage of Semler Cabernet is based on a painting by Ronnie’s mother, Blessing Semler. They have plans to include unique photography and artwork on future vintages. Their wines are available via the Internet at http://www.saddlerockvineyards.com.
We can only speculate if Saddlerock and its surroundings truly inspired and empowered the Chumash cave painters. For Ronnie and Lisa Semler, there is little doubt that it has.