A fine time for wine

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Last year’s Malibu Wine Classic showcased many of the vintners included in this year’s Classic, which will also feature some newcomers. This year’s event will take place Saturday at the Civic Center. Photo by Devon Meyers/TMT

The Malibu Wine Classic kicks off its seventh year with a benefit for Childhelp.

By Kim Devore / Staff Writer

From its humble beginnings at Beau Rivage restaurant, the Malibu Wine Classic has turned into one of the city’s most popular summer events. On Saturday, it will celebrate its seventh year at the Civic Center by featuring more than 60 well- known and boutique wineries spanning from Decker Canyon to California’s Central Coast.

The wine industry, like many, has been hit hard by the current recession, and the Malibu Wine Classic provides a good opportunity for vintners to showcase their prized pours.

“It’s been a very tough year for all of them,” John Selman, event organizer and Malibu Village Wines owner, said last week. “They are eager to connect with the market. From that point of view, it will be a fabulous event, with a record number of winemakers and owners here.”

In addition to sought after labels like Linne Caldo, Laetitia, and Lucas and Lewellen, the wine classic features local favorites like Jim Palmer’s Malibu Vineyards, Griffin, Semler, and Rosenthal Malibu Estate.

While central coast wines might be better known, Malibu’s offerings are catching on fast. Selman says local grapes have come a long way in a very short period of time. “Winemaking requires a body of shared knowledge, and mentoring,” Selman explained. “Malibu started with none of that.

“It took almost three decades for Santa Ynez or Paso Robles to achieve a critical mass of winemaking talent,” he continued. “A decade ago, everyone would have planted cabernet and chardonnay anywhere they could. Today we know Malibu has great potential for mountain cabernet at the top of our terrain, and beautiful pinot noir and chardonnay at more coastal levels.”

Now, Malibu wines are on the map and gaining respect in the grape growing community.

“Sanity and Griffin Chardonnays both exhibit awesome minerality, layered flavors, good body and are great examples of an elegant style,” Seman said, adding that Hoyt and Rosenthal Chardonnays have “bigger body, more buttery flavors and are real crowd pleasers.

“Sanity’s first pinot was a real stunner, as is Michael McCarty’s current wine,” he continued. “Malibu Solstice has a great, flavor packed, briary top mountain-grown cabernet. Malibu Vineyards has a very interesting meritage from Decker Canyon, Rocky Oaks on Kanan [Dume Road] is a great cabernet quaffer, and Rosenthal has a Reserve meritage that is full-bodied and shows the potential of Malibu Bordeaux varietals.”

Selman started the Malibu Wine Classic seven years ago with local entertainment attorney Michael Barnes.

“We wanted to do a judging of Malibu wines against some other Central Coast producers, and it quickly grew into a Central Coast showcase,” Selman said. “The first year, at Beau Rivage, we judged wines from a dozen Malibu producers and two dozen Santa Ynez and Paso Robles wineries, and paired them with popular food items. Today, we have some of the best restaurants sending their chefs.”

Restaurants participating in the event include Barrel Malibu, Charlie’s, Sunset, Saddle Peak Lodge, Water Grill and Michael’s.

Proceeds from the afternoon wine tasting fest will benefit Childhelp, one of the country’s leading nonprofits committed to the prevention of child abuse.

The Malibu Wine Classic takes place on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Civic Center area. More information can be obtained online at Malibuwineclassic.com.