The sixth annual Malibu Wine Classic, Saturday's festive benefit offering tastings from 70 wineries and 25 area restaurants in Southern California, nearly became yet another casualty of last November's Malibu fires. The disaster destroyed 49 homes, including two belonging to event organizers, sapping their energy as they dealt with the fire's aftermath.
But in the end, event board members unaffected by the fire, co-founders Michael Barnes and John Selman (owner of the Barrel Wine Bar and Malibu Village Wines), stepped up to take on the project. And on March 1, Barnes contacted event coordinator Ian Blackburn, owner of Santa Monica-based Learn About Wine, to tell him to start promoting the festivities.Because of the shorter lead time and legal problems with last year's site (a tented parking lot overlooking the Pacific), this year's benefit for Childhelp was scaled back from 2007's double-barreled events in both the daytime and the evening. The sixth Malibu Wine Classic consisted of a five-hour afternoon on the lawn next to the Malibu Civic Center.
After the 750 guests checked in, they were cleverly led through a breezeway lined with silent auction items before arriving at the tasting site. (The silent auction contributed $20,000 to the $70,000 raised for the charity for abused kids.) The tasting area was sheltered from the sun by white tents and market umbrellas. Beyond that, any decor elements were provided by individual wineries or restaurants, like the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village's Hampton's restaurant, which adorned its booth with colorful peppers, leeks, and orchids, and American Flatbread, whose chef-owner Clark Staub had towed his tiled red-oak-burning oven over from Los Alamos. Other participants included Lucas & Lewellen, Republic of Malibu, and Fiddlehead.
The event had a friendly, community feel to it, and as the breezy afternoon ebbed and the wineries and restaurants were packing up, a crowd continued to linger. Barnes seemed pleased as he watched deputy sheriffs lending their handcuffs to a couple of young women who posed for pictures. “We'd rather have them hanging out and having fun than arresting people on the street,” said Barnes, an attorney in real life.
But in the end, event board members unaffected by the fire, co-founders Michael Barnes and John Selman (owner of the Barrel Wine Bar and Malibu Village Wines), stepped up to take on the project. And on March 1, Barnes contacted event coordinator Ian Blackburn, owner of Santa Monica-based Learn About Wine, to tell him to start promoting the festivities.Because of the shorter lead time and legal problems with last year's site (a tented parking lot overlooking the Pacific), this year's benefit for Childhelp was scaled back from 2007's double-barreled events in both the daytime and the evening. The sixth Malibu Wine Classic consisted of a five-hour afternoon on the lawn next to the Malibu Civic Center.
After the 750 guests checked in, they were cleverly led through a breezeway lined with silent auction items before arriving at the tasting site. (The silent auction contributed $20,000 to the $70,000 raised for the charity for abused kids.) The tasting area was sheltered from the sun by white tents and market umbrellas. Beyond that, any decor elements were provided by individual wineries or restaurants, like the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village's Hampton's restaurant, which adorned its booth with colorful peppers, leeks, and orchids, and American Flatbread, whose chef-owner Clark Staub had towed his tiled red-oak-burning oven over from Los Alamos. Other participants included Lucas & Lewellen, Republic of Malibu, and Fiddlehead.
The event had a friendly, community feel to it, and as the breezy afternoon ebbed and the wineries and restaurants were packing up, a crowd continued to linger. Barnes seemed pleased as he watched deputy sheriffs lending their handcuffs to a couple of young women who posed for pictures. “We'd rather have them hanging out and having fun than arresting people on the street,” said Barnes, an attorney in real life.
The Malibu Wine Classic
Photo: DC Chavez
Los Alamos-based American Flatbread showcased its mosaic-tiled oven.
Photo: DC Chavez
The event moved to a new location this year, the lawn adjacent to the Malibu Civic Center.
Photo: DC Chavez
The Breadbasket Cake Company offered several types of chocolates truffles.
Photo: DC Chavez
Sunset Restaurant passed around trays of tuna tartare cones.
Photo: DC Chavez
Malibu Wine Classic ticketholders had access to wines from 70 wineries.
Photo: DC Chavez
