Grape Species: The Blending of Two Worlds

Grape Species:

The Blending of Two Worlds

By Brandon J. Beeson

The subjects of wine and Hollywood have been swirling around in my mind for some time now. My dilemma was how to mend the two topics in a way that’s never been done before – merge the best of two worlds. Through a couple of phone calls and a bit of research, I happily discovered that there was a real-life vineyard (not a Hollywood version) complete with a wine tasting room in the hills of Malibu. Then, I found out that Natasha Henstridge was interested in coming along for the ride. Kismet!  Here’s how the answer to my dilemma unfolded.

One thousand five hundred feet above the hustle and bustle of L.A., in the wild and unkempt Malibu hills, I stood overlooking a beach made famous by numerous television shows and films.  Behind me was a rusted gate left in a natural state, colorfully oxidizing in the sun.

Minutes before, I had been cruising in a limo along Wilshire, passing Hollywood and Santa Monica boulevards and watching a living diorama of famous hotels, restaurants, shops and street scenes from innumerable movies and television shows I had seen over the years.

I turned and peered through the gate. A canopy of oak trees filtered the young azure sky above.  A row of Spanish pottery, some fallen on their sides, some eroding into dust, traced the border of the trail. Explosions of thin neon grass alongside the path, their blades sparkling as the morning breeze gently nudged them in the sunlight, seemed to urge me forward. I obliged them.

The path led to a vintage horse stable attached to a Mexican-style villa.  As I came closer, I noticed that the stable had been converted into a wine room. “A wine stable,” I mused. Looking into an open window, I saw liter wine bottles with ribbons and signatures, glistening goblets and glasses and stunning works of art displayed above a tasting bar. 

The place seemed hip yet naturally elegant. Stepping back from the window, I looked around and realized that I was in the middle of a magnificent pastoral scene complete with vineyards, sheep grazing in the grasses and orange trees that had only recently dropped their ripened golden fruit on the carpet of green. I examined the vineyards and saw that the Chardonnay vines were budding before the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. They looked strong and healthy. Higher above the vineyards and orange trees, the letters RME were carved into the hillside . “Rosenthal Malibu Estate,” I said to myself. I had arrived.  

There I was on top of two worlds.  Malibu — the crown jewel in the Southern Californian beach circuit and rich in surfing and entertainment lore. The other – the Malibu-Newton Canyon American Viticultural Area; a designation that it earned about 18 years ago thanks mainly to the efforts of one man, George Rosenthal, who is a mix of two worlds himself.  Rosenthal is a one-time real estate developer whose Westwood Marquis and Sunset Marquis hotels in Los Angeles have hosted such famous regulars as the Rolling Stones, U2, Jennifer Lopez, Bruce Springsteen and Christina Aguilera.

While Rosenthal was building his considerable real estate holdings, he was quietly planning his other passion: wine. In 1987 he planted his first grapes and in 1991 he sold his first vintage, a Cabernet.  He now owns 250 acres of bucolic countryside upon which he built the hacienda where I was standing.

About 800-acres comprises the Malibu-Newton Canyon AVA. Within it, Rosenthal’s renowned estate produces a limited line of high quality boutique wines. I was pondering other “two-world” metaphors that applied to this tranquil scene; the peace of the valley so close to the chaos and clatter of nearby Los Angeles; the ease in which we consume wine without ever thinking of the effort and skill it takes to make it; when a gentleman named Neil greeted me.

“Right this way, sir,” he gestured ahead. Suddenly, I was teleported into yet another world — I was no longer a mere visitor but an honored guest of a generous baron. As we walked around a corner of the villa, I met a very special lady. Her name was Natasha Henstridge.  She was here at my invitation for a photo shoot. Our photographer, Eric, was already hard at work catching the fleeting moments of the ensuing conversation.

We sat on a bench by the edge of a tranquil flowing fountain. Natasha was at my side as we spoke wine and of our appreciation for our surroundings. Although I had planned this meeting for weeks and was well versed in her acting accomplishments (Species I, II and III, Whole Nine Yards, Whole Ten Yards, Eli Stone), I felt a slight “other-worldness” hang in my periphery. In one world, here was Taylor Wethersby, the knock-out fiancé who must endure Eli’s (Jonny Lee Miller) frequent hallucinations. In another world, Natasha herself was chatting with me congenial and real.

Not long after, the vineyard’s assistant winemaker, Shawn, directed us to the day’s activities – that of tasting the very fine product of his labors.  And what do you know? The tasting was going to be in the “Wine Stable”. 

“Have you ever been to a wine tasting before?”  I asked Natasha as we walked back to the stables with the small group that had joined us.  “No, I haven’t,” she replied. That was all I needed to hear.

We mixed and mingled.  Bright colors created rainbows of light reflecting off the glasses in everyone’s hands.  Shawn was efficient and smart as he educated his “students” about each wine we had the honor of reviewing. His presentation was stellar.  Effortless and confident.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Shawn watched over us – a proud artisan and an adept professor – with the assistance and impeccable hospitality of his team. Thanks to Shawn and the Rosenthal staff, everybody blended beautifully together.

Natasha told me she liked Australian Shiraz and Chilean reds. But as proper, we started with the Surfrider white wine.  The Surfrider Foundation teamed up with RME and created a wine that is fruity, fun and very approachable. There was a tropical aroma in the nose. I tasted lime and a bit of green apple, with nice complimentary flavors of pineapple. The finish was refreshing. This bottle was $20. Outstanding!

Next we tried the Rosenthal Malibu Estate 2006 Chardonnay. Elegant and medium-bodied. More apple taste and a little pear and creamy vanilla in this one. It tasted like it had been aged in oak barrels. This was a step up at $25. A noticeable difference.

We then tried the Rosenthal Malibu Estate 2004 Merlot. This Merlot almost had Cabernet qualities. Big and flavorful, a crowd favorite.  Next we moved on to the ’01 Cab, which had nice fruit flavors, deep color and balance. This wine, at $35 a bottle, has won multiple gold medal awards. The 2003 Cabernet tasted of concentrated fruit flavors with deep color and complexity. Cool nights kept the acids in perfect balance with the fruit character. Its $38 sticker was well deserved.

We ended the day with the Surfrider Malibu-Newton Canyon 2004 Red Wine. It had a brilliant ruby glow. Cherry, cedar, vanilla and violets were in the nose. Flavors consisted of cherry, red raspberry, spice and a touch of oak. The finish seemed round and very subtle. It balanced the soft tannins and made this $29 wine a very special one with a percentage of the proceeds going to support the Surfrider Foundation and its efforts to keep our oceans clean. Very good news for a wine drinker who is also passionate about the Pacific Ocean.

After tasting a few more superb wines, we called it a day and I got into a limo bound for home.  Rolling down Pacific Coast Highway, drinking Roederer Estate sparkling wine and listening to some soul music, I made it back to Dana Point Harbor and saluted the day with an Australian Shiraz and a Chilean Cab – a toast to the best of all worlds.

Cheers and Thanks Natasha! BJB