Wine is Malibu’s Latest Star

Malibu isn’t just for sun, fun and movie stars anymore.  “Malibu Coast” is now the latest American Viticultural Area, or AVA.  Hidden away in the hills and canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains that rise over 3,000 feet above sea level, are the vineyards of Malibu, some as small as just a half an acre.

Malibu is no newcomer to vineyards, the first one on record dates back to 1824.  In the mid-1800s, Los Angeles County was the biggest producer of wine in California.  Prohibition ended viticulture in Malibu and it wasn’t until 1985 that a new vineyard appeared, planted by Michael and Kim McCarty, owners of the well-known Michael’s Restaurant in Santa Monica.

This tiny AVA is home to only 50 or so growers farming around 200 acres of vines, the largest vineyard being just seven acres.  It is also very young since the first planting was 30 years ago, which means most vineyards are much younger.  In 2011, a group of growers led by Elliott Dolin of Dolin Malibu Estate Vineyards, petitioned the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for AVA status.  It was granted in July and now the wines from Malibu Coast can use that on their labels instead of Los Angeles County or California.

Two preceding appellations – Saddle-Rock Malibu and Malibu-Newton Canyon – have been incorporated into the new Malibu Coast AVA because they share similar characteristics such as soil, temperature, elevation, fog from the ocean and so on.

Don’t expect to tour any wineries next time you are in Malibu.  The grapes are sent to custom crush facilities or to wineries in the Central Coast area for winemaking.