11-12 - Tobin James

Tobin James - Tobin James Cellars

Tobin (Toby) James grew up on a vineyard in Indiana, worked in a wine shop in Cincinnati and knew at the age of 18 that he would own a winery. He apprenticed at the Estrella River Winery, eventually being hired on full time and becoming their cellar master. From there, he headed to Eberle Winery to eventually make their wines with Gary Eberle. When Peachy Canyon started, the owner needed a winemaker. A deal was struck so that Toby would become the founding winemaker and also have the opportunity to continue making Tobin James Cellars' wine at the same facility. The very first wine Toby made won a spot on the coveted "top 100" wines of the year with the Wine Spectator. Toby's reputation continued to grow, and in 1993 decided to build his own winery on highway 46 east of Paso Robles.

10/8-Chef Mohan Ismail

Chef Mohan Ismail-Rock Sugar Restaurant

RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen is the first restaurant of its kind in L.A. An upscale casual destination from eminent restaurateur David Overton and Singapore-raised, New York-trained chef Mohan Ismail (Spice Market, Tabla, Blue Hill), RockSugar showcases the cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and India. Drawing upon memories of family meals his mother made, chef Mohan folds in his vast culinary experience to bring together the exhilarating tastes of a half-dozen Southeast Asian nations. Dishes are served Asian family-style to create an atmosphere that encourages sharing & conversation. RockSugar, which takes its name from an ingredient used by Asian chefs, features a full bar with an extensive wine list and exotic cocktails and an onsite bakery where it creates fresh-made desserts that infuse French flair with Asian-influence. Please Note: Online reservations are available for parties up to 6 people.

6/25-Doug Cavanaugh

Doug Cavanaugh-The Ruby Restaurant Group

The idea for Ruby’s Diner was born in 1980 after a run on the beach. Doug Cavanaugh had just returned to his native Southern California after successfully restoring and running a restaurant on Nantucket Island off Cape Cod. One evening he was brainstorming about business opportunities with his father, and remembered that he had seen a dilapidated building at the end of Balboa Pier while jogging along the beach. “Although the building is in pretty bad shape now, its architecture really lends itself well to that of a 1940’s diner. I wonder if I could get the place from the city and turn it into a diner that would bring back the fun and nostalgia of that era?” he said. With his father’s encouragement, Cavanaugh started to make the restaurant a reality.

6/11- Emilio Estevez, Michelle DeMott, Mary Ellen Cole, Rebekah Evans

Live - Beachcomber Cafe - Historic Malibu Pier

Emilio Estevez -  Actor/Malibu Winemaker

Emilio Estévez (born May 12, 1962) is an American actor, film director, writer and poet. He started his career as an actor and is well-known for being a member of the acting Brat Pack of the 1980s, starring in The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire. He is also known for Repo Man, The Mighty Ducks and its sequels, Maximum Overdrive, and his performances in western films such as Young Guns and its sequel. One of his first appearances was "Two-Bit" in The Outsiders.




Michelle DeMott and Mary Ellen Cole from the LA county FAir and LA Intl wine competition

Seven decades of tradition began shortly after the end of prohibition, when the annual L.A. County Fair began awarding medals to the finest wines in California. The competition achieved world-class standing, attracting wines from North and South America, Italy, and finally, in 2002, opening the doors to wine entries from around the world. Today, the event includes not only wines, but also spirits and olive oils. And the judging panel has grown as well to nearly 100 judges from all parts of the globe.  The competition is constantly evolving. In 2007, the competition extended an invitation to the spirits world. We took the competition to the next level in 2008, premiering the Wine World of Sports competition which attracted such sport dignitary-turned-winemakers like Tommy Lasorda, Mario Andretti and Greg Norman. The event is going to rock with the second year of Music Uncorked, specifically for musicians-turned-winemakers.  The competition also is the foundation for an extensive wine education program that’s available to 1.4 million visitors to the L.A. County Fair. Public wine tasting began in 1968; in 1998 a wine education center opened, complete with consumer-driven classes, tastings and a display of the award-winning wines. The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition is committed to educating the public about wine, featuring industry experts with extensive knowledge about wine growing and selection, wine tasting and wine and food pairings. The 2010 wine, spirits and extra virgin olive oil competitions will be: May 18-20 for olive oil; May 19-21 for wine; and May 24-25 for spirits.

Rebekah Evans from the Malibu Chamber of Commerce

Rebekah has been in the Chamber business for over 5 years, with background in business, plus worked in the school system for over 6 years. Owning her own business for 25 years, Rebekah is the first to get in the trenches to help your business succeed. As the CEO, call Rebekah when you have concerns for the Malibu Business Community--and want to connect to the community and more.

6/4- John Selman, Jim Palmer

Live - Beachcomber Cafe - Historic Malibu Pier


John Selman - Founder "Malibu Village Wines"

Come into Malibu Village Wines and share our love of wine, and our passion for hunting down wine bargains from all over the globe, including cellared wine gems at attractive prices. We bring you personal service and small production wines you won't find at the grocers or big wine warehouses, as well as fine wines for every budget, rare spirits, and unique custom gift baskets and chests created with your special theme. We stock over 1000 wines from $4 to $3000, and have tasted every wine several times, before deciding to carry it. Our customers take advantage of our mixed case discount to get the same savings as warehouses on everyday wine, and even better savings on boutique wines not offered to less exclusive stores. Our wine bargains are inexpensive, exceptionally crafted small production wines you won’t find on grocery store shelves. Our superb collection of allocated and hard-to-find wines far surpasses any other in the area. Our cellar-aged cult wines are ready to drink, at prices that beat internet auction sites.

Jim Palmer - Founder of Malibu Vinyards

Jim Palmer, Long time Malibu resident, began growing wine grapes in Western Malibu and has been making wine since 1997.  His first commercial release, Malibu Vineyards 2003 Single Vineyard Syrah won a Silver Medal in the Limited Production Rhone Style Class at the L.A. County Fair 2005 Wines of the World Competition and a six-bottle wooden box case sold for $3,100. at the UCLA John Wayne Cancer Charity Fundraiser in May 2005.

5/28 - John Selman,

Live  - Beachcomber Cafe - Historic Malibu Pier
John Selman - Founder "Malibu Village Wines" 

Come into Malibu Village Wines and share our love of wine, and our passion for hunting down wine bargains from all over the globe, including cellared wine gems at attractive prices.  We bring you personal service and small production wines you won't find at the grocers or big wine warehouses, as well as fine wines for every budget, rare spirits, and unique custom gift baskets and chests created with your special theme. We stock over 1000 wines from $4 to $3000, and have tasted every wine several times, before deciding to carry it. Our customers take advantage of our mixed case discount to get the same savings as warehouses on everyday wine, and even better savings on boutique wines not offered to less exclusive stores.  Our wine bargains are inexpensive, exceptionally crafted small production wines you won’t find on grocery store shelves. Our superb collection of allocated and hard-to-find wines far surpasses any other in the area. Our cellar-aged cult wines are ready to drink, at prices that beat internet auction sites.

5/21 - Andrea Immer-Robinson, Bob Cabral, Tami Semler,

Live from the Beachcomber Cafe at the Historic Malibu Pier

Master Sommelier Andrea Immer-Robinson

Andrea Robinson, one of the country's leading wine educators, is one of only 16 women in the world who have been appointed Master Sommelier by the prestigious Court of Master Sommeliers. She was the first woman ever chosen Best Sommelier in the United States by the Sommelier Society of America. Andrea also became the first appointed Dean of Wine Studies for COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa in 2008. In 2007 she was appointed Master Sommelier for Delta Air Lines, for whom she chooses all of the in-flight wines for its Business Elite cabin, and hosts, with her husband John, Local Flavor, a travel show offered as part of Delta’s in-flight entertainment programming.

Wine Maker Bob Cabral-Williams Selyem

“If you wouldn’t want to eat it, then I don’t want to make wine out of it.” That is Bob Cabral’s rule of thumb for harvest workers hand-sorting grapes as they arrive from the vineyards. After nearly thirty commercial harvests, Bob is an experienced winemaker whose meticulousness and patience yield wines that are authentic expressions of each vineyard site.  Bob Cabral has been involved in growing and making wine professionally since 1979 and has had an interest in wine and farming since his childhood helping his grandfather make wine in his barn. A fourth generation family farmer and grape grower, he took all he learned at the family farm and applied it to his studies at Fresno State University, ultimately earning a Master’s Degree in Enology.

Tami Semler - Semler Family and Malibu Family Wines

Nestled deep in Malibu's Santa Monica Mountains is the sprawling 1,000-acre Saddlerock Ranch, home to Malibu Family Wines. Visitors may recognize the vineyard and unusual rock formations from over 100 movies, commercials and television shows filmed here. The estate is also home to dozens of horses and exotic animals and a popular weekend setting for weddings and special events.
Today, our vineyards consist of approximately 60,000 vines on 65 acres, with expansion plans to reach 100,000 vines. With the high altitude and separation from the coast, along with an ideal blend of weather conditions and rich, rocky soil, it's the perfect environment for growing premium wine grapes.  As a joint family endeavor between the Semler Family and the DeJoria Family, we take great pride in the gentle-handling, traditional techniques that give our wines their special character. We hope you enjoy our wines as much as we enjoy creating them!