Local Wineries Shine at Taste of Malibu

More than 100 people got a taste of Malibu wineries and restaurants last week at the Malibu Golf Club.

The event, which was put on by the Malibu Chamber of Commerce, featured a medly of local wineries including ColCanyon Estate Wines, Malibu Solstice, Rosenthal Estate Winery and Hoyt Family Vineyards, as well as several restaurants, including food from , Malibu and Vine, and .

Dolin Malibu Estate Vineyards had its Chardonnay on display, with owners Lynn and Elliott Dolin pouring tastings at their booth.

The Dolins planted the vineyard six years ago in the hills above Malibu, but 2012 marked their second year of production. 

"We are wine enthusiasts. This is our first wine making venture," Elliott Dolin said.

Their Chardonnay won a "double gold" at the San Francisco International Wine Competition, meaning all judges on a panel agreed the wine deserved a gold medal.

The Dolins were up against 4,556 wines from over 1,300 wineries. Only 202 Double Gold awards were given out.

"It's more than a hobby. We're approaching it seriously," said Dolin, who has taken wine making courses at UC Davis and Sonoma State Universities.

Dolin, who has a day-job in commercial real estate investing, attributes the success of his winery to their high-quality grapes and winemaker, Kirby Anderson, who is formerly of Gainey Vineyards.

The Dolins have plans to expand their brand with the addition of a Pinot Noir, which will include grapes from the Central Coast, he said. 

"The challenge for us is our production is so limited that distribution is a challenge. We only have so much. We can't hook up with a large distributor, so we have to rely on ourselves to market," Dolin said. 

The Chardonnay, which is popular locally, is available at , and La Costa Mission.

Learn more about the winery at dolinestate.com.