Moraga Estate is an American
estate, vineyard and winery in
Bel Air, Los Angeles
Bel Air (or Bel-Air) is a residential neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. Founded in 1923, it is the home of the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden and the American Jewish Univers ...
, California. As of 2013, it was owned by media mogul
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...
.
Overview
The estate included a 7,500-square-foot, nine-fireplace
Mediterranean Revival
Mediterranean Revival is an architectural style introduced in the United States, Canada, and certain other countries in the 19th century. It incorporated references from Spanish Renaissance, Spanish Colonial, Italian Renaissance, French Colonia ...
–style mansion and guest house, a
Provençal-style garden, and sixteen acres of vineyards.
[Official website: History](_blank)
[Meg James]
Rupert Murdoch buys Moraga Vineyards estate in Bel Air
''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'', May 10, 2013[S. Irene Virbila]
Moraga Vineyards in Bel Air for sale
''Los Angeles Times'', February 08, 2013[Dan Berger]
Moraga Vineyards: Appellation Controlee Bel Air
''The Los Angeles Times'', January 09, 1992[Tim Fish]
Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch Buys Moraga Vineyards
''Wine Spectator
''Wine Spectator'' is an American lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture, and gives out ratings to certain types of wine. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertain ...
'', May 13, 2013
Location
It was located in
Moraga Canyon in the
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains is a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. Because of its proximity to densely populated regions, it is one of the most visited natural areas in ...
, in the hilly part of the upscale neighborhood of Bel Air in Los Angeles, California.
[Corie Brown]
Finally, a winery in Bel-Air
''Los Angeles Times'', September 28, 2005[Charles Lewis Sullivan, ''A Companion to California Wine: An Encyclopedia of Wine and Winemaking from the Mission Period to the Present'', Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1998, p. 22]
/ref> Moraga Canyon was already home to Vitis californica, wild grapes, as noted by Fr. Juan Crespí
Joan Crespí or Juan Crespí (1 March 1721 – 1 January 1782) was a Franciscan missionary and explorer of Las Californias.
Biography
A native of Majorca, Crespí entered the Franciscan order at the age of seventeen. He came to New Spain ...
(1721–1782) in his diary during the expedition of Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar is a given and/or surname of French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish origin, cognate to Casper (given name) or Casper (surname).
It is a name of biblical origin, per Saint Gaspar, one of the wise men mentioned in the Bible.
Notable peo ...
(1716–1784) in August 1769. It was five miles from the Pacific Ocean, and 600 to 900 feet in elevation. It could be seen from Interstate 405 and from the J. Paul Getty Museum
The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa.
The Getty Center is located in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles and fea ...
.
History
It was owned by film director Victor Fleming (1889-1949), who used it as a horse ranch in the 1930s and 1940s. Frequent guests to Fleming's estate were Clark Gable
William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...
, Vivien Leigh, Ingrid Bergman and Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...
.
In 1959, it was purchased by Thomas V. Jones
Thomas Victor Jones (July 21, 1920 – January 7, 2014) was an American businessman. He served as the chairman and chief executive officer of Northrop Corporation.
Biography
Early life
Born in Pomona, California, he graduated magna cum laude in ...
, who served as chief executive of the Northrop Corporation
Northrop Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its 1994 merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, most successfully the B-2 Sp ...
for thirty years, and his wife Ruth. They turned the estate into a vineyard, by planting a terraced vineyard in 1978. In 1986, they purchased additional adjacent land to expand the vineyard. In 2005, new winery facilities were built on site.
In 2013, it was purchased by Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...
, chairman and chief executive officer of the News Corporation
News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp.), also variously known as News Corporation Limited, was an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in New ...
, after he saw an advertisement in a newspaper he owns, ''The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
''.Rupert Murdoch Confirms Plans to Purchase Bel Air Vineyard
''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'', May 10, 2013
Wines
Under the brand ''Moraga Bel Air'', it grew the following
varietal
A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...
s of
Bordeaux wine
Bordeaux wine ( oc, vin de Bordèu, french: vin de Bordeaux) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the ...
:
Cabernet,
Merlot,
Petit Verdot
Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen it adds tannin, ...
,
Cabernet Franc and
Sauvignon blanc.
It is grown on naturally
deep gravel soil and annual rainfall of 24 inches.
The first wine, the Moraga Red Table Wine, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, was made by winemaker
Bruno D'Alfonso at the Sanford Winery in 1989 and sold in 1992. The wine was made by D'Alfonso until the 1992 vintage, when production shifted to the Etude facility in Napa, where Tony Soter made the wine.
The first Moraga White Table Wine was produced in 1998 and released in 2000.
After Tony Soter, Scott Rich became winemaker in 1999 and stayed in that position until 2021. Paul Warson began in May of 2021 to continue the tradition of growing outstanding wines in Los Angeles.
The wines were served at the Bel Air Bar and Grill,
Bel-Air Country Club
The Bel-Air Country Club is a social club located in Bel Air, Los Angeles, California. The property includes an 18-hole golf course and tennis courts.
The golf course is the home course for the UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the athletic team ...
,
The Beverly Hills Hotel
The Beverly Hills Hotel, also called the Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows, is located on Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California. One of the world's best-known hotels, it is closely associated with Hollywood film stars, rock stars, and cel ...
, Patina,
Spago
Spago is chef Wolfgang Puck's flagship restaurant worldwide, known for serving California cuisine. Spago is Puck's first restaurant venture.
Name and history
The word "spago" is Italian for "string" or "twine". The plural would be "spaghi," whi ...
, and
Morton's The Steakhouse.
They have received good reviews from wine critics
Jancis Robinson and
Robert M. Parker, Jr.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moraga Estate
Wineries in California
Houses in Los Angeles
Bel Air, Los Angeles