Larchmont Chronicle
NOVEMBER 2017
SECTION THREE
Making Wine
(Continued from page 10) was intrigued by the fact that we owned a vineyard. Seb had emigrated from Italy after World War II, graduated from
UCLA and made a fortune in the residential real estate business. He knew Gill’s parents in London, and he had looked after Gill when she moved to the U.S. It turned out that Seb had a ranch where he was
raising cattle near Buellton and was interested in growing grapes. Since I now had contacts in the business, I arranged for a consultant to tour Seb’s property and tell us what he
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thought. The consultant was ing his dream. Two years later, working with Michel Rolland Paul Lato’s first vintage from on another project, and he John Sebastiano was released, called me after they both had and it got 95 points. He called seen and tested the site to tell the wine “Atticus,” after the me that Rolland had told him great American hero Atticus it would be a crime not to Finch. Peake Ranch plant the ranch. At this point, Gill’s and So, I arranged for Seb to meet the consultants and my friendship with Paul had to figure a plan to plant the grown very close, and Gill and ranch. When Seb found out I had become very involved in how much was involved, he the wine world. A parcel near called, with a much heavier John Sebastiano had come on Italian accent, and said “I am the market. It had been the 85, I don’t have any kids, but site of the original Sanford I have always thought of you tasting room and was the forand Gill as kids. Would you mer ranch of the California pay to plant the vineyard, and artist Channing Peake. (Peake I will put in the land, and we was a close friend of Pablo will be partners in owning the Picasso and was a founder of vineyard?” It was a hard propo- the American Quarter Horse sition to say no to, and accord- breed.) Gill and I knew that ing to Rolland we would have it would be an ideal place to build a winery, and with been committing a crime Paul’s help, make worldif we had. class wines. After a lot of Atticus thought, and after getting We planted the vineto know Peake’s widow, we yard, and Mondavi was decided to name that new doing a good job with project Peake Ranch. the wine. A Sierra Santa Barbara CounMadre pinot noir made ty’s planning and design the Wine Spectator review process slowed Top 100 wines in the the progress of conworld. And many of structing the winery, the smaller Santa but we were able to Barbara winemakmake our first viners were attracted tage from the 2014 to our newer propharvest. We used erty, “John Sebaspinot noir from John tiano,” and bought Sebastiano and Chargrapes from us. donnay from SierThe winemakers ra Madre. Because were doing well, both vineyards are with many of their known in the wine wines scoring in critic world, we the 90s. One day, my vine- PEAKE RANCH were able to get our yard manager said was named after wines reviewed by he had a winemak- artist Channing Robert Parker. Gill er he wanted me Peake, close friend and I were thrilled to meet. The wine- to Pablo Picasso when both the maker, Paul Lato, and founder of the Peake Ranch John told me his life American Quarter Sebastiano Pinot Horse breed. Noir and the Peake story. He had been born in communist Poland, Ranch Sierra Madre Chardondefected when he was 19, and nay received 96 points. It is our intention to had worked in a Michelin starred restaurant in Toronto. acknowledge and support a He worked his way from dish- worthwhile charity with each washer to director of wine. One vintage. This year, the charmorning, he woke up and won- ity recognized is the Weingart dered why he was selling wine Center, which transforms lives when what he really wanted to by combating poverty and do was make it. He moved to breaking the cycle of homeSanta Barbara, got a minimum lessness in downtown Los wage job at a winery and taught Angeles. We hope to complete the himself how to make wine. He had started his label a few years winery late this year or early prior to our meeting, and his in 2018. Because of the attenwines were in the best U.S. tion we received from the wine restaurants (such as Per Se and reviews, sales online are going French Laundry). I was com- well. And that is how we urban pletely charmed, and I told him I would get him grapes from Angelenos ended up in the the John Sebastiano vineyard. California wine business. For He was thankful, and he said more information, our webthat, often, Americans were site is PeakeRanch.com. John B. Wagner, Windsor reluctant to sell grapes to a foreigner. I replied that, as far Square, is the managing partas I was concerned, he was the ner and chief investment offimost American guy I knew. He cer of Camden Asset Managehad a passion, and he was cre- ment LP, a convertible bond ating something out of pursu- specialist firm in Los Angeles.