Malibu Food & Wine returned to Saddlerock Ranch for its second annual culinary weekend, bringing together acclaimed chefs, winemakers, entertainers, brands and guests for three days built around food, wine, music and philanthropy.
Founded by husband-and-wife team Chef Marcel Vigneron and entrepreneur Lauren Rae Levy, the weekend has grown around their shared interest in culinary creativity and community giving. Vigneron brings his culinary expertise to the event, while Levy, founder of LRL Group, oversees partnerships and community engagement.
This year’s celebration moved through three distinct experiences — an intimate Friday dinner, an Italian-inspired Saturday evening and a family-friendly Sunday country cookout — while keeping charitable causes at the centre of the weekend.
Friday Begins With Charlize Theron
The weekend opened with an intimate Friday evening hosted by Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, supporting the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP), the organization she founded in 2007 to advance the health, safety and opportunities of young people throughout Southern Africa.
More than 150 guests gathered at Saddlerock Ranch for cocktails, passed bites and interactive culinary experiences before sitting down for a five-course farm-to-table dinner.
The evening’s culinary lineup featured Andrew Zimmern, Bryan Voltaggio, Michael Voltaggio and Marcel Vigneron, with wines from Baron Ziegler, founder of Marine Layer Wines.
The seasonal menu incorporated ingredients and products from Sea Stephanie Fish, Campo Grande, Schaller & Weber, the American Lamb Board and Seatopia, alongside produce sourced from California farms. Each course was paired with selections from Marine Layer Wines.
The evening also incorporated live demonstrations and brand experiences. Snyder Diamond presented a culinary demonstration with Vigneron featuring Bosch technologies and Orgreenic cookware, while Aura California showcased its knives and Tumbler demonstrated its knife sharpener.
Music from the Minta Spencer Collective, with sound presented by Aviator Nation Dreamland, accompanied the evening, while Designtonik created a tablescape inspired by Malibu’s natural surroundings.
Among the notable guests were Adam Richman, Rebecca Reid, R’Bonney Gabriel, Rhoda Magbitang, Rupert Sanders, Melissa Cohen Biden, Kyle Rudolph and Norman Seeff.
Saturday Turns Saddlerock Ranch Into Italian Night
Saturday brought a different atmosphere as Malibu Food & Wine transformed the ranch for Italian Night, hosted by Adam Richman in support of the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu.
The culinary lineup featured chefs including Mei Lin, Stephanie Izard, Tobias Dorzon, Jonathon Sawyer, Chris Oh, Brian Redzikowski, Spike Mendelsohn, Nikki Martin, Oren Zroya and Karlo Evaristo, with Marcel Vigneron and Lauren Rae Levy welcoming guests from the Main Stage.
The evening combined food demonstrations with interactive culinary experiences. Food critic Sophie Gayot opened the festivities with a blindfolded champagne sabering, while chefs Brian Redzikowski and Nick Devries of Kettner Exchange performed a live bluefin tuna carving before turning the fresh cuts into small plates.
A mobile Cannoli Bar moved through the event, offering freshly filled cannoli with customizable toppings.
Guests including Victoria Justice, Madison Grace Reed, Oliver English, Christel Khalil, Talia Perez, Catherine Lidstone, Tara Strong, Kathleen Herles, Emanuela Postacchini and James Perse joined the celebration.
Wine, Cocktails and Culinary Showcases
Across the ranch, the evening continued with a series of specialized food and beverage experiences.
The Just Ice Tea Lounge paired chef-created bites from Spike Mendelsohn with the brand’s Watermelon Lime White Tea and Stellar Snacks. Soho House brought its Specialty Bar and signature Picante de la Casa.
At the Snyder Diamond Showcase, guests explored kitchen innovations from Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau. The accompanying lounge paired fresh oysters from Morro Bay Oyster Company with wines from Dutcher Crossing Winery, Smith Story Wine Cellars and Fat Dragon of Dry Creek Valley Wines.
One of the evening’s more indulgent collaborations brought together Truffle Boys, Cazcanes Tequila and Capri Gelato & Coffee, combining truffle and caviar bites with premium tequila cocktails, Espresso Martinis, Frozen Palomas, affogatos and artisan gelato topped with shaved truffles and caviar.
Wine remained central to the experience, with pours from producers including Malibu Wines, Lyons Vineyard Estate, TOR Napa Valley, Summer Somewhere Wines, Williams Selyem, Smith Story Wine Cellars, Fat Dragon, Dutcher Crossing Winery and Doladira.
Guests could also relax at the Sandy Brew Beer Garden, featuring the Malibu-founded brand’s Blonde Pilsner and Daze IPA.
As the night continued, DJ EQUAL provided the soundtrack through Aviator Nation Dreamland, before rock music from LEMMO closed out Saturday evening.
Sunday Brings the Country Cookout
The final day shifted into a more relaxed, family-friendly celebration with Country Cookout, an afternoon dedicated to barbecue, live-fire cooking, California wine and music.
The culinary lineup featured Brian Malarkey, Carlos Anthony, Elizabeth Falkner, Lee Anne Wong, Matt Pittman, Rhoda Magbitang, Jack Hotchkin, Varsity Bakers, Jennifer Lowry, Nikki Martin, Spike Mendelsohn, Viet Pham and Vinnie Cimino.
Their cooking ranged from low-and-slow barbecue and open-fire preparations to elevated interpretations of classic cookout dishes.
The family atmosphere extended throughout the ranch. FlutterBy presented an interactive butterfly pavilion featuring native California species, while younger guests could enjoy donkey rides, cornhole and a children’s coloring station.
Live music from Lizzy Passion & The Cowboy Assassins and Will Worden, presented through Aviator Nation Dreamland, added to the afternoon’s country-inspired atmosphere.
A Weekend Built Around California Wine
Wine remained one of the connecting threads throughout all three days.
Sunday’s selections included wines from Smith Story Wine Cellars, Fat Dragon, Dutcher Crossing Winery, Malibu Wines, Malibu Wine Company, Big Salt, Lyons Vineyard Estate, TOR Napa Valley, AXR Napa Valley, Summer Somewhere Wines and Williams Selyem.
The Carneros Wine Alliance also participated, featuring Domaine Carneros, Bouchaine Vineyards and Firetree Family Vineyards.
Guests enjoyed the selections in GoVino, the official glassware partner of Malibu Food & Wine.
The beverage program also extended beyond wine. Gaia Herbs offered a non-alcoholic botanical mixology experience, while Capri Gelato & Coffee served artisan gelato, affogatos and specialty coffee. Sandy Brew returned with its Blonde Pilsner and Daze IPA.
Culinary Creativity Meets Community Giving
Philanthropy remained at the centre of Malibu Food & Wine’s second annual weekend.
Friday’s opening celebration supported the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, while portions of proceeds from Italian Night and Country Cookout benefited the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu, supporting programs for local youth and families, including mental health and wellness resources.
The event also continued its support of C-CAP, which provides culinary education, scholarships, job training and career opportunities to underserved students.
That charitable focus gives Malibu Food & Wine a purpose beyond the dining table. The weekend brings together people with a shared appreciation for food and hospitality while directing part of that community toward organizations working with young people.
Three Days, One Malibu Community
The second annual Malibu Food & Wine brought together chefs, winemakers, entertainers, culinary brands and guests across three distinct days at Saddlerock Ranch.
From Charlize Theron’s intimate Friday dinner to Adam Richman’s Italian Night and the family-oriented Country Cookout, each day offered its own character while remaining connected through food, California wine, music and philanthropy.
The result was a weekend where culinary experiences became a way to bring people together — and where celebrating food and wine also created opportunities to support communities both in Malibu and beyond.
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