Archie McLaren
Founder & Chairman
Central Coast Wine Classic
Avila Beach & Big Sur, California
Archie McLaren is no stranger to the
world of fine cuisine and rare wine. He is the founding Bailli of
the Central Coast Chapter of the Confrerie de la Chaine des
Rotisseurs, a member of the Vintners’ Club of San Francisco, the
Wine & Food Society of San Francisco, the San Francisco Chapter of
the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin and the Marin County
Chapter of the International Wine & Food Society. He is the former
Cellarmaster of the Avila Bay Wine Society and the former President
of the Central Coast Wine Society.
Archie has served as Chairman/Executive
Director of both the San Luis Obispo Vintners & Growers Association
and the Paso Robles Westside Grand Crew. He is one of only two
Americans inducted into the Austrian Wine Brotherhood, and one of
the few Americans inducted into the Commanderie des Bontemps - Medoc
et Graves & Sauternes et Barsac of Bordeaux in France.
Archie has long been associated with
charitable wine auctions. Not only did he serve for many years as
the American Institute of Wine & Food’s Rare & Fine Wine and Auction
Consultant, he also served as a Director on its National Board. He
is the Founder & Chairman of the Central Coast Wine Classic, held in
high esteem as a prestigious and comprehensive food and wine event,
held each year in July and in its twenty-fourth year, which boasts
Wine Spectator among its many significant sponsors. With revenues
exceeding $1,000,000, the Central Coast Wine Classic is one of
America’s most successful charity wine auctions. The Central Coast
Wine Classic not only promotes the wine, culinary and hospitality
industries, it also confers substantive proceeds upon a continually
expanding number of healing, performing and studio arts
organizations on the Central Coast of California, specifically in
San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
Archie has assisted in launching charity
auctions in Washington, D.C., Honolulu, Santa Monica, Los Angeles,
Mendocino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ynez and Santa
Barbara. His partner in life, Carissa Chappellet, an owner of
Chappellet Winery in the Napa Valley and the winery’s ambassador,
and he have served as Chairs of the WYES Public Television Auction
in New Orleans and are frequent donors to charitable wine auctions
throughout the United States.
In addition, with Brian Talley, he
co-founded the extremely popular World of Pinot Noir. In 2007, he
directed and was the auctioneer for the Pinot Plus Auction, the
Carneros Wine Alliance’s inaugural Carneros Appellation wine and
lifestyle tasting and auction, and was auctioneer for the 2007 and
2008 Lake County Wine Auction.
Archie is frequently invited to attend tastings of rare and collectible wines throughout the country and has participated in comprehensive vertical tastings of Chateaux d’Yquem, Latour, Mouton Rothschild, Cos d’Estournel, Leoville Las Cases and Cheval Blanc, as well as La Tache, Hermitage La Chapelle, Penfolds Grange, Vega Sicilia Unico, and Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour Private Reserve, among a number of others. A long-time Champagne aficionado who has attended many tastings of rare Champagnes, he was Founder and Director of the International Festival of Methode Champenoise.
Archie is frequently invited to attend tastings of rare and collectible wines throughout the country and has participated in comprehensive vertical tastings of Chateaux d’Yquem, Latour, Mouton Rothschild, Cos d’Estournel, Leoville Las Cases and Cheval Blanc, as well as La Tache, Hermitage La Chapelle, Penfolds Grange, Vega Sicilia Unico, and Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour Private Reserve, among a number of others. A long-time Champagne aficionado who has attended many tastings of rare Champagnes, he was Founder and Director of the International Festival of Methode Champenoise.
On San Luis Obispo & Santa Barbara
Public Radio KCBX, Archie hosted a fine wine program, the Wine
Drinker’s Guide to Indulgence, for twenty-three years (He continues
to host an occasional show), and has been a writer on fine wine for
Adventure’s in Dining, the San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune, New
Times and Santa Barbara Magazine.
His education includes a Bachelor of
Arts degree from Vanderbilt University, a Juris Doctor of Law degree
from the University of Memphis, and post-graduate studies in
Humanities, English Literature and International Marketing at
various universities.
Archie McLaren is involved in an array
of civic activities, both in the arts and in the community in
general. He has received the San Luis Obispo Visitors & Convention
Bureau’s Annual Tourism Award. He has twice served as the President
of the Board of Directors of the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival,
and as a member of the Board of the San Luis Obispo County Arts
Council. He was the Chairman of the Avila Beach Front Street
Enhancement Committee that designed the promenade and park for the
rejuvenation of the community of Avila Beach and for many years was
Chairman of the committee that approves new projects for Avila Beach
prior to their being approved at the county level.
His many accomplishments have resulted
in his continuing inclusion in Who’s Who in Media & Communications,
Who’s Who in the West, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the
World.
Archie McLaren and writer, painter,
photographer, musician, adventurer, Carissa Chappellet, live in
Avila Beach, Big Sur, and St. Helena, California, where they enjoy
hiking, bicycling and a variety of water and court sports, as well
as raiding their wine cellar for special occasions with family and
friends.
