Surfing legend Robert August, co-star of the most enduring surf movie “The Endless Summer,” has turned his taste for fine wine into a new family business.
August showcased his first release of Merlot and Pinot Grigio during a personal presentation last week at the Crab Catcher in La Jolla. He will appear today, June 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Crest Liquor, 3787 Ingraham St. in Pacific Beach.
“It’s a natural thing for us, being here at the beach,” said Crest general manager Brian Goodloe. “It’s good wine and the packaging is perfect, with the surfboard and all. It should be an interesting time.”
The displays will include August’s wines and some surfboards from his internationally known board shaping shop in Huntington Beach.
Robert and Sam August are longtime acquaintances of Crest clerk John Cocozza. A surfer and part-time professional photographer, Cocozza was instrumental in arranging the special visit after the wine became available and sold at Crest two months ago.
“I have known them through the surf community for years,” Cocozza said. “It should be fun. We are going to hang some of Robert’s boards around and have a wine table. There will be a chance to talk to them, get some decals and stickers, an autograph and some of their wine.”
August earned his international name recognition when he walked out of his high school graduation and onto a plane to tour the world while making “The Endless Summer” with Bruce Brown and co-star Mike Hynson of La Jolla. When the documentary surf movie was released in 1966 in regular movie theaters, the world got its first honest look at the pure joy of the sport.
The movie leaped out of the familiar breaks of Southern California right into Africa, then on to Australia, Tahiti and Hawaii. Who can forget the search for the perfect wave and Cape St Francis?
August has made his own line of surfboards since 1974. The resurgence of longboards in the mid ’90s expanded his business interests and has given him a chance to frequently visit his vacation home in Costa Rica on his endless quest for great waves.
In 1994, August made a cameo appearance in “Endless Summer II,” which featured two new young surfers retracing much of the original world surf tour.
August has been a faithful participant in the annual cancer research fund-raising Luau and Longboard Invitational for surf legends at Scripps Pier in La Jolla every August.
The August label winemaking enterprise grew out of a joint venture with vintner Dennis Hill.
“Wine, like surfing, is a passion for me that is endless,” August says on his Web site.
Red grapes for the 2005 Robert August Merlot are from the Edna Valley near Pismo Beach, while the white grapes for the 2006 Robert August Pinot Grigio are sourced from the Monterey area.
Information is available at www.robertaugustwines.com or from Crest, (858) 274-3087.