Our Story
About Malibu Wine Hikes
The wine hikes began with a young man’s love for the outdoors born between the grapevines on the Semler’s Saddlerock Ranch.
The story behind malibu wine hikes
Shane Semler on Saddlerock Ranch
Ron Semler purchased the land that would become Saddlerock Ranch in 1978 after The Great Malibu Fire the same year. Starting at 220 acres, meant only to be used by one of his daughters for horseback riding, Ron quickly fell in love with the property and began to expand the ranch.
He bought up nearby parcels of land and settled on it with his wife, Lisa Semler, making a beautiful home for himself, his spouse, and his nine children.
Now, Saddlerock Ranch is 1100 acres and home to many species of wild flora and fauna, farm animals, hardworking ranch hands, Semler family members, and Malibu Wine Hikes!
In 1992, the first grapevines were planted, and the first vintage was bottled in 1997. The first varietal was Sauvignon Blanc, grown as a gift for Lisa, as it was her favorite wine to drink. After that, grapevines flourished on the property, especially the hardy black grapes that made up juicy red wines such as Malbec, Syrah, and Saddlerock’s flagship grape, Cabernet Sauvignon.
Shane's Passion to Share the Wine & His Piece of Malibu
One of Ron Semler’s children, Shane Semler, founded Malibu Wine Hikes in 2015. Having grown up on the ranch, Shane had quickly developed a love for hiking the massive property and nearby trails. He would watch his mother, Lisa, enjoy hiking the property every day with their family dogs, and this gave him an idea.
Why not allow others to enjoy the gorgeous private property and find the same enjoyment in soaking up the fresh air, sunlight, and nature. The desire to share the beauty of the vineyard and Malibu wine country inspired his business, and thus, Malibu Wine Hikes was born, making it one of the most unique things to do in Malibu. For over 6 years, Shane has been sharing the beauty of the ranch through wine hikes. After a few years, his business expanded to include experiences in unique vehicles like side by side 4×4 tours and groovy Volkswagen wine bus tours.
You can share the experience of exploring Saddlerock Ranch with your loved ones by gifting one of our wine tasting gift cards.
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