Moraga Estate
Moraga Estate is a Bel Air estate, vineyard, and winery producing Bordeaux-style wines under the Moraga Bel Air label.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Moraga Estate is a private estate, vineyard, and winery in Moraga Canyon on the western edge of Bel Air in Los Angeles, California. The property combines a residential estate with a relatively small, highly distinctive vineyard situated only a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. Its setting ranges from approximately 600 to 900 feet in elevation and is visible from Interstate 405 and the grounds of the J. Paul Getty Museum. The estate includes a Mediterranean Revival-style mansion of approximately 7,500 square feet, a guest house, a Provençal-style garden, and roughly sixteen acres of vineyards. The property’s agricultural history is associated with the natural presence of wild grapes in Moraga Canyon. During the 1769 expedition led by Gaspar de Portolà, the diary of expedition priest Juan Crespí recorded grapevines in the area. In the twentieth century, the estate was owned by film director Victor Fleming, who used it as a horse ranch during the 1930s and 1940s. Fleming’s visitors reportedly included Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Ingrid Bergman, and Spencer Tracy, linking the property to the social and cinematic history of Los Angeles. Thomas V. Jones, who led Northrop Corporation for approximately three decades, and his wife Ruth acquired the property in 1959. The Jones family transformed the estate from a primarily residential and equestrian property into a vineyard operation, planting a terraced vineyard in 1978. They expanded the vineyard by acquiring adjoining land in 1986, and purpose-built winery facilities were completed on the property in 2005. Moraga’s wines are marketed as Moraga Bel Air and are based on Bordeaux-associated varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc. The first red wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend known as Moraga Red Table Wine, was made in 1989 and released in 1992. Initial production was handled by Bruno D’Alfonso at Sanford Winery; production later moved to Etude in Napa Valley, where Tony Soter made the wine. The first white table wine was produced in 1998 and released in 2000. Scott Rich served as winemaker from 1999 through 2021, followed by Paul Warson, who began in May 2021. The estate’s wines have been served at Los Angeles-area and national hospitality venues including the Bel Air Bar and Grill, Bel-Air Country Club, The Beverly Hills Hotel, Patina, Spago, and Morton’s The Steakhouse. They have also received favorable attention from wine critics including Jancis Robinson and Robert M. Parker Jr. In 2013, the property was purchased by media executive Rupert Murdoch after he encountered an advertisement for the estate in The Wall Street Journal. Moraga Estate’s identity remains tied to limited-production, estate-grown wine made in an unusual urban Los Angeles setting rather than to mass-market distribution.
History
Moraga Estate occupies a historic property in Moraga Canyon, along the western boundary of Bel Air in Los Angeles. The canyon lies within a short distance of the Pacific Ocean, with the vineyard positioned at elevations reported between approximately 600 and 900 feet. The location has long been associated with grape growth. Juan Crespí’s diary from the 1769 Portolà expedition noted wild grapes in the canyon, providing an early record of the area’s natural viticultural potential. In the twentieth century, the property became associated with Los Angeles’s film community. Director Victor Fleming owned the estate during the 1930s and 1940s and used it as a horse ranch. The property’s reported visitors included Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Ingrid Bergman, and Spencer Tracy. Its later identity as a winery therefore developed on a property that already had strong connections to Hollywood history and affluent Los Angeles residential culture. Thomas V. Jones and his wife Ruth purchased the estate in 1959. Jones was the chief executive of Northrop Corporation for roughly thirty years. Under the Jones family, the property shifted toward agricultural and wine production. A terraced vineyard was planted in 1978, and additional neighboring land was acquired in 1986 to enlarge the vineyard. The estate eventually covered about sixteen acres of vines. New winery facilities were constructed on the property in 2005, enabling production to be more closely associated with the estate itself. The winery’s first red wine was made in 1989. Bruno D’Alfonso produced the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend at Sanford Winery, and the wine was released commercially in 1992 as Moraga Red Table Wine. Beginning with the 1992 vintage, production moved to the Etude facility in Napa Valley, where Tony Soter made the wine. The estate introduced its first white table wine from the 1998 production, releasing it in 2000. Moraga’s vineyard program centered on Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc. The site’s naturally deep gravel soil and reported annual rainfall of about 24 inches were presented as important elements of its viticultural character. Scott Rich became winemaker in 1999 and remained in the role until 2021, making his tenure one of the longest documented periods in the estate’s wine-production history. Paul Warson took over in May 2021. Across these changes, Moraga’s wines continued to be associated with a limited-production, estate-oriented model rather than the scale of a large commercial winery. Moraga wines have been served at prominent restaurants, hotels, clubs, and hospitality venues, including the Bel Air Bar and Grill, Bel-Air Country Club, The Beverly Hills Hotel, Patina, Spago, and Morton’s The Steakhouse. Wine writers Jancis Robinson and Robert M. Parker Jr. have reportedly reviewed the wines favorably. The estate’s combination of a rare vineyard setting within Los Angeles, a formal residential property, and an association with high-profile owners has contributed to its distinctive identity. In 2013, Rupert Murdoch purchased Moraga Estate. The reported transaction followed his seeing an advertisement in The Wall Street Journal, a publication owned by his media interests. Public reference material identifies Murdoch as the owner at that time, but does not establish a later ownership change or provide a definitive current corporate structure. Moraga Estate is therefore best understood as a private estate winery whose history spans early Los Angeles settlement records, Hollywood ranch culture, twentieth-century corporate leadership, and modern boutique wine production.
- 2021
Paul Warson becomes winemaker
[1]Paul Warson began as winemaker in May 2021 after Scott Rich’s tenure.
- 2013
Rupert Murdoch reported as purchaser
[1]Rupert Murdoch purchased the estate, according to the cited reference material.
- 2005
On-site winery facilities completed
[1]New winery facilities were built on the estate.
- 2000
Moraga White Table Wine released
[1]The first white table wine reached the market.
- 1998
First Moraga white wine produced
[1]The estate produced its first white table wine.
- 1992
Moraga Red Table Wine released
[1]The first red wine was released, and production subsequently shifted from Sanford Winery to Etude in Napa Valley.
- 1989
First Moraga red wine produced
[1]The first Moraga red was produced as a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend.
- 1986
Vineyard area expanded
[1]Additional adjacent land was acquired to expand the vineyard.
- 1978
Terraced vineyard planted
[1]The estate planted a terraced vineyard, beginning its modern wine-growing program.
- 1959
Thomas V. and Ruth Jones acquire the estate
[1]The Jones family purchased the property and later developed its vineyard and winery identity.
Products and positioning
A small, prestigious Los Angeles estate winery positioned around site-specific, limited-production Bordeaux-style wines, a historic Bel Air setting, and an unusual combination of urban proximity, private-estate heritage, and vineyard production.
Red wine · 1992
Moraga Red Table Wine
Moraga’s first commercial wine was a red blend based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It was produced in 1989 and released in 1992. Early production was carried out by Bruno D’Alfonso at Sanford Winery, before production moved to the Etude facility in Napa Valley, where Tony Soter made the wine. The wine established the estate’s identity as a producer of Bordeaux-style red wine from an unusual Bel Air vineyard.
White wine · 2000
Moraga White Table Wine
Moraga’s first white table wine was produced in 1998 and released in 2000. It is associated with the estate’s Sauvignon Blanc plantings and complements the red-wine program built around Bordeaux varieties. The white wine broadened the Moraga Bel Air range beyond its original Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend.
Estate wine range
Moraga Bel Air estate wines
The Moraga Bel Air range represents the estate’s broader wine program. The vineyard has been described as growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc on naturally deep gravel soil. The wines are positioned as limited-production expressions of a distinctive Los Angeles site and have been served by selected restaurants, hotels, clubs, and other hospitality venues.
Brand decisions
2021
Appoint a new winemakerOtherBackground
Scott Rich ended a documented tenure that began in 1999.
Action taken
Paul Warson began serving as winemaker in May 2021.
Aftermath
Warson continued the estate’s established focus on growing and producing wine in Los Angeles.
2013
Acquire Moraga EstateM&ABackground
The Bel Air estate and winery was offered for sale, and Rupert Murdoch reportedly encountered the listing through The Wall Street Journal.
Action taken
Rupert Murdoch purchased the estate.
Aftermath
The property became associated with Murdoch’s private ownership, although the available reference does not establish its current ownership structure.
2005
Build winery facilities on the propertyStrategyBackground
The estate had already developed a vineyard and begun producing Moraga wines through outside facilities.
Action taken
New winery facilities were constructed on site.
Aftermath
The investment strengthened the estate-based character of the winery’s production.
1986
Expand the vineyard through adjacent land acquisitionStrategyBackground
The original vineyard development created a basis for further estate wine production.
Action taken
The owners purchased additional adjacent land to enlarge the vineyard.
Aftermath
The estate ultimately included approximately sixteen acres of vines.
1978
Convert the estate toward vineyard productionStrategyBackground
After the Jones family acquired the property, the estate’s use expanded beyond residential and equestrian purposes toward commercial-quality viticulture.
Action taken
A terraced vineyard was planted in 1978, establishing the foundation for Moraga’s modern wine business.
Aftermath
The vineyard later expanded and became the basis for Moraga Bel Air estate wines.
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