SOLANA BEACH — Carruth Cellars and Mark Patterson, the artist behind the “Surfing Madonna” mosaic, have teamed up to launch a new “Save The Ocean” label, with $1 of every bottle sold going to charitable organizations with saving the beaches as their core message, including Patterson’s own newly formed nonprofit tentatively titled, “The Surfing Madonna Ocean’s Project.”
Adam Carruth, owner of the winery on Cedros Avenue, said that he was inspired to do the new label because he felt very strongly about Patterson’s message about saving the oceans.
Patterson’s new nonprofit will be set up to receive funds and direct them to ocean-oriented efforts, Patterson said.
He said he started the organization because of the amount of public response from people looking to help. “It just seems like people really want to have somewhere to go. Of course, there’s Surfrider (Foundation)…The Ocean’s Foundation, here in San Diego, has been here for 35 years. They’re doing phenomenal work, so it’s mostly just to help,” he said.
Patterson does believe the environment can improve, just not overnight. “It’s going to take a while,” he said.
The “Save The Ocean” wine, which features the image of the “Surfing Madonna” on its label, is a blend of organic grapes that comes from a family-run vineyard called Full Moon Vineyards, said Annie Milliken, who helped Carruth start the business.
The wine is rich and layered, Carruth explained. “This wine will be interesting as it ages; it’s so young now,” he said.
Carruth will be selling the “Save the Ocean” bottles for $25 and $20 for cellar club members. The wine is being limited to 20,000 bottles and may be found at the Carruth Cellars tasting room.
To have the “Surfing Madonna” image on the label is a total honor, Patterson said. “My parents should be flipping in their graves because they were teetotalers,” he added.
The cellar, which opened in 2010, offers unique experiences for tasters to view the winemaking process from the crushing of grapes to the bottling of wine.
Carruth Cellars is at 320 S. Cedros Ave.
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