Inspiration from a cold one

Paul Newman and longtime friend and business partner author A.E. Hotchner used to mix batches of their homemade olive oil and vinegar salad dressing in Newman’s basement, pour it into old wine bottles and give them to friends as Christmas gifts.

These days, Newman’s wine bottles are filled with wine, and Newport Beach diners will have a jump on the rest of the country as Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar is offering the latest additions to the actor and philanthropist’s Newman’s Own line.

The wine won’t be available to retailers until March, but Fleming’s locations nationwide were chosen as the official launch site.

A 2006 Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, bearing labels with the Hollywood star’s image, were introduced at a wine tasting dinner Tuesday in the restaurant’s private wine cellar room.

The Hollywood-themed dinner, coming on the heels of Sunday’s Academy Award show, began with a red carpet-welcome out front.

A group of about 60 guests was escorted downstairs, where the evening began with appetizers, a Sofia Coppola Blanc de Blanc champagne and a mini-screening of “The Color of Money,” featuring Newman’s 1986 Academy award-winning performance as pool shark “Fast Eddie” Felson.

Because Newman has released only two varietals, Fleming’s also included wines from director Francis Ford Coppola to pair with its special menu.

Charles Bieler, founder and co-owner of Rebel Wine, met Newman through a mutual friend — a chef at a restaurant in Connecticut.

While Newman had never really thought about adding wine to his product line, Bieler said that over the years, when it came to new food items, the actor has always reacted to what was in front of him, and creating a new wine was no exception.

“Paul’s original thought was about making a wine for the restaurant, then maybe for Connecticut, then the Northeast, and from there he just decided to take it national.”

Any new product added to the line has to feel right to Newman, Bieler said, adding that although Newman is a wine drinker, his true love is beer.

“Our role was to realize Paul’s vision from the start, which was to make a wine that he loved. Since Paul loves Budweiser, the Chardonnay has a brighter, lighter flavor than some of the more heavily oaked Chardonnays on the market.”

John Verhoef is the wine manager at Fleming’s. He introduced each course by describing the food, the wine and how each complemented the other.

“The Chardonnay is a little tropical. While the citrus, apple and pear flavors in the wine can be detected, the 10% Reisling Muscat in it is what gives it a unique flavor that is hard to describe,” Verhoef said.

Paul and Margie Mosley drove in from Long Beach to have dinner with their friends Greg and Linda Blackburn from Huntington Beach.

Both couples, who are wine enthusiasts and Fleming’s regulars, thought the Chardonnay was paired well with the seared Arctic char and fennel salad it was served with, although they would have preferred the wine a little less chilled.

A trivia game with questions about the life and career of Newman and Coppola was played throughout the dinner, and guests with correct answers were taking home prizes that included signature Fleming’s wine glasses, Newman’s Own pasta sauces and a DVD of “The Color of Money.”

All of the proceeds from the sale of Newman’s Own products — which started with the salad dressing and now includes pasta sauce, lemonade, popcorn salsa and wine — are donated to charity.

To date, the organization has donated more than $200 million, and one beneficiary is the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a residential summer camp for seriously ill children Newman founded in Ashford, Conn., in 1986.

Bieler said the amount of money Newman has donated over the years is staggering.

“He’s the real deal. Some people may just give a portion of their profits to charity, but he’s been delivering for years, and because of the [company’s] growth, he gives more and more every year.

“That’s what gets him up in the morning,” Bieler said.

PAUL NEWMAN TRIVIA

1. Paul Newman has received how many Oscar nominations for acting:

a. 5

b. 7

c. 9

d.11

2. Paul Newman’s eyes:

a. are color-blind

b. were brown until he was five months old

c. had 20/20 vision until he was 73

d. were insured for $5 million with Lloyd’s of London

3. Paul Newman’s single Academy Award for acting was for:

a. Cool Hand Luke

b. The Verdict

c. Absence of Malice

d. The Color of Money

4. Before becoming an actor, Paul Newman did all of these except:

a. get kicked out of college for unruly behavior

b. spend a year in the Peace Corps

c. spend three years in the Navy

d. ran a sporting goods store

5. Who was originally cast as Luke in Cool Hand Luke?

a. Steve McQueen

b. Marlon Brando

c. Warren Beatty

d. Telly Savalas

6. For which of these films was Paul Newman not nominated for an Academy Award?

a. The Hustler

b. The Sting

c. Hud

d. Road to Perdition

7. Paul Newman once said his favorite sound was:

a. a director saying, “Action!”

b. the voice of his wife, Joanne Woodward

c. a V-8 engine

d. silence

Answers: 1) c; 2) a; 3) d; 4) b; 5) d; 6) b; 7) c.

SUE THOENSEN may be reached at (714) 966-4627 or at sue.thoensen@latimes.com.