The Hearst Hide-Away: Blue Sea, Blue Sky, Our Caviar

The thing is this: Hard as you try, you can’t really think of La Cuesta Encantada (the enchanted hill), known colloquially as the Hearst Castle, as a “little hide-away….” Or, to round out W.R. Hearst’s description of the place written as he was departing San Francisco: “…I’m going to go down to my ranch and…my little hide-away on my little hilltop at San Simeon, and look down on the blue sea, and up at the blue sky, and bask in the glorious sunshine of the greatest State of the greatest nation in the whole world.” He’s talking about four Mediterranean-style buildings containing 165 rooms surrounded by two classically-inspired swimming pools and acres of gardens—the entire ensemble set on a hill sixteen hundred feet above sea level, with three-hundred-sixty-degree views of the ocean and mountains.

However you think of it, it’s undeniably a one-of-a-kind architectural and environmental masterpiece. A fitting venue and a fitting purpose for Pointy to officially co-sponsor the annual Benefit Weekend of the Hearst Castle Preservation Foundation (Sept 28-30, 2018). It’s an occasion for the Foundation’s Trustees to welcome supporters as they raise funds to conserve and restore a vast collection filling the property’s buildings. As well, it’s an occasion for Pointy to support the philanthropy of Hearst heirs.

In the event, we set up our signature caviar bar to bring out the happy mood among black tie cocktail guests. Finding inspiration in Marrakech’s legendary Jardin Majorelle, Pointy surprised and delighted with its version of Caviar Majorelle, an after-dinner presentation of house-made macaroons filled with white chocolate ganache, sprinkled with gold dust and topped with a tiara-like dollop of Pointy Snout Ossetra caviar. We collaborated with Executive Chef Jeff Thompson of renowned Wheatleigh to create our confectioner’s paradise. Pointy also donated a kilogram of its premium caviar for the silent auction, fetching a generous sum for a worthy cause.