Robert Lawrence Balzer Papers, circa 1900-2011

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Summary

Creators:
Balzer, Robert Lawrence
Abstract:
Robert Lawrence Balzer was a wine writer, wine educator, and restaurateur. The collection contains correspondence, photographs, writing drafts, news clippings, awards and certificates, artwork, and assorted materials relating to wine. There are also documents focusing on the country of Cambodia and Balzer's study of Buddhism.
Extent:
77.85 Linear Feet (75 boxes, 3 flat file drawers, 2 Imperial-sized wine bottles)
Language:
English and English
Preferred citation:

[Box/folder# or item name], Robert Lawrence Balzer Papers, Collection no. 0014, Southern California Wine and Wine Industry Collection, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains correspondence, photographs, writing drafts, news clippings, awards and certificates, artwork, and assorted wine materials from wine writer and educator Robert Balzer. In addition to wine-related materials, there are also materials related to Balzer's study of Buddhism and documents focusing on Cambodia, including correspondence and photographs of former King Norodom Sihanouk. Other notable items include autographed pictures of Ronald Reagan and Dwight Eisenhower and a United States Senate Chamber card signed by then-United States Senator Richard Nixon.

Biographical / historical:

Robert Lawrence Balzer was a noted writer, author, and instructor on the subject of wine, as well as a restaurateur. Balzer was born on June 25, 1912 in Des Moines, Iowa and was the youngest child of Albert, a grocer, and Selma Balzer. Balzer had one sister, Helen, who was born in 1909. In 1917, Selma and her children traveled to Long Beach, California, where they spent the winter on advice of their doctor. The family eventually moved to Long Beach permanently in 1919.

After graduating from Los Angeles High School in 1930, Balzer attended Stanford University, which was then known as Leland Stanford Junior University. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in English in 1935. Balzer attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London from 1935-1936 and, in late 1936, married Academy classmate Emily Abel. They were married for nine years until divorcing in 1946. After the wedding, Balzer began working as a wine buyer at Balzer's, his father's upscale grocery store in Los Angeles.

As part of his work at the store, Balzer started writing a column called "Highlights" for the store's mailer. The column included information about recipes and wine, but also touched on politics and other topics. In January of 1939, Balzer also started writing a weekly wine column "Concerning Wines and Foods" for the Beverly Hills Citizen.

Balzer later turned to radio, co-hosting a weekly radio show on KMPC titled "What Shall I Have for Dinner?" on KMPC. In 1940, Balzer began contributing a monthly feature of contributed recipes for Sunset titled "Chefs of the West."

In September of 1942, Balzer enlisted in the Army and served as a pilot and flight instructor in the U.S. Army Air Force until 1944. After leaving the military, Balzer went back to work at his father's grocery store and writing the "Highlights" column. The next year, in 1945, Albert Balzer turned over management of the business to his son. In April of 1948, Balzer's first book was published: California's Best Wines.

In 1951, Balzer began practicing Buddhism and, five years later, he was ordained as a Buddhist monk and spent two weeks in a monastery in Phnomh Penh, Cambodia. Around that time, Balzer also began writing for the United Press and covered the 1956 coronation of Norodom Suramarit as King of Cambodia. Balzer went on to become longtime friends with the Suramit's predecessor and son, Norodom Sihanouk.

In 1959, Balzer sold the Balzer's grocery store to Jurgensen's grocery chain. Later that year, he bought property in Idyllwild, California with the purpose of turning it into a Zen meditation center called Zenzan-Ji. From 1963 to 1966, Balzer ran a restaurant in Idyllwild called The Tirol. During that time, Balzer published two more books: Beyond Conflict (1963) and The Pleasures of Wine (1964). Balzer also began writing a wine column for the Los Angeles Times Home Magazine. He continued to write for the Los Angeles Times until 1996. After the closure of The Tirol in 1966, Balzer briefly took over management of the Villa Fontana restaurant in Orange, California.

Balzer also taught wine courses at the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Irvine. Later, he taught students at Lawry's California Center, a complex of restaurants and shops. He continued teaching the wine classes until 2008 and, each year, took students to Europe.

In 1970, Balzer began publishing his newsletter: Private Guide to Food and Wine, which may have been the first newsletter focusing on wine. From 1972 to 1990, Balzer served as Food and Beverage editor for the magazine Travel Holiday.

Other publications Balzer wrote for include Wine Enthusiast and the Pacific Southwest Airlines magazine PSA Flighttime. Balzer also continued to author books, including Robert Lawrence Balzer's Book of Wines and Spirits (1973) and Wines of California (1978), which was later published as The Los Angeles Times Book of California Wines (1984).

In 1981 and 1985, Balzer served as Chairman of Food and Wine for presidential inauguration events called "A Taste of America" in Washington D.C. The events coincided with the inaugurations of President Ronald Reagan. The president of the Wine Institute, John de Luca, recommended Balzer for the position to the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Balzer also served as chairman of wine selection for a food and wine festival coinciding with the inauguration of President George H.W. Bush in 1989.

Balzer received numerous honors during his lifetime. He was named "Wine Writer of the Year" by Wines and Vines magazine in 1986 and received a Wine Literary Award from the Wine Appreciation Guild in 2004. In 1989, Balzer was recognized for "17 years of loyal support" by Lawry's California Center, where he taught wine classes. In 2000, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Los Angeles County Fair Wines of the Americas competition. The Cambodian government also awarded Balzer with honors for contributing to greater friendship between the United States and Cambodia. Balzer received the Royal Order of Sahametrei in 1957, the Royal Order of Sowathara in 1961, and the Royal Order of Monisaraphorn in 1999.

Along with connections in the wine industry, Balzer also made many connections in Hollywood throughout his lifetime. He had initally planned on being an actor and did play roles in a few movies, including the role of a priest in the 1975 film Day of the Locust. Balzer's Hollywood connections included Olivia DeHavilland and Gloria Swanson, who were longtime friends of the wine author.

Balzer died on December 1, 2011 in Orange, California at the age of 99.

Acquisition information:
The collection was donated to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona by Robert Lawrence Balzer and his heirs between 2008 and 2012. Additional materials were donated by Balzer biographer Christine Graham in 2017.
Processing information:

The processing of this collection and the creation of this finding aid was funded by the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

This collection was processed by Rob Strauss, Elainna-Marie Herrera, and Alex Dan in September 2018.

Arrangement:

The collection is organized into the following series: Series 1. Correspondence; Series 2. Photographs; Series 3. Writings and Publications; Series 4. Professional Activities; Series 5. Wine Materials; Series 6. Personal; Series 7. Art and Realia.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Advance notice required for access.

Terms of access:

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Preferred citation:

[Box/folder# or item name], Robert Lawrence Balzer Papers, Collection no. 0014, Southern California Wine and Wine Industry Collection, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Location of this collection:
3801 West Temple Ave.
Pomona, CA 91768, US
Contact:
(909) 869-3775
speccollections@cpp.edu
Website