DARE TO DREAM

An encounter with destiny brought brothers Georges and Daniel Daou to Paso Robles, California

by HELEN GREGORY

Brothers georges and daniel daou , co-owners of DAOU Family Estates, have personally redefined the terms of where great American wines can come from. “Imagine the impossible, and that’s where you’ll find us,” explains Georges Daou. The Daou brothers realized the potential of Paso Robles with one of the most noble varieties of all— Cabernet Sauvignon—and have inspired legions of wine lovers along the way.

The Daou brothers have an unconventional story. Born in Beirut, the brothers grew up in a vibrant family that enjoyed weekends away in their grandparents’ olive groves. In 1973, their world was turned upside down. A missile struck the sidewalk in front of the Daou family home, leaving Georges, then 12, in a coma for two days, and 8-year-old Daniel with paralysis. As the war escalated in Lebanon, the Daou family relocated to southern France to recover and rebuild. The brothers speak openly about their “trauma bond” as a lifelong force that made them both inseparable and fearless. They went on to study engineering in California and invested their family’s last savings in their first extraordinary venture: DAOU Systems. Through all the hard work, Daniel pursued winemaking studies, hoping someday to make the style of wines he grew up with in Europe. Finally, in 1997, the brothers sold their tech company, opening the door to pursue a new calling in wine.

Located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco just off the coastal highways, Paso Robles wine country is a land of oak trees, winding hillside roads and vines. First established as an official wine region in 1983, Paso Robles developed an early reputation for Rhône varietals like Syrah and