Austin Hope Winemaker & President In 1978, Austin Hope came to Paso Robles with his family, when his parents bought a ranch and planted both vineyards and apple orchards. Attempting to punish the rebellious youngster, his father, Chuck Hope put him to work in the vineyards. Much to his father’s surprise, at just eight-years-old, Austin took to the work immediately. Austin studied Fruit Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, while Chuck Hope and Austin’s uncle Paul were laying the groundwork for Treana Winery. When Paul passed away in 1996, Chuck Hope turned to his son to lead the family business. The bold and brash 23 year old jumped in ready to make his mark on the business. Working alongside then winemaker Chris Phelps, Austin quickly learned the ropes began producing a $30 red table wine from Paso Robles, which at the time was a largely unknown region. “Maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing in the world to be the first ones out there doing things, but that’s what we do.” says Austin. Austin became Winemaker for the Hope portfolio in 1998. In 2007, with fellow Paso Winemakers started to create what would become the TTB petition for the creation of 11 new sub-AVAs for Paso Robles, a critically important distinction in moving Paso Robles towards becoming a respected wine region. In 2019 Hope was awarded “Wine Person of the Year” by the City of Paso Robles. Upon the inaugural release of the Austin Hope Cabernet, the wine was awarded 97 points, the highest rating ever given by Wine Enthusiast to a Paso Robles wine. Most recently, the 2017 Austin Hope Cabernet was chosen by Wine Enthusiast as #10 Top 100 Enthusiast Wines of the World and is the first time a Paso Robles wine has made the Wine Enthusiast Top 10. Today, Austin is showcasing an even greater sweep of the Paso region and has set the standard for Paso Robles luxury Cabernet Sauvignon, his portfolio of wines has expanded to include Austin Hope, Treana, Liberty School, Troublemaker and Quest wines. With his everlasting desire to make wines that reflect all that Paso has to offer, Austin Hope Cabernet is – Paso Robles Defined.
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Austin Hope/Hope Family Wines Hope In Paso Robles
Working alongside his former, celebrated winemaker, Chris Phelps, Austin quickly adapted and expanded his knowledge. As a result, he
Crystal azure skies. The scent of citrus, ripening grapes, verdant soil. A
began producing a $30 red table wine. At the time, Paso Robles was
sweet sea breeze rolls in from the cool Pacific Ocean, tongue to lips as
completely off the radar when it came to producing $30 table wines. In
the sun rains down pinkish hues across a golden green sunset hillside.
fact, Paso was still a largely unknown viticultural region. “Maybe it wasn’t
This is Paso Robles—wine country. Austin Hope wine country.
the smartest thing in the world to be the first ones out there doing this, but that’s what we did,” says Austin.
In 1978, a young Austin Hope arrived in Paso Robles with his family. His parents purchased a ranch and planted vineyards alongside expansive
As it turns out, being the first ones in Paso to make incredible wines
apple orchards. Little did the Hopes know that the rolling, oak-studded
was the smartest thing to do. Austin became Winemaker for the Hope
terrain of Paso Robles would one day become a viticultural terroir of
portfolio soon after in 1998. In 2006, with fellow Paso Winemakers, he
significance, as well as one of the top winegrowing regions of quality
began creating what would become the TTB petition for the creation
red wine in California.
of 11 new sub-AVAs for Paso Robles, a critically important distinction in moving Paso Robles towards becoming a well-respected and
A true product of his environment, it didn’t take long for Austin to develop
recognized wine region.
his love for wine and viticulture. As a rebellious, troublemaking 8-year-old, Austin’s father, Chuck, would discipline him by putting him to work in the
After visiting Europe and taking note of climate and geographical
vineyards. But Austin didn’t see work in the vineyard as punishment—in
distinctions throughout various regions, Austin decided it was time to
fact, he came to embrace it all—the soil, the sweat, the planting, and
change direction. Aware that his farm was located in the Templeton
the harvesting. For Austin, this was the beginning of a journey. It was the
Gap, a cooler region of the Central Coast that mimics the climate of the
beginning of a legacy.
Rhone Valley, Austin launched the Austin Hope brand in 2000, devoted to Rhone varietals including Syrah, Mouvedre, and Grenache.
After high school, Austin studied Fruit Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Around this time, his father Chuck and his uncle Paul laid
“Our Rhone varietals were critically acclaimed, and are still incredibly
the groundwork for their flagship Treana Winery. When Uncle Paul
popular. I’m proud we were able to shift gears and create beautiful
passed away in 1996, Chuck turned to his son to take the reigns of
wines during that time. But California is known for its a Cabernet. I knew I
the family business. At that point, Austin wasn’t sure where to take the
had to find a way to create something sensational to expand the brand.”
brand. The family was about to take over the Liberty School label from renowned winemaker, Chuck Wagner, and was beginning to develop
So, in 2015, Austin released his first Austin Hope Cabernet. And it was a
their winemaking identity. Still, the bold and brash 23-year-old jumped
hit.
headlong into the challenge, ready to make his mark on the Central Coast wine industry. “I’ve always liked to experience new things, push
“Cabernet in the luxury space has always been dominated by Napa.
the envelope,” says Austin. “I saw so much evolving in viticultural
And those wines are extremely expensive and unrealistically limited,”
technology, and knew it could expand an operation like ours. When I
says Austin. “I found that a majority of those high-flying Napa Cabs were
got into winemaking in my early twenties, the whole world of wine was
harsh and aggressive—not very pleasing. We spent seven years trying
changing. People were ready to experience something different and I
to figure out how to make tannins soft and approachable. We secured
was willing to explore every aspect of it. It was exciting, to say the least.”
long-term contracts with multiple family farmers that had the land and climate to produce the finest Cabernet in our region. Soon after that,
we had soft, supple Cabernet at young vintages that earned a 97
forced us to refocus on what wine means to our community and the world at
rating by Wine Enthusiast.”
large. Inside every one of our bottles is a powerful message, a family history, and a deep emotional expression. And we want everyone to experience that
Today, Austin Hope and his intimate team of longtime friends,
feeling, and enjoy our wines as much as we love producing them.”
family, and associates are dedicated to producing luxury wines year in and year out. By creating award winning wines, Austin is
Now, Austin is creating cooking videos with pairing suggestions for clients,
able to bring awareness to the entire community of Paso Robles,
reimagining his wine club program, as well as providing home delivery
shedding light on all the exceptional winemakers and varietals
service. He’s also expanded his tasting room capabilities, capitalizing on the
throughout the region.
growth of “backyard tourism.”
“We’re seeking global domination with Paso Robles Cabernet,” says
“Paso has been overlooked for far too long,” says Austin. “We provide top-tier
a grinning Austin. “With growth and brand expansion, our wines get
wine that can go toe-to-toe with any other region in the world and we want
better and better. We keep our pricing attainable, and we continue
everyone to know about it.”
to strive for the best.” With his everlasting desire to make wines that reflect all Paso Robles has Austin’s dedication to perfection has paid off. In 2017 Austin Hope
to offer, Austin has expanded his portfolio to include Austin Hope, Treana,
Cabernet was chosen by Wine Enthusiast as #10 in the “Top 100
Liberty School, Troublemaker, and Quest, and is determined to create world-
Enthusiast Wines of the World,” the first ever Paso Robles wine to
class, award-winning wines for everyone across all price-points. Elevated’s
crack the Wine Enthusiast Top 10. In addition, upon the inaugural
wine expert, Deborah Robinson, was recently able to sample a wide array of
release of the Austin Hope Cabernet, the wine was awarded 97
the Hope family wines. It didn’t take long for her to know there was something
points, the highest rating ever given by Wine Enthusiast to a Paso
genuinely unique and rare about what she was experiencing with each
Robles wine. Most recently, in 2019, Austin was awarded “Wine
bottle—an array of top-tier, expertly developed varietals all from one region.
Person of the Year” by the City of Paso Robles. For Austin Hope, the sky was the limit. His childhood dream of putting Paso Robles
“Our ability to create such diverse wines—Northern Rhone, Australian Shiraz,
on the global map for quality wine was coming to fruition. And then,
Left Bank Cab—we’re unlike anywhere else on the planet. Not only that,
2020 happened.
but the people, the community, and the mutual respect we all hold as winemakers and farmers creates a unique environment where our entire
The Pandemic. The Economic Crisis. Businesses began to suffer.
motivation is to expand and get better at what we do. We are proud of our
“The world started to close,” says Austin. “Sixty percent of our sales
land and the immense joy it offers to the world—and you can smell, taste,
were restaurants, and that severed economic pipeline created a
and feel that joy in every bottle we produce.”
bit of a panic for us. We had to get aggressive with our sales. We had to become more retail focused and find new avenues for
For Austin and Hope Family Wines, each day is a new opportunity to create
revenue.”
something memorable and further the Paso Robles legacy. “We will come and go. But our wine will always remain.”
As a result, Austin was challenged to think outside the box once again. “We partnered with a national restaurant chain to become
To learn more about Austin Hope wines or to become a club member, visit
their go-to takeout wine, we expanded our off-premise business,
hopefamilywines.com
and we further developed the Austin Hope brand. The pandemic
Editor: Deborah Robinson
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