Austin Hope is an owner, winemaker and president of Hope Family Wines in Paso Robles, California. He is an avid champion of Paso Robles who has spent more than 25 years at the helm of the family winery. Being awarded Wine Enthusiast’s “2022 American Winery of the Year” marked the highlight of Austin’s career to this point. Hope Family Wines today spans six brands that exemplify the quality and diversity of Paso Robles: Austin Hope, Treana, Quest, AUSTIN, Liberty School and Troublemaker.

Austin came to Paso Robles with his family in 1978, when his parents, Chuck and Marlyn Hope, bought a ranch and planted both vineyards and apple orchards. Austin enjoyed playing and working in the vineyards as a child, a sign of things to come.

Austin studied Fruit Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and graduated in 1996. Shortly thereafter, and in the wake of a family tragedy, Chuck Hope turned to his son to lead the family business. The bold and brash 23-year-old Austin jumped in ready to make his mark on the business.

Making and selling Treana Red, an ambitious $30 red table wine, proved to be challenging at first. However, Austin remained firm in his belief in Paso Robles wines, and he began to win over buyers and customers alike. The success of Treana would ultimately spark the creation of Hope Family Wines and its diverse portfolio of Paso Robles-grown offerings.

In 2007, along with fellow Paso Robles winemakers, he helped produce the TTB petition for the creation of 11 new sub-AVAs for Paso Robles, a critically important distinction that elevated the region’s status on the world stage. In 2019, Austin was named “Wine Person of the Year” by the San Luis Obispo Wine Industry. He is also active in the community as a supporter of Must! Charities, Operation Surf and others.

At the heart of everything Austin does, there is a passion for Paso Robles and a dream of making it a global household name. At the forefront of this effort is the Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon—a luxury Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon that has twice been named a Top 10 Wine of the Year by Wine Enthusiast. This is a wine that he likes to say is “Paso Robles Defined.”

Austin lives on the family vineyard in the Templeton Gap District with his wife Celeste Hope and their two daughters, Ainsley and Avery Hope.