Hope Family Wines Timeline
1978-80The Hope family moves from Bakersfield, CA to Paso Robles and plants their first vineyard just east of the SalinasRiver. Austin Hope begins helping his family grow grapes at the age of 8 years old.
Late 1980sHope Farms begins selling Cabernet grapes to Chuck Wagner of Caymus Vineyards, for his second label, Liberty School.As growers over the next decade, the Hope family helps build the Liberty School brand’s solid reputation for quality and value.
1993Chuck Hope is instrumental in the organization of the Paso Robles Vintners and Growers Association.
1994Austin Hope starts working under Chuck Wagner in Napa.
1995Austin travels to the Rhone Valley to study their vineyards and unique style of winemaking.
1995Austin Hope graduates from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a degree in Fruit Science and becomes assistant winemaker for Hope Farms. He replants the family’s Hope Family Vineyard in theTempleton Gap to Rhone varieties for the Austin Hope label.
1996The Hope familyacquires the label and begins producing Liberty School in Paso Robles. Wagner remains an associate and close friend to the family and mentor to Austin Hope.
1996The Hopes establish Treana Winery. The first vintages of Treana Red and Treana White are released.Chris Phelps, formerly of Dominus, serves as winemaker for the first two vintages of Treana Red.
1997Jason Diefenderfer is contracted to help design and build the Paso Robles crush facility for Treana and Liberty School.
1997The first vintage of Liberty School Central Coast Chardonnay is produced.
1998Austin Hope takes over as Treana Red winemaker.
1998The Treana winemaking facility opens.
1999Jason Diefenderfer becomes assistant winemaker for Liberty School.
2000The original tasting room closes enabling the Hope family to focus on increasing national distribution.
2000Austin Hope launches Austin Hope Winery to focus on high-end, hand-crafted wines inspired by those of France’s northern Rhône Valley.
2006Jason Diefenderfer becomes Liberty School winemaker.
2006 Chuck Hope is named Wine Industry Person of the Year at the California Mid-State Fair.
2007London’s Decanter magazine’s World Wine Awards recognizes the 2003 vintage of Treana Red as the top regional red blend in North America.
2007The first vintage of Liberty School Cuvée is produced.
2008The Hope family launches Candor Wines to produce multi-vintage Zinfandel and Merlot wines with fruit sourced from family-owned vineyards in Santa Barbara, Paso Robles and Lodi.
2009Hope Family Wines launches as an umbrella company encompassing all of Hope’s labels.
2009Hope Family Wines opens its Tasting Cellar on the west side of Paso Robles on its Hope Family Vineyard property on Live Oak Road.
2009Austin Hope is named Winemaker of the Year at the California Mid-State Fair.
2010Hope Family Wines launches Troublemaker, a multi-vintage blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre.
2011Austin Hope is named Vice Chair of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Board of Directors.