Winemaker Austin Hope grew up in the vineyards of Paso Robles. Since the late 1970's, his family has operated vineyards in the area, and after early work at such houses as Caymus, Hope has been producing Paso Robles wine for over a decade. He currently helms four different wine labels that produce everything from steakhouse reds to elegant and unique Rhone creations. We caught up with Hope earlier this week and learned more about his plans for the festival.

We know you mostly for the Treana wines, but you actually wear a lot of hats for four different wine labels - could you explain a little about what you do at each place? Well, I probably should sleep more. That's probably the problem. They keep coming up with new ideas and new concepts. You know, the reality is that we love what we do and we get excited about different ideas and different brands. I've always been a big believer in not capitalizing on one brand and just continuing to make SKU's off that successful brand. It's not a positive thing in winemaking's past. more ›

We’ve recently learned that California’s Paso Robles wine region is geographically a lot like the Texas Hill Country, in that in that both have rolling hills and arid soils. The key difference, though, is that the former is close to the Pacific Ocean, and serves as the backdrop for the upcoming reality show, The Winemakers, which begins broadcast this May on PBS. more ›

5th Annual Big Reds and BubblesTuesday, November 27Driskill Hotel (604 Brazos St.)6:30-9pm; $75 general admission, $60 for members[info] | [tickets]With Thanksgiving a mere two days away and the holiday season right around the corner, this time of year brings fine wine to all foodie minds. Wine lovers traditionally splurge in December on fancy bottles for both holiday toasts and New Year's Eve celebrations. To welcome this time of year and the wines that complement... more ›