Hope Family Wines brings their amazing wines and impeccable vibes to Downtown Paso with their chic new Tasting Room, Hope on Park. 

Austin Hope is one of Paso Robles’ most recognized wine brands, but all that attention hasn’t gone to their heads. Hope Family Wines is dedicated to making their world-class wines approachable and fun. Their new downtown Paso Robles Tasting Room, Hope on Park, proves that point beautifully.

During our inaugural visit, Jo Armstrong, Director of Hospitality, and Gretchen Roddick, Executive Vice President of Hope Family Wines, greeted our team in front of Hope on Park’s Sidewalk Bar. After a quick round of introductions, Jo kicked off our tour.

“When we welcome you to Hope on Park, we usually walk you around to the Creative Space”, Jo explained, “but first I’m going to introduce you to the Sidewalk Bar concept – because it’s very unique to Paso Robles.”

The Sidewalk Bar: Wine on the walkway

Turning to the group with a smile, Jo continued, “During COVID, wine tasting got complicated – you had to make all these reservations and coordinate them all. At the Sidewalk Bar, you can just pop in for a glass of bubbles, for a 60-minute tasting, or a glass of the Reserve Cab. You can go from one end of the spectrum to the other. Typically, when we’re going to the Creative Space, we do a little something something,” explaining that each tasting starts by sabering a bottle of bubbly. 

Hope on Park’s Sidewalk Bar is the only place to sip wine streetside, but we’d be willing to hazard a bet that the idea will catch on like wildfire. The well-trafficked location of the Sidewalk Bar and its approachable ambiance make it easy to stop in for a tasting –  no reservations required. The bright space, white with black and gold accents and a striking burlewood bar, feels upscale yet still casual, the type of place where you’ll feel equally at home in a little black dress or a pair of jeans and boots. 

Transforming Wine Tasting in the Creative Space

After our sidewalk sip, Jo led our group through a set of black paned doors into the Creative Space. As the doors open, a large room with brightly hued walls comes into view, complete with neon lights and comfy, colorful furniture. It’s a definite departure from the feel of the Sidewalk Bar, but one thing is sure: the Creative Space intentionally transforms the act of wine tasting into an experience. 

The Creative Space has three distinct lounges. Jo and Gretchen led our group into the groovy “Summer of 69” space, the largest of the three lounges. There is a second lounge area in the style of a traditional dining club, with moody dark walls and comfy leather booths. The third space, known as “The Discrete Lounge,” is rich with Asian influences, including Shoji screens and a long, low table and benches.  

Jo explains that the three lounges help to create unique, personalized tasting experiences. Unlike the Sidewalk Bar, the Creative Space is reservation-only.

When guests contact Hope on Park to schedule their tasting, they’re connected with a “Dream Weaver”. After effusively declaring Dream Weaver “the best title ever”, Jo explains how the Dream Weaver crafts each tasting experience, “talking to the guests prior to arrival and making their dreams come true.” She goes on to explain, “We get to experiment, create, and provide uber-meaningful personalized experiences for our guests – whether you’re experienced in wine, want to do a vertical tasting, or are new to wine and want to learn and have some fun with it. We wanna take that stigma out of wine that is a little off-putting. There is none of that here – wine is for having fun, sharing and connecting.”

Not your typical Wine Tasting

After learning more about The Creative Space, our team enjoyed an Artist Series Rosé Tasting of three single varietal rosés – Pinot Noir, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon, with beautifully varied hues. 

Wait…you didn’t know there was more than one style of Rosé? Rosé wine is a style of wine, not a specific varietal like Cabernet Sauvignon, and can be made with any red wine grape. This is done by allowing the grapes to have limited skin contact during the winemaking process, just enough to produce the desired color. This doesn’t just affect the look of the wine, it also affects the ultimate expression of the wine. While a Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé may have some attributes in common with its traditionally produced counterpart, the rosé is much lighter and more refreshing. 

In addition to the Artist Series Rosé tasting, guests can choose from numerous elevated tasting experiences. Want to test your expertise? Try a black glass tasting. If you’re looking for an experience that dives deep into the history of Paso wine, try an Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical Library tasting. When scheduling your tasting, be sure to ask your Dream Weaver about new, seasonal flights. Gretchen adds, “We are always inventing new experiences so the guests are excited to return.”

Winemaking isn’t Austin Hope’s only passion – he’s also an avid painter! All of the Artist Series labels are reproductions of Austin’s artwork. 

Women in Wine

Women make up around 70% of the management team at Hope Family Wines, and they are proud to be an outlier in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Gretchen elaborates, “We are very proud at Hope Family Wines to have many females in leadership roles. All the women who work here really enjoy coming to work. We have the opportunity to come through the door every day and just enjoy what we’re doing.”

Visit Hope on Park in Paso Robles

If you’re planning a weekend getaway, Paso Robles is the perfect destination. Paso Robles offers excellent farm-to-table restaurants, charming shops and world-class wineries – including Hope Family Wines. 

Hope on Park is open daily from 11 am to 6 pm. Walk-ins are welcome at the sidewalk bar, but reservations are required for the Creative Space. 

Hope on Park 

1140 Pine St. 

Paso Robles, CA 93446

(805)591-0744

Schedule reservations online

More to do in Paso Robles + San Luis Obispo County

Ready to explore Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo? Check out a few of our favorite destinations!

“San Luis County is God’s country. We are very fortunate to have everything at our fingertips, from the beach, to the mountains, to the sea. We have got amazing people. The community is awesome and everybody is welcoming. It’s a very big, small town.” – Gretchen Roddick, Hope Family Wines

Article by Hilary Rance. Photography by Paprika Studios.