Behind the continuing evolution of Paso Robles wines and wineries is a new generation of winemakers who are preparing to take the wines and the region to a new level. About a dozen young men - most in their early 30s - are playing key roles in the wineries their fathers started. Many went to school together, and all consider themselves friends and co-supporters in what is often a very competitive industry.
Among the things they share is a commitment to the area, a willingness to experiment and a drive to make the very best quality wine possible.

Photo by Jayson Mellom A new generation of winemakers includes, clockwise from lower left: Justin Smith, Austin Hope, Joe Barton, Josh Beckett, Brian Denner and Jason Haas.

These winemakers, whose half-shaven looks belie their sophisticated palates, recently talked to The Tribune about how they're carrying on the legacy of their forefathers.

Brian Denner of Denner Vineyards • www.dennervineyards.com
Brian Denner is one of the newer transplants to Paso Robles.
His father, Ron, bought 156 acres on the Westside in 1997 and started Denner Vineyards with his wife, Marilyn.
Brian was still in school at the time, and eventually received his degree in enology from Fresno State University. After graduating, he worked at wineries in Sonoma and Chile before returning home last year and assuming the role of head winemaker.
Denner, 32, puts his youth — and that of his peers — in perspective.
"A lot of us started early — really early — and already have 10-plus years of harvests under our belts," he said. "We've also had the opportunity to learn from a bunch of diverse sources, and we're bringing that experience back here to Paso."

Joe Barton of Grey Wolf Cellars • www.grey-wolfcellars.com
Joe Barton was thrust into his role of responsibility earlier than most of his peers. His father, Joe, had started Grey Wolf Cellars in 1994.
"My dad pretty much hocked everything he had to buy the property," Barton reflects, "but he really liked the idea of a winery because it was so family-driven — something the rest of the family could be involved in and carry forward for generations."
The handoff between generations occurred suddenly when Joe senior was killed in a car accident on Highway 46 in 1995. Barton was 23 at the time.
Barton, now 32, runs the winery and produces about 5,000 cases of Rhône varieties a year. He sells 75 percent of the wine out of his tasting room and is happy with a size that he can comfortably manage himself.

Marc Caparone of Caparone Winery • http://caparone.com
Marc Caparone's father started his winery in 1979, when there were only five wineries in Paso Robles. Dave Caparone was a real estate appraiser in San Luis Obispo during the 1970s when he gained an appreciation for wine and started making it in his basement.
Caparone Winery is a father-son operation, although Dave considers himself semiretired. They make about 3,000 cases a year.
Marc took viticulture courses at UC Davis, but he got his degree in history.
"The type of winemaking we do here — traditionally styled reds using old fashioned techniques — well they just don't teach any of that at Davis.
"The only way you can really learn winemaking is by just doing it."
Caparone, 33, is changing the way he is selling his wine. He has opened up distribution on the East Coast, started a new Web site, and worked to develop direct sales to prominent restaurants and wine shops.

Austin Hope of Treana Winery • www.treana.com
Austin Hope grew up in the vineyards. As a rambunctious fourth-grader, his father pulled him out of school and told him, "If you're not going to take school seriously, you might as well start working now." Hope admits, "Those work values were instilled in me at an early age."
Austin's father, Chuck, farmed apples and grapes in Paso Robles starting in 1978, and in 1995 he acquired the Liberty School brand. In 1996, the Hopes launched Treana Winery, and then in 2001 created Westside Red and Westside White.
In 2002, Austin Hope started his own label — Austin Hope — focused exclusively on Rhône varietals, with limited production of 1,000 cases. He has replanted vineyards for the project and built a new winery.
As head winemaker for the four brands, Hope produces more than 125,000 cases a year. The 33-year-old's goal is to make wine more accessible and less pretentious.
"A lot of people were intimidated by wine in the past," he says. "I think we've started to make it more fun."

Justin Smith of Saxum Winery • www.saxumvineyards.com
Justin Smith's parents bought their Westside Paso Robles property in 1980, when Smith was 10 years old. His father, James, was a veterinarian in San Diego County when he caught the wine bug, sold his practice and moved north to Paso Robles.
Initially planting chardonnay and pinot blanc, the Smiths were influenced by John Alban, San Luis Obispo County's Rhône pioneer, in the mid-1980s and over the years have replanted most of their 55 acres to red Rhône varieties.
Although Smith's parents never sold wine commercially — they sold their grapes to other winemakers — he teamed up with Matt Trevison in 1998 and started the Linne Calodo brand. After parting ways with Trevison, Smith started Saxum Vineyards in 2002.
For a young, small winery, Saxum has received stellar reviews. Last year, his 2002 Bone Rock Syrah was rated 95 points by Wine Enthusiast magazine. Smith attributes the quality to the vines.
"We do everything in the vineyard — getting the perfect grape, the perfect flavor."
The 36-year-old makes about 2,000 cases a year, and sells them out without a tasting room or any kind of promotion.

Josh Beckett of Peachy Canyon • www.peachycanyon.com
When he was growing up, Josh Beckett says he swore that he would not go into his father's wine business.
Doug Beckett started making wine in 1988 and sold his first 100 cases out of the back of a pickup. Since then, the winery output has increased to 54,000 cases, and Peachy Canyon Winery has emerged as a respected producer of premium zinfandels in the country.
A stint working in Australia after college changed Josh's mind about the wine business, and he has now been head winemaker since 2002.
At age 31, he has a casual attitude about the winemaking process, but he is also driven by the competition around him.
"When you see a particular winery getting some of the scores they are out of Paso," he said, "that just gets you in gear, and makes you realize it can be done."
Regarding his motivation and that of his peers, he says, "We're not in it for the paycheck; we're in it for the recognition."

Jason Haas of Tablas Creek Winery • www.tablascreek.com
Jason Haas' father, Robert, co-founded the Tablas Creek Winery in 1989 with the Perrin family of Chateau de Beaucastle. Starting with the first French wine cuttings in the Paso Robles area, Robert was an early pioneer of Rhône varieties there.
After attending Cornell University's graduate school, Jason Haas returned to the winery in 1995 and is now general manager of the 80-acre, 16,000-case operation.
Even though Tablas Creek is one of the oldest growers of Rhône varietals in the area, Haas believes they are just beginning to hit their stride as winemakers.
"It's taken some time, but we're just now learning what grapes really grow well here,'' he said.