Hope on Park brings curated curiosity to wine tasting in downtown Paso Robles 

The Hope Family Wines ancestral tree grew another branch with the debut of a walk-up tasting bar and guided sampling experience in downtown Paso Robles.

Called Hope on Park, the eye-catching structure beckons passersby from right across the downtown city park with sleek black doors and bright red cursive letters that pop against the pristine white front wall.

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• Photos Courtesy Of Hope Family Wines
• TRAIPSE IN TO TASTE Hope on Park's sidewalk wine tasting bar is the latest addition around the downtown Paso Robles park where people can walk up and taste Hope Family Wines classics.

A custom wooden bar created by Deadwood Revival Design greets strollers right off the street. Servers behind the mammoth counter pour tastes of the six brands of Hope Family Wines: Treana, Quest, Liberty School, Troublemaker, Austin, and Austin Hope.

"The ones [spaces] I looked at in the past were not on the park, and I wanted to see the grass," Owner-Winemaker Austin Hope announced at Hope on Park's June 21 launch party. "I grew up here, and it's where the businesses were, and everything is all around the square. It's a special vibe."

Hope on Park is more than just a no-reservations sidewalk tasting bar. A mysterious door beside the bar opens into a different world made up of three rooms with distinct styles. Wine aficionados can only step in here with reservations.

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• Photos Courtesy Of Hope Family Wines
• LIMITED THREE Comprising a Santa Rita Hills pinot noir, a Santa Barbara County chardonnay, and a Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon, Discrete is Hope Family Wines' most exclusive brand that's only available to sample and purchase from Hope on Park's Discrete Lounge.

The first is a Summer of '69 space marked by a psychedelic accent wall covered in sketches of camper vans, mushrooms, guitars, peace signs, and abstract swatches of red, yellow, green, and black paint. Burnt orange couches offset the wall. Side tables with golden storks for legs and goose feather-covered chandeliers dot the room.

"I love water birds and waterfowl, and that's another cool touch," Hope told New Times on June 26. "We wanted to give a different feeling in each space. That's just something we like to do as far as with hospitality: Make people see different things, feel different things."

The winery achieves its hospitality goals through what Hope labels the "dream campus"—a callback to when the company referred to its members as dreamers. Hope Family Wines calls its staff members "dreamweavers," underscoring its mission to offer personalized experiences for anyone who wants to enjoy wines at the original Austin Hope and Treana Tasting Cellar and now Hope on Park.

"We try and tailor it to everybody's desires. That's why we call them 'dreamweavers,'" Hope explained. "You would call them, and ask them questions, and tell them what you like, what you want to do, and want to see."

Only weeks old, Hope on Park has already made curious gastronomic dreams comes true, especially in its second creative space that resembles a classic dining club complete with red leather booths.

Director of Hospitality Jo Armstrong told New Times that during opening week, a group of guests talked to a Hope on Park dreamweaver about pairing chardonnay with popcorn. Armstrong and her team stepped in.

"We had someone run down to the movie theater and come back with some popcorn so they could do that pairing," she said. "We had other guests who were truly in the mood [for] a Diet Coke. We actually DoorDashed a Diet Coke for them."

While visitors of the sidewalk bar can sample the usual gallery of Hope Family Wines available for distribution and at the tasting cellar, the customized experiences offered in the creative spaces include additional wines like verticals of the Austin Hope brand's iconic cabernet sauvignon from the years 2015, 2016, and 2017; library wines from the Treana brand collection like the 1999 and 2008 reds and the 2001 white; and vintage bottles, too.

Guests can amp up their time by reserving a black glass tasting. It's an elevated game night experience that puts the senses to the test. Each person receives a trio of wines served in jet black wine glasses. The dreamweaver then gives hints and clues about the identity of the three wines. Finally, the guests jot down their best guesses on comment cards after sipping and sniffing the contents of each glass.

"Maybe you have friends coming in and you don't want to hop from wine bar to wine bar," Armstrong said. "We have snack baskets available too and we use the word 'snack' loosely because they're caviar, duck pâté, and different types of local cheeses."

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• Photos Courtesy Of Hope Family Wines
• NO SIGHT, NO PROBLEM Test your wine palate and olfactory mettle by opting for the black glass tasting experience when making a reservation at one of Hope on Park's three creative spaces.

The third room inside Hope on Park is sandwiched between the psychedelic and dining club arenas. Influenced by Asian art, the intimate section is called the Discrete Lounge that's scheduled to serve an extremely limited collection of wines starting in September.

"These are a culmination of my 30 years of making wine and trying everything under the sun from wine-making practices to decisions on how we use barrels and how we ferment," Hope said.

The Discrete Lounge will introduce visitors to Hope Family Wines' latest brand called Discrete comprising a Santa Rita Hills pinot noir, a Santa Barbara County chardonnay, and a Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon. Each dark bottle bears the golden imprint of its respective winegrape variety's leaf.

Discrete wines can only be savored and purchased from inside the Discrete Lounge. They're markedly different from the richer and more "showy" Paso Robles wines of Hope Family Wines. According to Hope, they're less "supercharged" and made more in the old-world style.

"With the Discrete project, we wanted to make them in a very refined and subdued manner," he said. "With the cabernet, it's more like a California Bordeaux. With the pinot noir, it's more like a Burgundy and a Chablis type, the way we make them taste."

The Discrete collection also celebrates the American Viticulture Area of neighboring Santa Barbara County.

"We really believe that the Santa Barbara County chardonnay has an exemplary profile where we can make wines that resemble white Burgundy if they're made in a proper way," Hope said. "That goes the same for the Santa Rita Hills for pinot noir. I think that's a great place to grow those grapes. So that's why we chose that region."

Interested to taste Discrete wines this fall? Contact a dreamweaver to get on the sign-up list and be notified closer to the debut date.

Hope on Park's menu also caters to wine drinkers looking for a change. Currently, they can choose from seasonal cocktails like the Rosa-rita that's a Tajin-infused rosé drink, the coconut cream and chardonnay-filled Celestial Dreams, and a sprightly coffee and chardonnay concoction. There's something for everybody, according to hospitality leader Armstrong.

"The sidewalk bar's been booming since May 18! People are enjoying being able to walk up to the bar without reservations," she said. "With the creative space, we're fast and furiously booking all the reservations we are getting." Δ

Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal is getting schooled by the black glass experience. Send flashcards to [email protected].