Hope Family Wines adds vineyard and truffle orchard in Paso Robles
Director of Vineyards Stasi Seay
Tufera Farms spans 328 acres in Creston District AVA
– Hope Family Wines has acquired Tufera Farms, a 328-acre property in the Creston District AVA of Paso Robles that includes a 250-acre vineyard and a 10-acre truffle orchard. The site will produce Cabernet Sauvignon and other wine grapes for the winery, as well as organic truffles for Hope Provisions, the company’s culinary brand.
“This is a special property that brings us full circle in Paso Robles,” said owner-winemaker Austin Hope. “My parents started growing grapes and other crops here nearly 50 years ago. Tufera Farms deepens those roots and adds a new dimension to our local farming heritage.”
Formerly known as Creston Valley Vineyard, the site has long supplied fruit for Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon. It is the second estate vineyard owned by Hope Family Wines, joining the family’s original estate in the Templeton Gap District. Both vineyards are SIP (Sustainability in Practice) Certified and are being converted to regenerative organic farming.
Planted in 2000, the vineyard includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Saint-Macaire, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. Hope Family Wines began sourcing fruit from the property in 2007 and planted contracted blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and Saint-Macaire in later years.
“The Cabernet Sauvignon from this vineyard consistently ranks among the best lots we produce year after year,” Hope said. “It is a key component of Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon, and when the vineyard became available we jumped at the opportunity to acquire it. I believe that our viticultural team can now take this estate to another level.”
Tufera Farms sits at 1,200 feet in Creston Valley, in the path of daily marine breezes from the Templeton Gap. The soils contain calcareous seabed, pebbly alluvium and iron-rich volcanic material.
“The Cabernet Sauvignon fruit that we get from Tufera Farms is super consistent with deep varietal flavors,” said Director of Vineyards Stasi Seay. “The soil structure creates naturally balanced vine canopies, and the weather patterns provide perfect physiological ripeness to create a quintessential Paso Cabernet Sauvignon.”
Five acres of Saint-Macaire, an uncommon red variety known as “the lost grape of Bordeaux,” were planted under contract in 2019. The winery’s first bottling from the 2023 vintage will be available later this year at the Austin Hope & Treana Tasting Cellar and Hope on Park in Paso Robles.
The property also contains a truffle orchard planted by the previous owner. Ten acres of Holly Oaks are cultivated for organic truffle production. Harvest runs from late in the year into February and is conducted with trained truffle dogs. The truffles will be used in Hope Provisions products, which also include estate-grown olive oil and honey.
“The truffle orchard is a happy inheritance that takes me back to my childhood, when my parents were farming more than grapes,” Hope said. “While wine grapes predominate in Paso Robles, there’s a rich history of agriculture here that includes almonds, olives, apples and grains. Truffles are part of a new wave of artisanal agriculture that is gaining ground in Paso Robles, and we are excited to be a part of it.”
For more information, visit www.hopefamilywines.com.
