Ep 169: New Tasting Rooms in Paso – Featuring V1NO JUAN | Hawks Hill Ranch Winery | Boutz Cellars

🍇 WHERE WINE TAKES YOU – EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 🍷 In this episode of Where Wine Takes You, Adam hangs with three guests who are helping shape the next wave of Paso Robles wine culture, not just through the wines they make, but through the new spaces and experiences they’re building. First up is Juan M. Contreras, owner and winemaker of V1NO JUAN, whose story might be one of the purest Paso stories out there. Juan came to the United States from Mexico in the early ‘90s, started working in the vineyards, moved into the cellar at Robert Hall, and spent more than two decades learning every side of the business before opening his own tasting room across from the downtown Paso park. Alongside his wife and kids, Juan is now crafting bold Paso reds, rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, and Bordeaux blends rooted in hard work, family, and legacy. Then there’s Kit Kuyper of Hawks Hill Ranch, farming some wildly diverse and rugged terrain in the Adelaida District. Massive elevation swings, Rhône varietals, grower-first philosophy, and guidance from winemaker Don Burns of Turtle Rock Vineyard all come together in a project focused on expressing Paso in its own authentic voice. Kit also shares stories about balancing wine life between Paso, Chicago, and Portugal, plus a hilarious detour into bidet culture that absolutely stays in the episode. And returning to the show is James Boutzoukas of Boutz Cellars, who continues pushing the envelope with Greek varietals grown right here in Paso Robles. Inspired by generations of family winemaking traditions in Greece, James and his family are planting and producing wines from grapes like Assyrtiko, Moschofilero, Xinomavro, Agiorgitiko, and more, proving Paso’s versatility might be even broader than we thought. One of the coolest parts of this story? Kit and James now share a tasting room space together, a very Paso-style collaboration rooted in community over competition. Later in the show, Adam catches up with Jill Alexander from the Paso Market Walk in this episode’s Travel Paso Spotlight. From live music nights and outdoor patios to boutique shopping, incredible food, coffee, wine, and the ultra-modern Lofts at Market Walk, the conversation highlights why this growing hub has become one of the coolest gathering places in Paso Robles. 🍷 FEATURED GUESTS + LINKS • V1NO JUAN Official Website • @v1nojuan on Instagram • Hawks Hill Ranch Official Website • @hawkshillranch on Instagram • Boutz Cellars Official Website • @boutz_cellars on Instagram 🌴 TRAVEL PASO SPOTLIGHT • Paso Market Walk Official Website • @pasomarketwalk on Instagram 🎯 PLAN YOUR NEXT PASO GETAWAY Trav