About this episode

Adam Montiel discusses the new tasting rooms and winemakers shaping Paso Robles wine culture.

🍇 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…

People in this episode

Host: Adam Montiel

Guests: Juan M. Contreras, Kit Kuyper, James Boutzoukas

Topics covered

• Paso Robles wine culture
• tasting rooms
• winemaking
• family legacy
• wine experiences

Keywords

• Paso Robles
• tasting rooms
• winemakers
• V1NO JUAN
• Hawks Hill Ranch
• Boutz Cellars
• wine culture
• Greek varietals

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: V1NO JUAN, Hawks Hill Ranch, Boutz Cellars

Places: Paso Robles, Adelaida District, Chicago, Portugal

More episodes of Where Wine Takes You - A Paso Wine Podcast

• Ep 172 Tin City Then & Now: The Builder, The Makers, & The Future · June 12, 2026 · 1h 12m
• Ep 171: Paso Wine Fest & White Wine Obsession · May 21, 2026 · 1h 20m
• Ep 170 Listening to the Land: The Soul of the Soil – Featuring Avanales Ranch | HMR Vineyard · May 15, 2026 · 1h 9m

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