In 1978, the Hope family began the growing of grapes on their ranch in the Paso Robles area of California, which is one of the state’s primary wine grape growing areas. As the reputation of their Liberty School wines has grown, the brand’s name has been becoming more and more synonymous with the identification of wines from the Paso Robles wine region.Their goal is to help transform the drinking of a glass of wine from being something for special occasions to something to enjoy every day. Our winemakers and oenologists are J.C. Diefenderfer and Austin Hope.
J.C. Diefenderfer and Austin Hope, the two winemakers behind the Liberty School wine label, first met each other in high school and their friendship continued after they entered university. Some say their personalities are like fire and water but, at least in this case, fire and water seem to get along with each other very well. Austin Hope is the company’s visionary and Jason (J.C.) Diefenderfer is the company’s man-of-action, the person realizing the company visionary’s daring ideas.
Unlike many other wines, which blend together various types of grapes, Liberty School wines are sole varietal – offering wines from the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.
As an example, their 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon has been extremely well-received by red wine lovers. The American “Wine Enthusiast” magazine awarded this wine a strong rating of 88 points out of a hundred, and in its January issue, commented “the wine is a deep red color with classic Cabernet aromas of black currant, crushed blueberries and cherries, with undertones of burnt sandalwood, black pepper, eucalyptus and a hint of cinnamon. On the palate, there is the taste of dark berries, cherries and a whiff of burnt oak – a velvety feel on the tongue along with balanced acidity gives the wine a long fruity finish.”
A key goal of the Liberty School winemakers has been to create a wine that can be an everyday reward for a hard day’s work – something also special and very pleasant to enjoy when work is over.
Liberty School offers a range of different wines, which are designed to meet the needs of every occasion.
These wines are to be enjoyed and shared with friends and family. The passion of the winemakers can be found in every bottle and we can all celebrate their goal of making the world a better place in which to live.
This is still a young company and we can look forward to extraordinary things coming from Liberty School in the future. We have much to look forward to.