Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/6221
CenTRaL CoasT regularly if her dad gave her the job, and sales guys would come in and ask to meet with her husband. Today, Lisa is a one-woman show— the only winery owner, vineyard owner and winemaker in the area. www.prettysmith.com Deborah Baldwin and husband Justin, co-pro- prietors of Justin Vineyards and Winery, are a successful partnership story. Investment bankers who decided they wanted to make world-class Bordeaux- style wines, they bought their property in 1981 and were the ninth winery in the area; their restau- rant, Debbie's Room, and hotel, JustInn, followed. Debbie has always worked in a "boys' world" and feels she has always had to work harder and shout louder to be heard. Debbie has served on Wine Institute's Cen- tral Coast Winery Board and was elected to the Winery Board of Directors of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance in 2003, where she helped create the annual Road Tour. Deborah and Justin have been named Paso Robles Wine Industry "Persons of the Year." www.justinwine.com Jennifer Hoage, co-proprietor of Terry Hoage Vineyards, is also in partnership with her husband, Terry. With a back- ground in public relations, Jennifer opened an inte- rior design business in Phoenix. While driving from Los Angeles to Monterrey, the couple fell in love with Paso and moved there in 2000 to raise their children. The idea was to plant and sell grapes; they bought property with five acres planted and in 2002 produced their first vintage. Today, Jenni- fer and Terry are a team and share all elements of running a winery. www.terryhoagevineyards.com Born in the Midwest and the youngest of five, Susan "SAM" Mahler, "Queen E.O.," Four Vines, wanted to be a pilot; after school, she moved to Encinitas, California, but spent her time fueling planes. So she departed for Berkeley, where she attended graduate school; it was there that Sam met her business partner, Chris Tietje. They began making wine in Paso in 1996, while still living in Northern California. When they saw the potential that Paso offered and realized that they could be players in the wine business, they moved there permanently. "Paso is about why you are doing what you are doing," Sam says; "it's about the community and helping each other." www.fourvines.com The next part of this series will take a look at women who grew up on farms in Paso and were the first gen- eration in their families to make wine. Deborah Baldwin PHOTO: ALLISON LEVINE PHOTO COURTESY OF TERRY HOAGE VINEYARDS Jennifer Hoage PHOTO COURTESY OF FOUR VINES Susan "SAM" Mahler 58 / the tasting panel