Jason Haas, partner and general manager of Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, and Joel Peterson, executive director of the nonprofit Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, are collaborators helping to elevate the prestige of the region's wineries.

They're also on the radar of Wine Enthusiast magazine, which in September nominated the duo for Person of the Year and Wine Executive of the Year, respectively, in its 25th annual Wine Star Awards.

• Courtesy Photo By Brittany App
• PARTNERS IN WINE Tablas Creek proprietor Jason Haas is flanked by Francois Perrin, right, co-founder of the Paso Robles winery, and Cesar Perrin, Francois' son. The Perrin family's Chateau de Beaucastel in France is Tablas Creek's sister winery.

The international awards program—with winners from 11 categories announced in November—honors individuals and companies that make outstanding contributions to the wine and beverage industry.

Haas is competing against viticultural standouts from Germany and Northern California, while Peterson's category includes industry heavyweights from Italy, Chile, and Napa Valley.

"It's a huge honor to be nominated alongside industry titans from around the world," said Haas, of Templeton. "I think of this as recognition for the amazing work that my team here at Tablas Creek has done over the last three decades."

Haas said he's also excited for "the focus that it brings to Paso Robles, both through my nomination and [that of] my friend Joel Peterson."

"It's a great sign that a national, New York-based publication recognizes the region of Paso Robles in these, its most prestigious awards," he continued. "For all the growth the region has enjoyed, outside of California, Napa and Sonoma still have a big head start in consumer awareness."

Peterson, of Paso, echoed Haas' sentiments, adding that the nomination is "a tremendous honor" and is accepted on behalf of the entire Wine Country Alliance staff.

"We work hard for the region, our wineries, members, and community without expectation," said Peterson, a communications and marketing specialist with 20-plus years supporting Paso's beverage industry.

• Photo Courtesy Of Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance
• PASSIONATE ABOUT PASO Joel Peterson serves as executive director of the nonprofit Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, promoting and supporting the region's 200-plus wineries and hundreds of associated businesses.

"To be recognized is humbling and certainly not expected."

However, in reflecting on the alliance's growing esteem, he attributed it to several notable successes over the past few years.

"The Wine Country Alliance is only as strong as our members and the support they offer," he said. "We are so lucky in Paso to have the backing of so many wineries that continue to craft incredible wines, offer special experiences, and make memorable impressions to wine consumers around the state, nation, and globe.

"Paso Robles was the featured wine region this spring by the Wine Institute's California Alive program in Japan and South Korea, we were named the Best Wine Region in USA Today's 2023 10 Best Readers' Choice travel award contest, and our annual Paso Wine Fest saw record attendance in May."

He added that the alliance's website, Paso Wine App, and Where Wine Takes You podcast have continued to draw attention, listeners, and fans.

One of the alliance's biggest fans is Haas himself, who joined Peterson on the trek to Asia to promote Paso wines.

Peterson said Haas "works tirelessly for the Tablas Creek brand, but he does so in a way that always promotes Paso Robles."

"He has raised the bar with Tablas Creek's initiatives in sustainability, regenerative organic farming, and packaging," he continued. "Jason—and Tablas Creek—is a shining representative of our wine region."

• Courtesy Photo By Brittany App
• TEAM EFFORT Sheep, alpacas, and guard donkeys, including Dottie, help Tablas Creek cement its status as one of the world's most sustainable wineries. The herd turns weeds into manure naturally while reducing soil compaction and diesel use.

Standing out in a sea of notable Paso vintners—encompassing more than 200 wineries, 40,000 vineyard acres, and 60 grape varieties—Haas sits on multiple boards, several of which he has helmed, and has garnered a slew of awards, including the 2015 Paso Robles Wine Country Wine Industry Person of the Year and 2017 San Luis Obispo County Wine Industry Person of the Year.

The son of the late Robert Haas, co-founder of Tablas Creek along with Jean-Pierre and Francois Perrin of Rhone Valley winery Chateau de Beaucastel, Haas is most known for his passionate advocacy of sustainable vineyard practices.

In nominating him for Wine Enthusiast's Person of the Year, the magazine wrote: "Jason Haas is determined to lead by example when it comes to planning for the future of wine, from looking at how to combat inequality in the industry to implementing sustainable agriculture.

"Through his work at Tablas Creek, Haas has had a hand in projects to help reduce shipping emissions through lighter bottles and many other initiatives in and out of the vineyard."

Haas was previously nominated for the magazine's Innovator of the Year award in 2022, on the heels of becoming the world's first Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) vineyard in 2020 and the first Regenerative Organic Certified Gold vineyard in 2022.

"That was for Tablas Creek as a business," he said. "This is my first time being nominated personally."

The winery's environmental initiatives go deeper and further back than the ROC program, "which we were the first winery to join in 2019," Haas said. But they align with ROC's overall mission.

"One thing we love about ROC is that it's about more than farming," he explained. "It's about humane treatment of your working animals. It's about how you use your resources. And, most importantly, it's about your people, making sure they have a living wage, making sure that you're continuing to invest in their skills.

• Courtesy Photo By Heather Daenitz
• ROSÉ A NEW WAY Tablas Creek's Patelin de Tablas Rosé—a blend of grenache, mourvèdre, counoise, and vermentino—can be purchased in a 3-liter, eco-friendly format that offers advantages in preservation, storage, and portability.

"And we've tried to incorporate this same spirit into all aspects of our business, from sourcing to packaging to our supply chain.

"Dipping our toes into 3-liter wine boxes was one of these initiatives. We figured that given the 84-percent reduction in carbon footprint that boxes have vs. the same volume of wine in glass bottles, and the package's benefits to consumers in terms of preservation, weight, and storage space, it was worth us doing what we could to help destigmatize it. And the response has been amazing," Haas said.

"I would hope that what sets Tablas Creek apart is our commitment to innovation across all aspects of what we do, all in the service of making great wine, being the best steward of the land we can be, and supporting our community as they navigate their own paths.

"We're not afraid to be the first to try something, and we've always operated under the belief that it's worth the effort to inspire others to follow in our footsteps," he said. "We're always excited to help other vineyards and wineries travel along this path toward greater sustainability. And we feel like we're just getting started." Δ

Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte salutes Jason and Joel—pivotal players in Paso's rising star. Reach her at [email protected].