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The Hope Family wine dinner at Mangia e Bevi kicked off the meal with a curry chicken puff pastry with thinly sliced apple and carrot slaw paired with a chilled viognier, "Treanna Blanc."
The Hope Family wine dinner at Mangia e Bevi kicked off the meal with a curry chicken puff pastry with thinly sliced apple and carrot slaw paired with a chilled viognier, "Treanna Blanc." Photo courtesy of Hope Family Wines
ColumnsFood & WineTaste of Wine

Family time at Mangia e Bevi’s Hope Family wine dinner

We were excited to reconnect with Tore Trupiano, a world-class competition pizza chef and co-owner of Mangia e Bevi, especially after he invited us to cover a recent Hope Family wine dinner.

Trupiano is joined by co-owner Ann Perham and executive chef Phillip Sanchez as the executive team for Oceanside’s Mangia e Bevi, which is part of the Trupiano Restaurant Group, which includes sister restaurants 127 West Social House, Dominics at the Harbor and Trupiano’s Italian Bistro.

With our upcoming Paso Robles trip scheduled for late May, it was good to reacquaint our palates with Hope wines as it is one of our planned stops.

When we arrived, we were greeted by Kylie Colachis, Hope Family’s new SoCal marketing manager, who narrated the evening. Growing up in a family that was steeped in the hospitality industry as hotel and restaurant owners, Colachis shared, “I love the value that Hope Family Wines places on family. I knew it was going to be a great fit for me based on my own family and upbringing.” 

The Hope family has been farming in Paso Robles for more than 30 years. When they arrived in the barely discovered Paso region, they planted apples and grapes and quickly shifted over to Rhone-style grapes.

Little did they know that the region would become one of the top wine-growing regions on the Central Coast. Hope Family Wines focuses on cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot, mourvèdre and grenache under the following brands: “Troublemaker,” “Liberty School,” “Treana,” “Quest” and “Austin Hope.”

Speaking of family, when we arrived and asked about Tore, we learned that he and his daughter Vittoria were driving back from a pizza competition held in Las Vegas earlier in the day. Later in the dinner after arriving, Tore was beaming. When I asked about his big grin, he said, “Rico if I must lose to anyone in a pizza competition, I am always fine with Vittoria edging me out!” 

Cider Braised Pork Ribs with Gnocchi, cornbread, and mustard greens paired with 2020 Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cider-braised pork ribs with gnocchi, cornbread, and mustard greens paired with 2020 Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon. Photo by Rico Cassoni

Like Vittoria, Austin Hope also represents the second generation in the family business after father Chuck Hope moved the family from Bakersfield in the late 70s. Austin remembers being a troublemaker growing up as a child. To punish his mischievous behavior, Chuck would send Austin out to the fields to think about his actions but turns out he loved working in the vineyards. This was also the impetus for the “Troublemaker” brand. 

Dinner started off with a curry chicken puff pastry with thinly sliced apple and carrot slaw. This was paired with Treana Blanc, dominated by viognier and was a great way to kick off the dinner. The viognier nicely complemented the pasty and slaw along with the Hollandaise sauce served with the pasty.

Chef Phillip prepared a chorizo-stuffed artichoke with a kick that was tempered with a basil and cream sauce in the 2nd course. This was served with Paso Robles NV Cab Sauv. Colachis said that Austin is so proud of Paso’s accomplishments that he wanted NV bottle to prominently display Paso Robles as a tribute to the region.

The third and main course was fall-off-the-bone cider-braised pork ribs served with homemade gnocchi, aged gouda, cornbread, and mustard greens. This was a flavor explosion served with 2020 Treana Cab Sauv (90%) balanced with splashes of petite sirah, petit verdot and malbec. The 50% neutral and 50% new oak barrels imparted hints of cocoa for this stand-out course. 

The final course was Bresaola, thin slices of beef with pickled shallot, paired with 2020 Austin Hope Cab Sauv. A fun fact is that 2015 was the first vintage of Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon. It was not until 2015 that Austin was confident to have his name on the label. 

The ’15 vintage turned out to be a 98-point Wine Spectator awardee gaining notoriety not only for Hope Family Wines but for the entire Paso Robles region. Great dinner Tore, Chef Phillip, and Kylie. Congrats Vittoria for your win in Vegas! See more info at hopefamilywines.com.

Wine Bytes

— Oceanside’s Mangia e Bevi is hosting a Daou Family Estates Wine Dinner from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 28. Daou’s Roman Palumbo will be narrating the dinner. The winery’s flagship wine, Soul of a Lion, is rumored to be served for an all-star wine dinner. The cost is $89.00 per person plus tax/gratuity. RSVP at 760-231-1225.

— Carmel Valley’s Flora Bar & Kitchen will be hosting a five-course Beringer Wine Dinner at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27 and Thursday, April 28. The main course features slow-braised lamb in a red wine reduction paired with 2017 Napa Valley Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. The cost is $75 per person plus tax/gratuity. RSVP at 858-461-0622.

— Vittorio’s Italian Trattoria in San Diego’s Highland Village is hosting a five-course Daou Family Estates Wine Dinner at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 28. The main course features grilled skirt steak with fried okra and roasted potatoes paired with Daou Cabernet Sauvignon. The cost is $75 per person plus tax/gratuity. RSVP at 858-538-5884.

Frank Mangio is a renowned wine connoisseur certified by Wine Spectator. Frank and Rico are two of the leading commentators on the web. Reach them at [email protected]

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