A Central Coast native, Aaron Jackson’s path to winemaking began with a question. “How can we write a new story for Central Coast wine, and how do we unlock its potential?” To answer this, he found himself working in coastal Pinot Noir vineyards near his hometown of Cayucos, and working in cellars producing wines from Paso Robles’ westside, most uniquely Petite Sirah. While studying wine at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, he pooled together the pennies from his weekend jobs and launched his eponymous label with the first vintage of Aaron Petite Sirah in 2002. His career continued to lead him to work with several acclaimed wineries in Paso Robles, along with earning his Master’s degree in Oenology from the University of Adelaide in South Australia. In 2017, Aaron took charge in leading the effort to create the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA (SLO Coast), which was approved in 2021.
Now over 20 years in, Aaron continues to focus on pushing boundaries and bringing pride to his homeland through his wines, all of which are driven by authenticity and devotion to unearthing the potential of Paso Robles and the San Luis Obispo Coast.
Making it Happen
GM / Assistant Winemaker
Director of Sales
Marketing & Brand Manager
Quesadillas
Fruits of Our Labor
Aaron began in 2002 with a focus on producing powerful, age-worthy wines from the rugged hillsides of westside Paso Robles, California. Always seeking to veer from the norm, we found inspiration in creating blends that centered around one of California's most historic grapes — Petite Sirah. We source intense, yet balanced fruit from a small selection of the very best vineyards in the Willow Creek, Adelaida, and Templeton Gap districts of west Paso Robles. From these sites we coax this massively structured varietal into a portfolio of unique blends that evoke our best expression of Paso Robles terroir.
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Latin for “Of The Sea,” Aequorea (pronounced ay-core-ee-yah) began as a desire to produce Pinot Noir and aromatic white wines from vineyards closer to the ocean than most anywhere else in California. From these foggy, windswept sites west of the Santa Lucia Mountains and no more than 6 miles from the Pacific Ocean, we work with dedicated growers to craft a portfolio of expressive wines that showcase truly coastal terroir. This study in extreme coastal winegrowing eventually led us to spearhead the creation of the new San Luis Obispo Coast (SLO Coast) AVA, the most coastal AVA in the US.
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Keola is composed of the unique lots and barrels that don’t make their way into our top tier Aaron cuvées each vintage. Typically composed of Petite Sirah, Syrah, and other Rhône varietals, it is sourced from the same sites as our other wines, and punches way above its weight class. We consider it a “working class wine” that shares the same pedigree and soul as our flagship wines, yet comes at a price that allows for everyday drinking.
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A wine originally made for wine industry friends (and ourselves), Nature Boy is a 100% whole cluster, 100% carbonically-macerated Grenache sourced from our favorite vineyard in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles. Produced to be an easy-to-drink, chillable red, Nature Boy is light in body, low in alcohol, and packed full of vibrant aromatics and bright fruit. It’s an unpretentious, drink-now wine that is an absolute joy to drink.
As a team of outdoor enthusiasts and avid supporters of the beautiful place we call home, we have joined 1% for the Planet, an international organization whose members contribute at least one percent of their annual sales to environmental causes and nonprofits.
Because of our passion for Big Sur and land stewardship, we’ve partnered with the Ventana Wilderness Alliance to protect, preserve, and restore the wilderness and public lands of Big Sur. We’ve specifically been supporting their amazing efforts at maintaining and rebuilding the extensive network of hiking trails and camps that have been ravaged by recent wildfires and landslides. Our partnership has brought much needed support to keep this incredible stretch of coastline open for the public to enjoy forever.
