Awards to be Presented at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 18 at the California Mid-State Fair
July 1, 2025 (Paso Robles, CA) — The San Luis Obispo County wine industry comes together annually to honor members of the local wine community. These awards recognize dedication, stewardship, innovation, and leadership demonstrated in the County. The 2025 San Luis Obispo County Wine Industry Awards go to – Wine Grape Grower of the Year, Aron Nevarez; Winemaker of the Year, Molly Bohlman; and Wine Industry Person of the Year, Christopher Taranto. In addition, the San Luis Obispo County wine community recognizes Libbie Agran, historian, archivist, and the visionary founder of the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County, with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, in partnership with the SLO Coast Wine Collective, the Independent Grape Growers of the Paso Robles Area, The Vineyard Team, and past award recipients worked together to nominate and vote for the 2025 winners. The honorees are evaluated on their leadership and accomplishments in California’s third largest wine region, San Luis Obispo County.
“The Mid-State Fair continues to be a perfect stage to honor the remarkable people behind San Luis Obispo County’s thriving wine community,” said Joel Peterson, Executive Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. “This year’s honorees represent the very best of our region — from innovative winemaking and sustainable viticulture to tireless service in regional leadership. Their dedication, talent, and impact have earned the respect of their peers, and we look forward to celebrating their well-deserved recognition.”
Aron Nevarez has been growing premium wine grapes in the Paso Robles region since the 1990s, contributing his expertise to acclaimed vineyards including Tablas Creek, Denner, and McPrice Myers. Molly Bohlman has been crafting wines in California for nearly 30 years, bringing her talents to San Luis Obispo County at Gainey, Tolosa, Vina Robles, and for over a decade, Niner Wine Estates. Since 2007, Christopher Taranto has led trade and media relations for Paso Robles Wine Country, shaping national and international perceptions through trade education, speaking engagements, and media outreach.
The San Luis Obispo County Wine Community will celebrate this year’s award winners at a special event on Friday, July 18 at theCalifornia Mid-State Fair within Mission Square beginning at 6 p.m. The awards presentation is a free event with paid admission to the California Mid-State Fair. Preceding the awards presentation is a ticketed event featuring a walk-around tasting of the gold medal winners of the Central Coast Wine Competition (CCWC). Also recognized will be the CCWC Winery of the Year award, Le Vigne Winery.
ABOUT PASO ROBLES WINE COUNTRY ALLIANCE
The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance is the official trade and marketing organization that represents wineries, growers, and businesses in the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area. Centrally located between San Francisco and Los Angeles on California’s Central Coast, Paso Robles Wine Country encompasses more than 40,000 vineyard acres and 250 wineries. For more, visit pasowine.com.
