Central Coast Hospitality Veteran Recognized for Cultivating “Above and Beyond” Guest Experiences
May 12, 2025 (Paso Robles, CA) — Hope Family Wines proudly shares that Director of Hospitality Jo Armstrong has earned a prestigious “2025 Visitor Experience Award” from Travel Paso, the official destination marketing organization for Paso Robles, California at the center of the world-renowned Paso Robles wine country.
The annual award is reserved for standout Paso Robles service professionals who exemplify “unwavering hospitality and commitment to creating guest experiences that are above and beyond expectations and working towards achieving the Travel Paso vision.” The award was presented on May 8 at the Travel Paso Tourism Round Up. Armstrong won the award for the Winery category.
“Jo is a hospitality rockstar who goes all out for our guests and sets a high bar in the wine industry,” said Owner-Winemaker Austin Hope. “She continually exceeds expectations with her unmatched combination of personal warmth, people skills, creative thinking and relentless attention to detail. It’s high time she was in the spotlight herself and we are grateful to Travel Paso for recognizing her contributions to the local tourism community.”
Armstrong joined Hope Family Wines as Director of Hospitality in 2019. She has since transformed the Austin Hope & Treana Tasting Cellar into one of the region’s most esteemed tasting rooms known for its welcoming atmosphere, imaginative guest experience and unexpected touches. In the summer of 2024, Armstrong was instrumental in the opening of Hope on Park, an innovative new tasting space in downtown Paso Robles that has been met with widespread acclaim.
“This award is meaningful to me because it’s so much a part of my ‘why’ and what I do, which is create experiences that leave guests with lifelong memories and new reasons to fall in love with Paso Robles,” Armstrong said. “This is a team sport—I have an amazing team and the award is as much about them as it is about me.”
Armstrong brings more than 25 years of Central Coast hospitality experience to her role at Hope Family Wines. After growing up in Dallas and studying business at the University of Colorado, she fell in love with the Central Coast and moved to San Luis Obispo, where she started her own international event management company and held executive hospitality management positions in the fields of travel, special events and wine before joining Hope Family Wines.
Today, as Director of Hospitality & DTC at Hope Family Wines, Armstrong not only oversees the daily operations of the winery’s two tasting rooms, but also manages the winery’s multifaceted direct-to-consumer operations including the wine club and the digital creative team.
About Hope Family Wines
Hope Family Wines is one of the pioneering heritage wineries that helped spark the modern winemaking era in Paso Robles. Owner & Winemaker Austin Hope grew up in Paso Robles as the son of winegrowers Chuck and Marlyn Hope, from whom he inherited his love and respect for the region. Hope Family Wines today spans six brands that exemplify the world-class quality and diversity of Paso Robles: Austin Hope, Treana, Quest, Austin, Liberty School and Troublemaker. In the fall of 2022, Hope Family Wines was named “American Winery of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast’s annual Wine Star Awards. Most important, Hope Family Wines works with 50 partner growers and a dedicated family of employees who make it all possible. More at HopeFamilyWines.com.
