The Vision:
Two brothers, one dream...
Daniel and Georges Daou are committed to producing world class wines that will be recognized internationally. Although both engineers by trade, the brothers are no strangers to agriculture. The brothers’ passion for quality wine was nurtured in France, where they were raised. Their father, like many living in France, enjoyed wine as part of every meal. Daniel and Georges came to appreciate wine as young adults and their passion for it has never left them.
Daniel and Georges Daou.
When it came time for college, the two brothers set sail for San Diego, California, to attend UCSD, where they graduated with degrees in electrical and computer engineering. After college, the enterprising brothers formed DAOU Systems, where they developed intranet technologies for hospitals. In less than ten years, the company became one of the top five IPO’s in the country. Through the years of building successful technology start-ups, Daniel never lost sight of his appreciation for wine and his desire to produce it. Being an avid wine collector and aficionado was not enough to quench his thirst for the wine industry, so he began to intensely study winemaking and viticulture, making his own wine, working with great winemakers and learning everything he could about the fine points of producing premium wines. He soon set out on a new professional venture that was closer to his heart than the technology industry; crafting world class wines that married the elegance of the French wines he grew up with and the concentrated flavors of California wines.
In 2007, Daniel and Georges’ search for the perfect terroir led them to the west mountain Adelaida area of Paso Robles in California, where they found land that was part of the historical Hoffman Mountain Ranch vineyard with desirable terroir that fit their criteria for growing Cabernet Sauvignon and other red varietals that would rival the world’s best wine appellations. The property's combination of high elevation, cool marine influence, southeast and southwest sun exposure and highly sought after calcareous-lime soils was exactly what they were looking for. An added bonus was that the 100 acre property had over 70 farmable acres making it one of the larger vineyard sites in the Adelaida region.
Nicknamed DAOU mountain, the property also features incredible building sites with enormous views for the Spanish style winery and tasting room, now scheduled to break ground in 2010. On the property, the brothers will feature a rare 1740 bell imported from Spain, which is featured on their label. Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and, a signature Cabernet/Syrah blend currently comprise the current offering of premium wines. The brothers plan on crafting estate DAOU Vineyards wines that will be primarily focused on the estate’s Bordeaux varietals and are due to be released to the market by 2012.
