Hollow Wines is the work of Quinn Hobbs, a former marketer with a doctorate who traded an academic path for a cellar and a mission to prove great wine can be made with fewer resources.
Backstory
Hobbs grew up south of San Francisco and earned a Ph.D. in political science from Pepperdine University, writing on how politicians use social media to polarize audiences. His pull toward the Central Coast came through mountain biking and volunteering at wineries around Hollister and Santa Barbara, and he later traveled to Western Australia to learn natural winemaking. He founded Hollow Wines in 2020 as a project built around sustainability and worker rights.
The Region
The wines are vinified on California's Central Coast, with the cellar in Gilroy. Hobbs sources organically farmed fruit from vineyards across the state rather than from a single estate.
Vineyards & Farming
Fruit is bought from growers who farm organically, and Hobbs is explicit about rejecting herbicides such as Roundup for their environmental harm. The sustainability focus extends through the winery, from lighter bottles to recycling wastewater.
Winemaking
Hobbs describes a no-nonsense approach: wild yeast fermentations, minimal additions and only a touch of sulfur. A particular emphasis falls on skin-contact orange wines meant to be expressive and fresh.
The Wines
Bottlings have included a Cabernet Franc, a Pinot Noir, a skin-contact white and a sparkling wine, made in small lots across the Central Coast.
