ABOUT
DEDICATED TO SUSTAINABILITY
Shale Oak was built by a highly-esteemed team dedicated to sustainability, eco-friendly principals, and environmental preservation.
From Gold LEEDS Certified Architecture to SIP Certified Wines, Shale Oak is truly a unique place among Paso Robles Wineries. We also think our Wine Club Members are pretty special, too.
Al Good
OWNER
Shale Oak’s owner, Al Good, is a holistic, entrepreneurial farmer. His knowledge of the wine industry, vineyard management, and wine spans over 30 years.
Born and raised in Virginia, Al began his career as an East Coast representative for a grower in the San Joaquin Valley, where he quickly became their number one salesperson. His next endeavors found him as a fruit broker in Salinas for a company he later bought. After a brief stint at growing and selling apples in the Northwest, he decided to turn his passions to the business of table grapes, where he currently has one of the largest export table grape companies in the nation.
Al has consistently built trustworthy companies turning out the highest quality products possible. He developed a holistic understanding of the agriculture business and is considered a steward of the land.
Al is passionate about farming sustainability practices. His goal was to plan, plant, and build a vineyard, winery, and tasting room with next to zero impact on the surrounding environment. The result is Shale Oak Winery, a Gold LEED, SIP certified winery he began in Paso Robles in 2008 dedicated to making the best wines along the central coast of California.
Al and his wife Suzette, along with their two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, are excited to be part of the Paso Robles wine community and can be seen on many weekends welcoming guests into the tasting room.
Curtis Hascall
WINEMAKER
Curtis Hascall was introduced to Shale Oak Winery while working for Winemaker, Kevin Patrick Riley. He was impressed with Al Good’s values and sustainable vision for Shale Oak which was completely in line with his own. Curtis has been at Shale Oak from Day One and has overseen every vintage since 2008.
Born in Watford, England, Curtis intended on becoming a master beer brewer when he grew up. He moved from the San Francisco Bay area to San Luis Obispo where he became a food-science graduate of Cal Poly State University. His focus on making beer took a turn, however, when a friend hired him to drag hoses in the cellar at Norman Vineyards in Paso Robles. After working there for a few years, he took advantage of an opportunity to work a harvest at Cumulus Winery in Orange, Australia. He would have considered staying longer than the one vintage, but he found the beer in Australia to be too expensive and (frankly) not taste that great!
Curtis and the winemaking team has racked up an impressive list of awards and accolades in a relatively short amount of time.
Upon your first tasting of Shale Oak, you'll know why.
