An icon since the mid-1950s, Heart Hill has stayed constant as the rest of Paso Robles has rapidly changed. The Niner family purchased the property in 2003 but the land has roots back to the early 1900s when cattle roamed the hillsides and whiskey was preferred to wine everywhere except for church. But to truly tell the story of Heart Hill we first have to tell the story of the two brothers who created it.
CREATION TIMELINE |
| Early 1900’s — Booker Brothers were adopted by Ms. Booker |
| Late 1930’s — brothers graduated from Templeton High School |
| 1956⁄58 — Heart Hill was created |
| 1990 — Dick Booker passed away |
| 2000 — Claude Booker passed away |
| 2003 — the Niner Family purchased |
| 2007 — the first grapevines were planted |
this timeline was pieced together from stories and conversations with people who knew the brothers. if you have information to add to this timeline we would love to hear from you!
THE BOOKERS BROTHERS
What is now Heart Hill Vineyard was originally part of a large cattle ranch owned by Claude and Dick Booker. Total acreage isn’t known as the brothers continually purchased properties throughout their life but is estimated to stretch between 800 – 1,200 acres.
The two brothers were orphans from the Central Valley before being adopted by Ms. Booker who had owned the land for decades prior. The two graduated from Templeton High School in the late 1930s and spent their lives as bachelors on the land. Claude was drafted into World War II but returned to the ranch after where he devoted himself to the ranch, the community and the Templeton Men’s softball team (legend has it he was an all-star catcher).
The Bookers were a pair of hardworking, humble & caring brothers who would dislike being labeled as any of those things.
The Booker’s ranch was surrounded by other farmers and they were apt to bale hay for an injured friend without being asked and without expectation of praise. To them it was just the right thing to do. As tenacious as they were helpful, this means they were also just as likely to perch on a hillside and systematically snipe every melon in a cranky neighbor’s watermelon patch after he denied them access through a gate they had been using for years. To them it was just the right thing to do.
They were pillars in the community and donated buildings, created scholarships & more to the Templeton schools.
After they died, Dick in 1990 and Claude in 2000, they left their entire estate to charity. The sale of their land and all their holdings (including the Niner’s purchase of Heart Hill) went into a trust to benefit an orphanage, the Salvation Army & the American Heart Association among others.
The stories about the Booker Brothers could fill a book but the bottom line is that they were farmers at heart. They worked the land they died on and spent their days together farming barley, oats & alfalfa along with raising chickens & cattle and lending a helping hand to anyone who needed it but didn’t ask.
