The Legend of Sixmilebridge
Meet the People and Story Behind Our Paso Robles Winery
The storyline and bloodline behind Sixmilebridge stretch across continent and ocean, decade and century, to the village of Sixmilebridge, in County Clare, Ireland in 1852. That year, the landed gentry of the region sent a militia to try to coerce eighteen farmer tenants to vote against their own interests. The citizens refused. When they gathered to protest the strong-arm tactics, the militia responded by opening fire, killing six and wounding eight.
When the smoke had settled and the dust had cleared, a red ceremonial hat, called a “biretta,” lay on the cobblestones, two holes marking where a bullet had passed clean through it. The biretta’s owner, Father Michael Clune, miraculously survived. Later, Zachariah Wallace, editor of The Anglo-Celt newspaper, was charged with libel against the state and imprisoned for six months after describing the event in print as “willful and deliberate murder.”
That same year, a young man named Jacobus Moroney left Sixmilebridge and the unthinkable memories of that day, and struck out in search of a better, freer life. Jacobus, along with his wife and son, James, landed in Texas, where James’s great-grandson, our proprietor Jim Moroney III, would devote his career to supporting the free press. The Dallas Morning News would earn three Pulitzer Prizes and many other honors under Jim’s leadership as its longtime publisher.
To Jim, and to all of us, Fr. Clune’s bullet-hole-ridden biretta is symbolic of the ongoing struggle to support the democratic process. Our logo depicts the hat hanging from a taut line, as straight as the path of a bullet, as strong as blood, as long as a story well told.
Meet the Sixmilebridge Team
Our story stretches from the Atlantic Coast of Ireland to North Texas to these rugged hillsides off the Pacific Coast of California. Our people come from farms and theaters and newsrooms, from the East, the South, and the West. Our timeline begins back in 1852. But before we get to that, please allow us to introduce ourselves today.
Jim & Barbara Moroney
Proprietors
It was the mid-1970s when Jim said to Barbara: “One of these days the company I work for is going to make me retire. When they do, I want us to start a winery.” The two Dallas-born Stanford students were in love. They spent many college weekends exploring the Napa Valley and tasting and learning about Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux-style blends.
The intervening 40 years were full of raising five children, but when they had spare time, they visited wineries all over the world. On a visit to Cambria in 2010, they made a wine-tasting detour to Paso Robles. They saw breathtaking rolling hills and vineyards and said, “This is where we want to build our winery.” They planted vines in 2013 focusing on red and white Bordeaux varietals. 2016 was their first vintage.
Anthony Yount
Winemaker
Anthony’s wines have twice placed in Wine Spectator’s “Top 100,” but he’d prefer that you not know that. Because in his view, if you can identify a wine as his, he’s done his job all wrong. “It’s the vineyard,” he insists, “not the man.” And oh, these Sixmilebridge vineyards. They’re like nothing else. Anthony also makes white wines under the Kinero Cellars label, and a red from the Yount family ranch, Royal Nonesuch Farm, as well as other award-winning bottlings.
Lindsay Peugh
Assistant Winemaker
Lindsay grew up in the Bay Area with her two brothers, Stewart and Spencer. She is smack dab in middle. Most summers were spent either on the shores of Clear Lake or wandering the Sierra Nevada mountain range; specifically around the Lake Tahoe basin.
Lindsay’s loyal sidekick of 8 years is her dog, Sequoia. She is named after the Giant Sequoia redwoods that her red fur matches perfectly. An avid explorer, hiker, and camper, you can be sure that in her spare time she’s scheming her next trip to the mountains.
An Ag. Business Marketing graduate of Cal Poly, SLO, Lindsay stepped into the world of wine as a tasting room educator in 2011. Since then, she’s come to know the passion and grit it takes to bring wine into its final form and looks forward to chasing the exciting experience of wine with us here at Sixmilebridge.
Jamie Schmidt
Assistant General Manager
Growing up with an Italian father and in Paso Wine country, it’s wine that really runs through Jamie’s veins. She left the area only briefly to attend Fresno State where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Agri Business and true to her roots, took a number of enology courses along the way. Since coming home, she’s worked solely in the wine industry and quickly learned that wine and customer service is where she thrives the most. On her days off you can find her chasin’ adventure with her five youngins.
Chris Hooper
Tasting Room Educator
It’s not every day that you meet a retired Department of Corrections parole agent in a wine-country tasting room, but in his previous career, Chris mastered the art of connecting with people—and that includes those people who did not, particularly, want to see him. Today, in the tasting room, Chris’s charm is infectious and his capabilities are endless. He and his wife Erika live on 50 acres, in the company of horses and olive trees.
Traci Isun
Tasting Room Educator
Traci is a native to Paso Robles and brings over two decades of experience to the Sixmilebridge team. Her journey spans from hands-on vine care to management roles including wine club administration, tasting room oversight and production coordination.
Traci’s true joy lies in the tasting room where she can share her passion for wine with fellow enthusiasts. Off wine duty, Traci enjoys spending time with her three kiddos, eating corn dogs and watching Dodger baseball.
Caitlin Moroney
Social Media Coordinator
In a former life, Caitlin was vice president at a large public relations firm in San Francisco. She now lives in Dallas and spends most days running after two young children. Caitlin manages Sixmilebridge’s social media accounts and thanks you kindly for snapping a photo while you’re visiting our tasting room. She adds: “Tag us, won’t you? We’re at @Sixmilebridgevineyards.”
David Bailey
Vineyard Manager
When it came time to find a vineyard manager, we didn’t have to look far—just across Peachy Canyon, in fact. David Bailey grew up among the vines on his family’s Bailey Ranch, where he’s spent more than six decades learning the rhythms of the land and the art of farming in Paso Robles.
With his lifelong experience, passion for organic dry farming, and an insider’s understanding of our unique microclimate, David is the perfect steward for Sixmilebridge’s estate vineyards. His work blends tradition and sustainability with a precision that keeps our vines thriving. And, if you happen to catch him at the wheel of a tractor, you’ll see why we say he drives it like it’s a Porsche.
Mawr Bear & Maidie
Am-“basset”-dors of Aroma
Every winery needs a little quality control, and ours comes with long ears, low centers of gravity, and noses trained for only the finest bouquets. Meet Mawr and Maidie, our official ambassadors of aroma.
Mawr, the bigger and more easygoing of the two, wears his tri-color coat like a badge of leisure. Ever curious, he’s happiest ambling along behind Maidie, keeping steady watch as she leads the way.
Maidie—affectionately dubbed Princess Margaret by Jim—brings equal parts royalty and mischief. She’s known for her dramatic porch flops, and her unshakable belief that every guest is here to see her first.
Together, they remind us that wine may be serious business, but joy is part of the terroir too. Consider them our unofficial mascots—keeping morale high, naps prioritized, and every guest reminded that Sixmilebridge is, above all, a family affair.
Visit Us in Paso Robles Wine Country
Reserve your tasting and discover why Bordeaux blends, a quiet setting, and a warm welcome make all the difference in Paso Robles.