Interview With Adam & Nick
 

The Fourth Generation: Talking with Adam & Nick

Adam and Nick Franscioni grew up among the vines at Rosella’s Vineyard, where they learned the rhythms of farming and the values of hard work. Today, they oversee viticulture and winemaking at ROAR, balancing tradition with innovation as they guide the family legacy into the next generation.

What’s your earliest memory of working on the ranch or in the vineyard?

Adam: My earliest memory of working on the ranch was during the summer growing season at Rosella’s Vineyard. I was hands-on in the vineyard, doing everything from canopy management to more critical tasks like cluster thinning. That process was especially impactful, as I had to decide which clusters would ultimately be harvested—decisions that directly influenced the quality of the wine. It was an early lesson in the importance of detail and care in farming.

Nick: One of my first memories was shooting a bird gun around the vineyards to scare off the birds from feasting on the grapes. There was a moment where I locked eyes with a mountain lion some 50 yards away. It didn’t seem bothered by me and looked away. I raced off on the quad back home and panicked to get back inside.

Was there a moment when you realized you wanted to come back to the family business?

Adam: After college, I worked at a biotech company with the standard 9-to-5 schedule. While it was a solid start to my career, I often found myself indoors all day, missing out on the beautiful San Diego sun. I began to crave a job that allowed me to be outside for at least part of the day, something that felt more connected to the world around me.

At the same time, I’ve always had a deep love for food and wine. There’s something magical about the excitement of dressing up for a night out, whether it’s a romantic date or a dinner with friends, and enjoying an exceptional meal. Wine is often woven into those experiences, elevating the moment. Being part of an industry that creates and enhances those moments felt like a natural calling for me.

What’s something unexpected about farming or winemaking that people don’t often see?

Adam: How funny the people are. From the outside, the wine industry can seem convoluted, stuffy, or even intimidating. But behind the scenes, especially in production, the way people talk about wine is often refreshingly down-to-earth and hilarious. It's not uncommon to hear winemakers describe a young wine using the most unexpected metaphors. One friend once compared a young wine to how he felt on a first date in high school: nervous, awkward, and full of potential. Moments like that remind you that at the heart of it, we’re just people having fun doing what we love.

Nick: The attention to detail that we have with every block that is harvested at a very specific time. We constantly check for ripeness during the final days of maturation and there is a discussion between the four of us about our plan. We rarely make decisions based on convenience or logistics, and we focus on what is right for each individual block, even if it means pulling the team in for a Sunday harvest.

How has becoming a father changed your connection to the family land and legacy?

Adam: It’s a really cool feeling. I’ve worked with French winemakers in the Southern Hemisphere and always admired the deep history their families have, with some going back three or more generations. As California farmers, we’re still kind of “babies” in the wine world by comparison. But now, as our own family grows, the idea that my kids could become the next generation to steward the land makes it all feel more meaningful. It adds a new layer of purpose to what we do.

Nick: The event that changed my connection most was when I investigated our family history, beginning with the immigrations from Switzerland and Italy. Those journeys have so much inspiration and to see our land passed down three times successfully is what has motivated me to do the same. We see so many other wineries and vineyards go through sales due to a lacking interest from the next generation, it makes me even more excited to carry ours on.

What part of your day-to-day work gives you the most satisfaction?

Adam: Talking with others and constantly learning something new about farming. Growing wine grapes is as much an art as it is a science, and there's always more to discover. I especially enjoy learning from people like our dad, Gary, who’s been farming for over 45 years—he’s seen just about everything. There’s real satisfaction in adding to that collective knowledge day by day, like we’re building a dam of wisdom to help sustain these incredible vines for generations to come.

Nick: The most satisfaction comes from getting on the phone with my brother and dad to start the day. There’s always something to share, it surprises me. We’re all motivated to make things work together and that is a satisfying feeling.

Is there a ROAR wine, vineyard block, or vintage that feels especially personal to you? Why?

Adam: I’d say the 2011 Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir is especially meaningful to me. I’ve always loved wines that can age well, and the 2011s really stood out as an ageable vintage. Rosella’s is particularly close to my heart because it’s the vineyard I grew up on, and Pinot Noir happens to be one of my favorite varietals. When you have a great site, a great grape, and a vintage that comes together just right, it’s something truly special.

Nick: Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir without a doubt. It’s the vineyard that I grew up on and the very first planting in my dad’s winegrowing career. I’ve been tied to that land since birth and know the property inside out. I’m a little biased, but I believe it makes the most compelling, extravagant wine in our appellation.

How do you balance tradition and innovation in your role today?

Adam: I think it comes down to doing what’s best for the life of the plant. In our family, there’s very little ego, maybe some stubbornness, but no ego. When it comes to making decisions, we always ask what’s best for the vines, the land, and the next generation. Innovation is important, especially in today’s changing climate, because it helps improve efficiency and sustainability. But tradition and past experience are just as valuable, they’re the foundation for our curiosity and progress.

What do you hope the next generation learns from your work?

Adam: I hope the next generation learns our family’s work ethic and passion for farming and winemaking. You can’t cut corners when you’re making premium wine. Every decision matters. Above all, you have to do what’s best for the wine, every step of the way.

Nick: I hope the next generation understands the manual labor and energy that goes into everything we do. There is a lot of hard work to be done and getting hands dirty is where it all starts. If they learn how to work hard, then the rest will be easy.

What do you enjoy most about working with your sibling, and how do your strengths complement each other?

Adam: What I enjoy most about working with my brother is having a counterpart my age to talk to. Being in a family business comes with its challenges, and having someone I trust deeply makes a big difference. In terms of how our strengths complement each other, I tend to be a bit more conservative by nature, while Nick is more aggressive. I think that contrast helps balance our decision-making and leads to stronger outcomes overall.

Nick: We are both lucky to have each other in this operation. There is so much work to be done between farming, winemaking and business, I always wonder how my dad was able to do so much of that on his own. Perhaps the best thing is that we have a shared vision for how to run things and very rarely conflict in our path forward, so that is a fortunate partnership to have. Even if we are wrong, we know we did it with our best intentions and under mutual agreement. There is nothing wrong about that.

“You can’t cut corners when you’re making premium wine. Every decision matters. ”
Adam Franscioni

What is something Gary has taught you about farming or wine?

Adam: Precision matters, and there are no shortcuts when it comes to making great wine. Your reputation is your most valuable asset, and you have to be able to stand behind every bottle you sell.

Nick: Dad taught me that wine is food. It took me a while to understand this, but it was critical in appreciating wine for what it is. Ultimately, we are farming grapes, a food commodity, much like we’ve farmed lemons, avocados and row crops. With the best quality fruit, there is so much that can be done with it, especially for wine grapes. Understanding that wine is food is what helped refocus my appreciation to farm grapes with intention and precision.

How does your perspective of philosophy align/differ with Gary?

Adam: My perspective aligns closely with Gary's in that hand-tended farming remains essential to making great wine. While machine farming has its place, its limitations are too great to consistently produce excellent wine. Mother Nature is simply too powerful—you can’t farm from a seat; you need to be out there, hands on the vines, every two weeks.

Where we might differ is in our philosophy around ripeness. It’s probably not as far apart as he thinks, but I get excited about pushing the envelope, both with early picks and late picks, and exploring the full spectrum of what the fruit can express.

What changes have you made to the farming/winemaking?

Adam: We have lowered our use of new oak regiment on the chardonnays and changed our cold rooms to differentiate how we age our white wines versus our red wines. In addition, we have tried planting field blends which I love.

What is your current view or long-term vision for ROAR?

Adam: My current vision for ROAR is to work with the highest-quality plant material to craft the best wine possible, while delivering outstanding service to our customers. Each growing season is an opportunity to learn and improve, from exploring new equipment that can elevate our winemaking process, to applying lessons from previous vintages to grow better grapes. As our team has grown, I am pleased we are now able to reach more customers than ever.

Nick: The long-term view is to pass it down to our children and to work alongside them for as long we are able to. Make the farming a five-generation family operation and the winery a three-generation passion. We are committed to making the highest quality wines and promoting our special appellation, so we expect to be at the forefront in that regard. I’m sure the wines will change slightly here and there, but that will be a natural evolution, and hopefully a reflection of our own values and desires.