We believe great wine is made in the vineyard. In the Santa Lucia Highlands, our vines surround our family home and our connection to the land shapes every decision we make.
Great Pinot Noir begins with attention to detail. From pruning through harvest, our work is done without mechanization and all by hand. Each vine and cluster receives attention every 12 days, allowing us to respond with nuanced feedback according to the needs of each vintage.
As owners and growers, we walk the vineyards daily and make farming decisions in real time, nurturing healthy vines that produce balanced, concentrated fruit.
“Winegrowing is part art, part science.”
ADAM FRANSCIONI, ROAR Vineyard Manager
For us, sustainable farming means caring for the land and the people who tend it. We hold ourselves to high standards in maintaining the health of our ranches, preserving them for future generations while supporting the well-being of our vineyard team.
By farming the land ourselves, we stay closely connected to the people and daily decisions that shape both the wines we make today and the land we pass on.
SIP Certified
Sustainability in Practice
Year-round collaboration between our vineyard and winery teams guides every harvest decision. We assess ripeness block by block, and even row by row, to capture the character of each site at its best.
When deciding the precise moment to pick each block, we trust our instincts. Generations of farming this land have given us a good sense in using visual markers and taste profiles in addition to more traditional measuring tools. Grapes are then hand-harvested at night and make the short journey to our winery, arriving cool and fresh.
“Cool fog and coastal winds give us one of the world's longest growing seasons, allowing each block to reach its fullest expression before we pick.”
Gary Franscioni, ROAR Founder
Our goal in the cellar is to let each vineyard speak through the wine. ROAR Winemaker Scott Shapley builds on the work done in the vines, preserving the character of the fruit with French oak playing a supporting role. Every decision is guided by a balance of careful attention and restraint.
That care begins with hand-sorting each cluster before fermentation and meticulous cleaning in our facility. As the yeast works, we closely monitor each lot and taste regularly, using punch downs to gently guide extraction. Knowing when to act and when to let the wine develop is at the heart of our approach.
“Knowing when to act, and when to step back, lets each vineyard speak through the wine.”
SCOTT SHAPLEY, ROAR Winemaker
Working in small lots lets us respond to the character of each vineyard and explore new possibilities in the cellar. Wide fermentation vessels help us manage extraction in our red wines, while fermenting our white wines in barrel encourages oak to integrate naturally from the beginning.
Our production size is intentionally kept small so every barrel can be meticulously monitored and managed during ageing. Many months of blending trials ensure only the very best is put in bottle.
Our home is defined by cool coastal fog and daily afternoon winds. Learn more about what gives our wines their distinctive character.
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