Rochioli Vineyards and Winery

Joe Rocchioli Sr. immigrated to America in 1911 with his parents, Michele and Menichina Rocchioli, from a small village just outside Lucca; the family later dropped the second "c" from its name. At 10 years old he worked alongside his father on a farm called Wohler Ranch in the Russian River Valley, and he became ranch foreman in 1920. Joe Rochioli Jr. was born in 1934, and shortly after, the family moved to a nearby 125-acre property called Fenton Acres, the same location where Rochioli Vineyards is today. Much of the land was then dedicated to hops, string beans and prunes, alongside jug-wine blending grapes such as French Colombard, Early Burgundy and Valdeguié. By the mid-1950s Joe Sr. had raised enough money to purchase Fenton Acres. He died in 1966.

• 1911: Joe Rocchioli Sr. immigrates with his parents from a village just outside Lucca
• 1920: Joe Sr. becomes foreman at Wohler Ranch in the Russian River Valley
• Mid-1950s: Joe Sr. purchases the 125-acre Fenton Acres property
• Early crops included hops, string beans, prunes and jug-wine blending grapes

In 1959 Joe Jr. and his father planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. The Cabernet did not grow well and was pulled out in the 1970s; the Sauvignon Blanc vines are still in production and are considered some of the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines in California. Joe Jr. chose the Sauvignon Blanc budwood at UC Davis and planted 10 acres; the clone is a mystery. In 1968 Joe Jr. began planting Pinot Noir clones from France, when very little was known about the grape there, and he planted Chardonnay shortly after. In the early 1970s the family sold Pinot Noir grapes to Davis Bynum Winery, whose 1973 bottling carried Russian River on its label a decade before the Russian River Valley became an approved AVA. The family also produced wine under the Fenton Acres label and in the early 1980s began selling to Williams Selyem Winery, among others. After college and a year at a major financial institution, Tom Rochioli convinced his father to make wine under the Rochioli name, and in 1983 the property was renamed Rochioli Vineyards; Tom took over as business manager and soon after became the winemaker. The first estate wine, the 1985 Rochioli Pinot Noir, was released in 1987. The fourth generation has joined: Tom's daughter Rachael is General Manager and his son Ryan is an assistant winemaker in production.

• 1959: Sauvignon Blanc planted; the same vines are still in production
• 1968: Joe Jr. begins planting Pinot Noir clones from France; Chardonnay follows shortly after
• Early 1970s: Pinot Noir grapes sold to Davis Bynum Winery; early 1980s: sales to Williams Selyem Winery begin
• 1983: Fenton Acres renamed Rochioli Vineyards; 1987: release of the first estate wine, the 1985 Rochioli Pinot Noir

The Rochioli Vineyard is situated in a very diverse part of the Russian River Valley. Joe Jr. and Tom both believe the key factors in growing superb grapes are the diversity of soil types, the vineyards' proximity to the ocean and the contours of the valley, which allow for morning fog and cool evening breezes. The vineyard is divided into several blocks, each planted with numerous clones, with 140 acres in production. In the 1990s Rochioli released wines from five blocks, each displaying distinct characteristics. The Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs include Big Hill, Little Hill, River Block, Sweetwater, Three Corner and West Block; the Single Vineyard Chardonnays include Little Hill, Rachael's Vineyard, River Block, South River and Sweetwater. As of 2022, about 50 percent of the estate grapes went into Rochioli wines and the rest were sold to other wineries, including Williams Selyem and Gary Farrell.

• 140 acres in production across several blocks, each planted with numerous clones
• Site factors cited by the family: soil diversity, proximity to the ocean, morning fog and cool evening breezes
• Single Vineyard Pinot Noir: Big Hill, Little Hill, River Block, Sweetwater, Three Corner, West Block
• Single Vineyard Chardonnay: Little Hill, Rachael's Vineyard, River Block, South River, Sweetwater

Because of the diverse terroir across the estate, Tom Rochioli ferments each block separately. The practice is common in Burgundy; Rochioli was one of the first in the area to introduce a micro-batch process, and the family is believed to have been one of the first in the valley to divide its vineyard into parcels for specific bottlings. Tom traces the focus on individual blocks to a trip to Burgundy with his wife a few years after the first release, where he learned that keeping grapes from different lots separate during winemaking can produce remarkably different wines. He follows a traditional "hands off" approach and recalls his maternal grandfather, Joe Nicoletti, advising: "Don’t touch those barrels unless you need to."

• Each block fermented separately in a micro-batch process
• Block focus shaped by a trip to Burgundy a few years after the first estate release
• Traditional "hands off" winemaking

The Estate wines are blends of the single vineyard sites on the property and are available in the tasting room. The winery describes the selection as a silky-smooth, fruit-forward Pinot Noir, a rich, opulent Chardonnay and a tangy, food-friendly Sauvignon Blanc. As of September 2026 the Estate Flight pours the 2025 Estate Sauvignon Blanc, 2024 Estate Chardonnay, 2025 Rosé of Pinot Noir and 2024 Estate Pinot Noir. The Single Vineyard wines are made in small quantities from hand-selected grapes in each vineyard site and are offered exclusively to members of The List, which is currently full, with a wait list. List members receive three offers each year: the Estate wines in January, the Single Vineyard Chardonnays and Old-Vine Sauvignon Blanc in mid-March, and the Single Vineyard Pinots in early August. The Sauvignon Blanc is a blend of three vineyard sites, including the estate's Old Vine Sauvignon Blanc clone.

• Estate wines: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, blended from the estate's single vineyard sites
• Single Vineyard wines: small-quantity bottlings offered exclusively to members of The List
• Three List offers a year: January, mid-March and early August
• Estate Flight tasting fee: $25 (as of September 2026)

Wine Spectator calls Rochioli "one of California’s most respected Pinot Noir producers" and writes that the family helped establish the Russian River Valley as a benchmark for American Pinot Noir. Joe Rochioli Jr. received the Copia Wine Grower of the Year Award in 2003. Wine Spectator credits him as one of the first to pull leaves to reduce vigor and a leader in lowering vineyard yields, and The Press Democrat wrote that he is recognized as one of the founding fathers of wine growing in the Russian River Valley.

• Wine Spectator: one of California's most respected Pinot Noir producers
• 2003: Copia Wine Grower of the Year Award for Joe Rochioli Jr.
• Wine Spectator credits Joe Jr. as an early leader in leaf pulling and lower vineyard yields

The tasting room at 6192 Westside Road in Healdsburg is open Monday through Saturday by appointment and closed on Sundays, with appointments at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm. The Estate Flight is $25, and the winery cannot accommodate groups over 6 guests.

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.rochioliwinery.com/our-story/, https://www.rochioliwinery.com/vineyards/, https://www.rochioliwinery.com/wines/, https://www.rochioliwinery.com/visit/, https://www.rochioliwinery.com/the-list/, https://www.rochioliwinery.com/wines/single-vineyard-pinot-noir-accolades/, https://www.rochioliwinery.com/wines/single-vineyard-chardonnay-accolades/. Secondary sources: https://www.winespectator.com/articles/rochioli-california-pinot-noir-profile-093026, https://www.winespectator.com/articles/joe-rochioli-russian-river-valleys-pinot-pioneer-dies, https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/joe-rochioli-jr-pioneering-russian-river-valley-pinot-vintner-dies-at-88/. Last verified 2026-10-12. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.