Sweetwater Vineyard Pinot Noir
J. Rochioli
Russian river valley
Rochioli is a third-generation winemaking family in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma, California. In the 1950s Joe Rochioli, Sr. saved enough to buy Fenton Acres, a 125-acre property he had worked at for years and which would later be called Rochioli.
In 1968 Joe Jr. recognized the potential of the terroir and was one of the first farmers to plant Burgundian clones of pinot noir in the Russian River Valley, now recognized as one of the best locations for pinot noir in California. For years Rochioli sold their grapes to local wineries, including Williams Selyem.
It was not until the late eighties when Tom Rochioli saw the opportunity not only to make their own wine but, after a trip to Burgundy, to adopt a site-specific approach to growing and making wine that continues to this day. Rochioli is a benchmark producer in the Russian River for pinot noir, chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc, the last of which comes from old vines planted by Joe Sr. in 1959.