In 1987, Rollin Soles purchased a breathtaking hillside property down a gravel road in the Chehalem Mountain Range. The property’s perfect combination of elevation, soil type, natural springs, and geological aspect were the seed of a dream that would eventually become Roco Winery.For nearly fifteen years, the Soles’ property remained a mostly wild landscape used for a variety of farming endeavors. Rollin was making wine at Argyle, his previous venture, and Corby was busy serving in a number of executive positions in the Oregon wine industry. But as the years wore on, the property’s southwestern exposure and diverse soils begged for the Soles to realize their dream: a vineyard of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sloping toward the creek below, the Chehalem Valley beyond, and Oregon’s Coast Range in the distance.In 2001, Rollin and Corby planted Wits’ End Vineyard and began bringing the idea of Roco to fruition. Two years later, they produced their first vintage of Private Stash Pinot Noir—showcasing the very best of Rollin’s small-lot winemaking skills in a bottle that was eventually served in the White House. Building on their success, in 2009, the Soles built Roco its own winery and added a tasting room in 2012. In 2013, Rollin expanded Wits’ End Vineyard and transitioned to full-time focus on Roco to keep pace with its growing prestige and demand.Today, Wits’ End Vineyard remains the heart and soul of Roco wines. Roco Private Stash and Wits’ End Vineyard Pinot Noirs derive exclusively from these vines—and serve as Rollin and Corby’s testament to the beauty of place, their devotion to family and friends, and their commitment to Oregon winemaking at its finest.Born and raised in Texas, Rollin has been making exemplary Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Oregon for the last three deCades. Those close to him know him as a painstaking practitioner of the winemaking craft, with an exceptional eye for detail in harvesting, crushing, and fermentation. And the results are in.Rollin’s wines have been named among the Top 100 Wines of the World by Wine Spectator thirteen times, a distinction matched by no other Oregon winemaker. His very first Roco vintage was poured in the White House. And in 2013, he was named one of the “20 Most Admired Winemakers in North America” by Vineyard & Winery Management magazine.Rollin made his way to Oregon after winemaking stints in California, Switzerland, Washington, and Australia. Once in the Willamette Valley, he co-founded the prestigious Argyle winery and led its winemaking program for twenty-five years. In 2001, along with his wife Corby Stonebraker-Soles, he set out on a new path with the founding of Roco Winery and the planting of its estate Wits’ End Vineyard. Today, Roco is his full time work.Rollin received a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Texas A&M and a master’s degree in enology and viticulture at the University of California at Davis. His deep scientific background along with an abiding love of research and learning allows him to consistently unlock the potential of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes and raise the bar for what Oregon wine can be.
