About Us

history

Roessler Cellars began in 2000 when long-time restaurateur Roger Roessler and experienced winemaker Richard Roessler merged talents to produce our first vintage of Pinot Noir. Inspired by a winemaking friend to “buy a few grapes” and “make a little wine,” the brothers sourced Sonoma grapes from the celebrated grape-growers, the Sangiacomo family. Over the years, we added new vineyards to our portfolio and grew from 225 cases of the original Sangiacomo fruit, to over 7,000 cases of 17 single-vineyard and appellation designated Pinots and 4 single-vineyard Chardonnays. The simple idea to “buy a few grapes” and “make a little wine” snowballed into the creation of a truly diverse and quality-focused enterprise.

The map of Roessler Cellars’ select growers stretches from the Santa Rita Hills of Santa Barbara to northern Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Though our label’s wide assortment of vineyards reflects our passion and commitment to the Pinot and Chardonnay varietals, our company was born out of a gamble.

Having spent over 40 years in the restaurant business, Roger Roessler had a natural attraction to winemaking. His restaurants’ wine lists resembled this interest, increasingly emphasizing high-end, single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In 1993, his newest location, the Swiss Hotel, was situated in the heart of wine country on the Sonoma plaza. While managing the restaurant, the local Pinot fruit and scenery captivated him, so much so that Roger made Sonoma his permanent home.

Richard Roessler’s business career was in Southern California, but he frequently made trips to Sonoma after his brother’s move to wine country. The culmination of Richard’s regular visits occurred in 1999, when his brother suggested crafting premium wine under the Roessler Cellars label. Richard shortly followed Roger to Sonoma and the work of creating fine wines began.

After our first vintage, Roessler Cellars quickly evolved into one of the premier producers of handcrafted Pinot Noirs in the U.S., sourcing fruit from many of the finest coastal vineyards on the continent. The gamble of relocating and investing in premium grapes was not a timid wager. However, the result of the work, patience and investment has been the cultivation of a library of first-rate Pinots and Chardonnays. The story of our beginning is similar to the story of our future. We have invested heavily in a variety of high-quality grapes to create the best wines possible for our customers. But more than anything, we hope your enjoyment of our wine exceeds the pleasure we had creating them!