Roger Roessler - Founder

With 35 years in the restaurant business, Roger Roessler's passion for food and wine has quite naturally evolved into winemaking. With his restaurants located thoughout the western United States, one of which included an interest in the Swiss Hotel in Sonoma, Roger found himself being drawn more and more to the wine country as he was constantly crafting the formidable wine lists for his restaurants.

The Sangiacomos were friends and agreed to provide a small quantity of Pinot Noir. The challenge of finding a winemaker was quickly satisfied when through a series of phone calls he was directed to Wells Guthrie, who had just started a label of his own called Copain. As the next two years unfolded, his relationship with Guthrie allowed them to add new vineyards and grow from 225 cases of that original Sangiacomo fruit, to 3000 cases of 5 single vineyard designated Pinots and 2 single vineyard Chardonnays.

Scott Shapley - Winemaker

Scott Shapley grew up in Monterey, California, and graduated from UC San Diego with a B.S. in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution. He worked as a field and laboratory biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources Division on its San Francisco Bay Project before moving to Russia with his wife in 1995.

On their return to California in 1999, Scott took a job as a harvest worker for Siduri Wines and Novy Family Wines, renowned producers of outstanding California and Oregon Pinot Noir and Syrah. Six months later he became Siduri/Novy's Assistant Winemaker, and honed his skills at making small lot Pinots and Syrahs with fruit sources from Santa Barbara to Oregon. After 4 _ years with Siduri, Scott signed on as Winemaker at Crushpad, a winery in the heart of San Francisco specializing in high-end boutique winemaking for individuals.

After working with a wide range of varietals at Crushpad, Scott decided to join Roessler Cellars for the opportunity to focus on two of his favorites - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. He is now enjoying applying his winemaking skills to working with Roessler's growing portfolio of exciting vineyard sources.

Wells Guthrie - Winemaking Consultant

Wells Guthrie is both winemaker and part owner for Copain Cellars. He and his yards produce single vineyard designated Pinot Noirs from Anderson Valley in Mendocino County and single vineyard designated Syrahs from vineyards as far away as Washington.

After college and a brief stint in the family business, which involved fitness equipment, he decided that he wanted something different for himself. It needed to be related to either food or wine, and he opted for a job working as a tasting coordinator for the Wine Spectator.

After a couple years of tasting other people’s wines, he decided that he wanted to learn more about making wine and was able to get a job working with Michel Chapoutier in the Rhone area of France. The two harvests that he worked in that area gave him all the assurance he needed that winemaking was his calling.

Upon returning to the states, he found work with Helen Turley who was doing the winemaking/consulting for Martinelli Winery in Santa Rosa, and Wells also helped Ehren Jordan at Turley for a short time. In 1999 he decided it was time to make a little wine of his own, and he produced his first bottling under the Copain label.

His focus on single vineyard designated wines and the interest in Pinot Noir seemed to be a great match for Roessler Cellars. Both he and Roger are intent on making balanced wines that are made from premium quality fruit at a price that makes the wines great values.

Richard Roessler - Co-Founder

Richard Roessler, Roger's brother and partner in the winery, developed a passion for wine through home winemaking in the 1970's. He worked in electronics engineering and business management to support his hobby and five children.

The expanding Roessler winery plus a love and appreciation for the wine country drew him to Sonoma in 2003, after retiring from his previous position as Busienss Driector for Beckman Coulter for 29 years. Today he assists in the winery crush and financial administration.

Richard's twin sons, Keith and Kevin, were mentored in the restaurant business by Roger and today they promote the family wines in their Albuquerque Bistro "Zinc".

Dan Heim- Director of Marketing and Sales

Dan Heim is the newest member to join the Roessler team. Dan has worked in every aspect of the industry, starting as a Hospitality Manager during the harvest of 2002 at Grgich Hills Cellars in Rutherford, California. Dan has also held the positions of Director of Sales for Alpha Omega Winery, and worked as a consultant for Trinitas Cellars. His love for Burgundian styled wines and his passion to be in the wine industry has directed him to his current position as Director of Sales and Marketing for Roessler Cellars.

Kevin McNeely - Partner

As a long time friend of Roger's, Kevin also shares a passion for wine. After twenty years of dealing with the television industry, living in New York City, and riding 'the electric sewer' to work, he traded it all in for the fruits and nuts of Sonoma Valley and has never looked back.  Kevin along with his wife Rosemary and his daughter Hannah Rose are happily immersed in their restaurant Le Colonial in San Francisco and their partnership with Roessler Cellars."

Sera - the Wonder Dog

Sera - Roger's esteemed canine companion, is quite adept as soil testing. She is pictured above getting into the thick of things on the Roessler Estate vineyard in Annapolis.