Intrepid Originals, Always Looking Ahead

The ROCO Story Is a Story of Vision

When Rollin Soles and Corby Stonebraker-Soles came to Oregon in the 1980s, they arrived at the leading edge of a movement. The idea of Oregon wine was actively in the making, emerging in real time through the daring efforts of people like Rollin and Corby and a diverse group of entrepreneurs who wanted nothing more than to produce world-class wines in an unproven but promising winegrowing region. They built wineries, developed foundational industry organizations, and worked to establish Oregon as the premier place to make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay outside of Europe.

Now more than 35 years later, ROCO showcases Oregon winemaking at its peak—through a talent that has produced hundreds of 90+ scores from leading industry critics, repeated placement in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the World, and multiple bottlings served in the White House. In 2024, ROCO’s 2013 RMS Brut 10-Year DD was named #1 wine of the year on ‘The Enthusiast 100’ list by Wine Enthusiast, a first-of-its-kind honor for any Oregon winery.

Transcendent wines are the expectation at ROCO Winery. Through innovation and experience, we carefully build a vision for each wine’s highest potential and work tirelessly to make that vision a reality.

THE ROCO TEAM

Rollin Soles, Founder & Winemaker

The story starts in Texas, takes side trips through Switzerland, Australia and California, and ends up in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Educated as a microbiologist, Rollin Soles’ winemaking combines the friendly grit of a Texas-born work ethic with the uncompromising rationality of a true scientist. In a wine world cluttered with nostalgic ideas, Rollin wants to know what’s really going on—in the vineyard, in the cellar, and in the glass. It’s the hallmark of a winemaking career that began overseas and has since landed Oregon bottles at the highest ranks of American craft. As Oregon’s original producer of sparkling wine, Rollin insists on a pioneering, innovative spirit in the ROCO cellar—always seeking new insight and trying new ideas to keep our wines among the very best this valley produces.

Corby Stonebraker-Soles, Founder

Corby arrived in the Willamette Valley in the mid-1980s before tasting rooms lined downtown streets and Oregon wine attracted visitors from all over the world. But she arrived with the strategy experience of a corporate marketer and the creative vision of a working artist. So she sensed opportunity and knew how to bring it to fruition. Working alongside friends and family, she helped establish multiple wineries and the now-famous International Pinot Noir Celebration, serving for a time as its executive director. Her mission when she founded ROCO Winery was to make it a place of excellence in service—so that, from both near and far, our patrons experience the very best in Willamette Valley hospitality.

Jarod Sleet, Associate Winemaker

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Though born in Kentucky, Jarod didn’t fall in love with the juice inside oak barrels until he’d moved to Oregon and attended culinary school as an aspiring chef. The instinct to learn about food—its sources, techniques, and surprises—eventually led him to Oregon wine country, first as a harvest intern and then onto Oregon State University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in viticulture and enology. Following winemaking stints at Cana’s Feast, Archery Summit, and Argyle, Jarod joined ROCO in 2017 as our assistant winemaker.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Committed to Sustainable Winegrowing and Winemaking

At ROCO, we support healthy ecosystems to sustain our operations as a winery. We partner with growers and organizations whose efforts contribute to a thriving Willamette Valley, both now and into the future.

ROCO is LIVE Certified Sustainable

LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) is a non-profit organization that provides education and certification for vineyards on a set of internationally-recognized, science-based practices of winegrowing that minimize environmental and social impacts while maximizing long term agricultural and economic sustainability. ROCO is proud to be among the growing group of LIVE Certified Sustainable wineries in Oregon. This designation represents a civic and ecological responsibility very close to our hearts. The benefits of sustainability are clear: Gentler practices are better for the earth. And we believe they also result in brighter, more flavorful wines that better reflect the characteristics of the land from which they are grown.

ROCO is certified Salmon Safe

Salmon-Safe is a non-profit that was founded in 1995 by an Oregon-based river and native fish protection organization. Since then, it has become one of the nation’s leading, regional eco-labels—designating ecologically sustainable vineyard farming practices. Erosion and runoff from hillside vineyards can bring silt into streams, reducing the ability of native salmon to survive. Vineyards certified as Salmon-Safe are committed to reducing such runoff and enhancing native biodiversity. ROCO is proud to support and rank among them with Wits’ End Vineyard. We take extra precaution to ensure that agricultural processes have little-to-no impact on the health and habitat of our beloved salmon population.

ROCO supports the IOBC

The International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC) was established in 1955 to promote environmentally safe methods of pest and disease control in plant protection. IOBC promotes the use of sustainable, environmentally safe, economically feasible, and socially acceptable methods for controlling pests and diseases that threaten agricultural and forestry crops. ROCO firmly believes in the ideals and practices of the IOBC and makes every effort to uphold the IOBC’s standards for “Integrated Organization and Integrated Pest Management.”