Do you remember when I mentioned the less glamorous side of the wine business? It’s not all wine tasting and swirling glasses. Some years you’re praying for more grapes, others you’re praying for lower prices and always, you’re trying to find enough money to keep the whole thing afloat. It’s a delicate balance between passion and survival.
Our relationship with the Sauer family at Red Willow Vineyard runs deep. For years, they’ve been more than growers—they’ve been partners. Beyond Dolcetto, we’ve sourced Syrah, Sangiovese, and Cabernet, and other varietals from them, building blends and friendships that felt like they’d last forever.
But then came 2019. The year everything should have gone right.
We had just wrapped up a successful capital campaign in 2017, raising money to invest in new winemaking equipment and fruit to boost production. Spirits were high. Tanks were full. Barrels lined the walls—about 20 of them—aging beautiful Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre that would become our first GSM blend.
And then, like a cork stuck in a bottle… sales slowed. Drastically. The pandemic swept in like a cold breeze out of our control.
By the time the next harvest rolled around, we were in a bind: the winery was packed with unsold wine, and our cash flow was tighter than a drum. We had to make a brutal decision—skip the crush. For the first time in our history, we wouldn’t be bringing in fruit.
I made the dreaded call to Jonathan Sauer. I remember his calm, friendly voice on the other end: “I get it, and I’m sorry you’re in this spot. We love you guys, and we’ll be praying things turn around.” I sighed in relief. “Thanks, Jonathan. That means a lot. I’m sure we’ll bounce back.”
But in one painful way—we didn’t.
I should have known they couldn’t just hold Dolcetto for us. They needed to move forward. And they did—finding a new buyer for the fruit. When I called the following year to rekindle the Dolcetto fire, I was met with the news: They had a new client. And that client wanted to keep the Dolcetto.
Heartbreaking.
Dolcetto had become part of our identity. And suddenly, it was gone.
We scrambled to find a new source. But if you’ve ever tried to find Dolcetto in Washington State, you’ll know—it’s like hunting for truffles without a pig. There are over 50,000 acres of vineyards and more than 80 varietals grown here, but Dolcetto? It's a needle in a haystack, and the acreage isn't even officially recorded.
So that was it. The Dolcetto program came to a halt. We didn’t crush a single grape that year.
But here we are in 2025—with a renewed hunger to bring back what once made us fall in love with winemaking in the first place. At Roland Wines, we’re determined to recapture that early magic. And who knows? Will dolcetto return?
(And just between us—Red Willow says they'd give us back the Dolcetto the moment their new client steps away. We’re keeping our fingers crossed… and maybe a few barrels empty, just in case.)
