Wow. If Part 3 felt like a bit of a downer—well, you're not wrong. But don’t hang up your reading glass just yet. Because if there's one thing Roland Wines knows how to do, it's to bounce back.
We survived the pandemic. We weathered the loss of Dolcetto. But we never stopped dreaming. Thanks to our fiercely loyal customers and a little creative grit, we’ve come back in ways we never expected. The last few vintages have been good—full of surprises, soul, and quality. From the inky elegant Dinnen Vineyard Syrah to the crisp Provence-inspired Rosé du Soleia, we’ve hit our stride.
And 2024? That was a return to harvests of the past. We crushed Sangiovese and Malbec from Red Willow, more Syrah from Dinnen, and even threw in some Blaufränkisch for good measure. These wines are quietly resting, waiting for their moment—and trust us, you’ll want to be around for it.
But let’s return to the Dolcetto story—and I’m grateful to report, I think it’s coming back. It’s a revival.
We’ve gotten along fine without it, but the search never ended, I did what any nostalgic soul would do: I started digging.
I learned something important. Most of Washington’s Dolcetto is planted in or near the Red Mountain AVA, which just so happens to be one of the state’s warmest, most prestigous regions. That piqued my interest. After all, Dolcetto hails from Piedmont, Italy, a region known for warm days, cool nights, and wines with elegance, tension, and just the right amount of fruit.
It brought to mind something the late, great David Lake once preached: Washington's terroir, especially in places like Red Mountain and the Yakima Valley could mimic the best of Italy. Lake, the first to produce Sangiovese commercially in Washington back in the '90s, believed our state could be a haven for grapes like Barbera, Nebbiolo, and yes, Dolcetto. He had a European palate, favoring wines with bright acidity, moderate alcohol, and food-friendly balance. Wines for the table. Wines for real life.
Then, on a sleepy spring morning—scrolling through the Wine Business classifieds—I spotted something unexpected:
Dolcetto grapes for sale. Eight tons. From a vineyard I’d never even heard of: Herron Bluff, just west of Red Mountain.
Curious, I called the number. A young-sounding voice picked up—Eric Hoppe, a winemaker and viticulturist with a background in chemistry labs and real-world vineyard expertise. He told me the story. The Dolcetto was planted on the advice of an Italian winemaker. But with the current glut in the wine market, especially for reds—he had fruit and no buyers.
Their loss. Our opportunity.
“I might be able to take two tons,” I told him, “if the site looks good in person.”
So on July 22nd, Steve Meharg and I hit the road. Steve is a good friend and supporter of all things Roland. He has a vast knowledge of wine and is a Certified Specialist of Wine. I wanted him to come to make sure we asked the right questions in order to properly evaluate the potential for making great wine.
We made a pit stop in Woodland for coffee as one must, then set off toward Benton City. The further east we went, the more the landscape transformed, basalt cliffs, sagebrush, and those classic Eastern Washington skies that stretch for miles.
We talked off and on, feeling comfortable to have spaces of silence as we took in the beauty. The way friends talk. We talked about family, about contemplative jazz (yes, really, something I have rolled around in my brain for some time), and about how to connect with a new generation of wine lovers. The kind of conversations that only happen when the road is long, the company is good, and the coffee is strong.
When we arrived, we found the promised land, Dolcetto, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon. It was like a candy store for wine geeks and lovers of bold reds. Eric met us with a quiet confidence. He showed us two blocks of Dolcetto: one lower down the hill, near a scraggly line of trees he called the Woodland Block, and another higher up, rockier, windier, and sparser.
It was everything we hoped for.
It hasn’t happened yet. But let’s just say the wheels are in motion. And for the first time in years, the return of Dolcetto to Roland Wines feels not only possible—but inevitable.
Stay tunes for the final Part of A Vineyard Story
