Even though the Roches raised fine beef cattle, their dreams of owning a vineyard never ceased. In 1982, after having casual conversation at "parents night" at their daughter's local elementary school, an established grape grower in the valley told the Roches he thought their property would be a fine area to grow grapes. They didn't need much convincing, in the Fall of that year, they planted 10 acres of Chardonnay and 10 acres of Pinot Noir. The nearest vineyards were miles away in Sonoma and Napa. The Carneros appellation (which is known for fog, cool breezes and clay soil) did not yet exist. With their first harvest, the quality of the grapes was obvious and the dream to produce a limited quantity of ultra-premium wines in their own winery became a reality when they opened Roche Carneros Estate Winery in 1989.

Today the Roches take pride in their success of making some of the finest wines in Carneros. Their ranch, which was once deemed as unsuitable for grapevines, is now perhaps the most valuable piece of property in the Southern Sonoma Region.

Roche Winery now produces more than ten varieties of wine, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Muscat Canelli. By California standards, Roche is a small winery with an output of approximately 10,000 cases per year. This allows the winery to maintain strict quality control and guarantees that you have a wine made by heart and of very high quality.