Hear Us ROAR

• Gary
• Rosella
• Adam
• Nick
• Scott
• Anna
• Rafa

Gary is a third generation Santa Lucia Highlands farmer. His grandfather, Silvio, immigrated to the area from Switzerland in 1886, and started a dairy. Years later, Gary’s father, Joe, shifted the farming focus to row crops including beans, potatoes and sugar beets. Gary grew up in the family business, and developed a deep respect for the land and what it could produce when nurtured properly. Upon graduating from Cal Poly with a degree in Agri-business, he took over management of the family’s farming, which oversaw 200 acres of row crops in the Salinas Valley. Recognizing the region’s potential for premium wine grapes, Gary turned his focus to viticulture. In 2001, Gary and his wife Rosella launched ROAR Wines.

• Gary
• Rosella
• Adam
• Nick
• Scott
• Anna
• Rafa

Rosella first met Gary when he walked into her hair salon, and it was love at first sight. They quickly began dating and formed an inseparable bond that lasts to this day. Rosella has always been a woman of many talents, from creative style to her homemade touch in the kitchen and beyond. She was instrumental in the creation of our label and brand, and continues to beautify our home and surroundings with bountiful gardens and flowers. She is a wife, mother and grandmother who bears the name of a vineyard that is as graceful and elegant as she is.

• Gary
• Rosella
• Adam
• Nick
• Scott
• Anna
• Rafa

Adam began working in the vineyards alongside Gary when he was 10 years old. His first job included shooing birds with an air gun, dropping fruit, trimming leaves and his personal favorite, driving the tractor. After graduation at the University of San Diego, Adam began to develop his interest in and knowledge of wine, and realized that the family business was his calling. In 2011, he joined the winery in San Francisco working his first harvest that fall. He oversaw business management and day-to-day operations at the winery. In 2017, he moved home to the Monterey County where he continues to manage the vineyards, along with orchards of lemons and avocados.

• Gary
• Rosella
• Adam
• Nick
• Scott
• Anna
• Rafa

For Nick, his childhood years in the vineyards formed a bond with nature and wildlife that fuels his love of working the land. It was a special place growing up, and an even more special place to return home to. After graduating from college and spending time abroad, Nick returned to the vineyards in 2017. His focus was set on farming with Gary, then later swapped positions with Adam, and now runs the winery working alongside Scott in wine production. Nick's passion for photography and design has brought greater life and exposure to ROAR's inside story.

• Gary
• Rosella
• Adam
• Nick
• Scott
• Anna
• Rafa

Scott Shapley and ROAR go way back, to the winery’s first vintage in 2001, which was made at Siduri, where he was assistant winemaker. A Monterey County native and graduate of UC San Diego with a degree in biology, Scott has since built an impressive resume as winemaker for Crushpad, Roessler Cellars, R-Squared Wine Company and Halcon Vineyards. He is an extremely talented winemaker, with a particular expertise in crafting limited production, cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Scott joined ROAR with the 2012 harvest – the vintage that landed us on the Wine Spectator’s list of TOP 100 Wines.

• Gary
• Rosella
• Adam
• Nick
• Scott
• Anna
• Rafa

After spending her early years in Texas and Arizona, Anna’s parents moved the family to their favorite vacation destination, Carmel, California. Anna graduated from Monterey Peninsula Community College with a degree in hospitality operations and began her career working at a boutique hotel in Carmel. Intrigued by the wine industry, she began working in sales for two large distributors and a notable winery in Carmel Valley. She eventually segued into accounting and worked for well-known local companies, including the Monterey Plaza Hotel, Pebble Beach Company, and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Anna joined ROAR in 2022.  She says she’s found her perfect fit at ROAR working in customer relations and we would agree. When not at the winery, she goes off the grid for adventures like hiking kayaking and visiting our national parks.

• Gary
• Rosella
• Adam
• Nick
• Scott
• Anna
• Rafa

Rafa spent most of his life on the Central Coast and grew to love the local ag culture that comes with the territory. In 2012, he started his journey in viticulture leaf thinning at Chalone Vineyards. Since then, he’s spent years in the vineyards learning every step from first growth to harvest, including working his first harvest in winemaking at the Kendall-Jackson winery in Soledad. Eager to learn more about wine production, he joined ROAR Wines to work with winemaker Scott Shapley in 2019. Outside of the winery, Rafa spends his time lifting weights, cheering on his favorite teams, and throwing strikes at his local bowling alley.