Santa Margherita USA, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Italian Santa Margherita Gruppo Vinicolo, has acquired majority ownership of ROCO Winery in Oregon.

ROCO Winery was founded in 2001 by Rollin & Corby Stonebraker-Soles. Located in the Willamette Valley region, ROCO wines are highly regarded, with significant critical acclaim. Under the winemaking leadership of Rollin, ROCO Winery produces a range of wines, including pinot noir, chardonnay, and sparkling wines. The winery has been awarded over 100 scores between 90-95 points from prominent wine publications throughout the past decade.

"Our affinity and admiration for the U.S. made the location of our first international winery venture a natural choice. The U.S. marketplace is dynamic, and we believe in the quality of Oregon wines, specifically from the Willamette Valley region," said Gaetano Marzotto, Chairman of the Board, Santa Margherita Gruppo Vinicolo. 

"We are excited to become part of the Santa Margherita USA family and to be part of the future for ROCO Winery," said Rollin Soles, Founder & Winemaker for ROCO Winery. "This new partnership will allow us the ability to continue making wines that are a true expression of their place." 

Stoel Rives LLP represented Santa Margherita USA, and Davis Wright Tremaine LLP represented ROCO Winery in the negotiation of this agreement. The economic terms were not disclosed.

Santa Margherita USA is a fine wine import company representing premium and ultra-premium wine estates including Santa Margherita, Ca' del Bosco, Masi, Kettmeir, Lamole di Lamole, Sassoregale, Torresella, Feudo Zirtari, Fattoria Sardi, Cà Maiol, and Cantina Mesa.

Founded in 1935 by Count Gaetano Marzotto, the Santa Margherita Wine Group incorporates ten different estates in some of the most beautiful wine-producing regions in Italy: Eastern Veneto, Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, Trentino-Alto Adige, Lugana, Franciacorta, Chianti Classico, the Maremma, Sicily and Sardinia. It represents one of the most significant clusters in the Italian wine sector, with over 20 million bottles sold in 2020 in 96 countries around the world. The Group is owned by four brothers, the 3rd generation of the Marzotto family: Gaetano Marzotto is the President of the Group, Stefano Marzotto is the President of Zignago Holding, Luca Marzotto is Vice-President of the Group, and Nicolò Marzotto is a member of the Board of Directors. The Group's everyday operations are managed by CEO Beniamino Garofalo.