When Rob Folin graduated from Oregon State University in 2000, he first went to work for a major department store chain. He quickly realized that what he really wanted was to work outdoors and create something. The wine business seemed like a good fit, and Rob’s parents, Scott and Loraine Folin, who reside on a ranch in Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley, had some hillside acreage that was not being used.
By 2001, Rob was working at a high profile winery in the Willamette Valley and taking vineyard classes to determine what kind of varieties to plant. “I came up with Viognier, Tempranillo, and Syrah to start with,” Rob says. It was an excellent start, and the Folins have since added Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre, and Grenache for a total of 25 vineyard acres.
“What makes our fruit unique is they grow at a higher elevation of around 1,450 feet and the major temperature swings between day and night,” Rob says. “This results in wines with depth and complexity while not being overripe.”
The Folins sell their grapes to some of Oregon’s most noteworthy wineries, while holding onto enough to make about 1,500 cases of estate wines per year. Until 2009, the wines were produced at different wineries in the Willamette Valley. In fact, Folin Cellars keeps a tasting room in Carlton to showcase the wines. “We have a great following up north and want to keep our wines in that area to show what wine from a small producer in Southern Oregon can deliver,” Rob says.
Rob claims that the most enjoyable part of his job is surprising customers with the quality of Folin Cellars wines. “There are no shortcuts to making good wine and I won’t release a wine that’s not up to my standards,” Rob says. “If my family’s name goes on the bottle, you know that I’m 100 percent proud of what’s inside.