GARDEN CITY, ID — Mark Pasculli graduated from one of the wine industry’s most respected universities, but he didn’t go to Fresno State for viticulture or enology.

His degree was in accounting, yet he’s proven to be a quick study after purchasing a neglected Cabernet Franc vineyard in the Eagle Foothills in 2016 at the encouragement of his wife, Lori.

Two vintages later, Rolling Hills Vineyard produced an estate Cab Franc that earned a Double Platinum and 96 points from Great Northwest Wine in 2021.

Just six weeks ago, Mark Pasculli wasn't so sure they'd see a harvest this year, but warmer-than-average October temperatures got them to the finish line.

“Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, I’m finding enjoyment in things that stop time. Just the simple act of tasting a glass of wine is its own event. You’re not downing a glass of wine in the midst of doing something else.” – David Hyde Pierce

EAGLE, Idaho — Most farmers would agree: when relying heavily on Mother Nature, no two years are the same. That's the case this year for Idaho grape growers dealing with the impacts of an unusually cool and wet spring followed by a record-breaking hot summer.

Rolling HillsUrbanTastingRoom, elegant addition to Idaho’s Garden City wine scene, is beautiful and the wines are a delight. The Rolling Hills Estate Vineyard, located in the bucolic foothills of Eagle, Idaho, is the continuation of a family wine-making hobby that began in the 1960sby with Lori’s beloved grandfather, Matty. Today, the Pasculli family carries the tradition forward, working as a team to create incredible award-winning wines.

Mark and Lori Pasculli have rehabilitated a Cabernet Franc vineyard near the Boise suburb of Eagle and have naturally chosen to make that Bordeaux variety a focus of their young estate winery. This bottling, with some guidance from winemaker Angela Shaltry, is from Rolling Hills’s first commercial vintage, and there’s a richness beyond its savory herbal profile.

Mark Pasculli loves being outside. Once winter eases its grip, he tries to spend every minute possible enjoying his expansive wrap-around deck or working in his vineyard trimming vines with his two trusty golden retrievers at his side. The property he owns and runs with his wife Lori and their children is nestled in the Eagle foothills, largely surrounded by other small farms or single-family homes with expansive acreage.