What does it take to build a family winery in Idaho? For the Pasculli family, it begins with old-world roots, an aging vineyard, and a willingness to let each person contribute something different.

Rolling Hills Vineyard in Eagle Hills is more than a boutique Idaho winery. It is a family business shaped by immigration, agriculture, loss, and the practical work of learning how to build something together. Mark and Lori Pasculli discovered an old vineyard and began rehabilitating it with their children, each bringing a different strength to the business: farming and winemaking, design, hospitality, photography, and marketing.

When we met the family in their Garden City tasting room, what stayed with us was not simply the wine. It was the way the Pascullis worked as a unit. Their story began with family history reaching back to Ellis Island, but it continues in the vineyards of Eagle Hills, where the next generation is helping decide what comes next.

We first heard from Mark while we were traveling. He wanted to learn more about Spoken Wines and explore how Rolling Hills Vineyard might collaborate with us. We had not yet launched the company, so hearing from a respected Idaho wine industry leader was exciting. We also remembered how much we enjoyed their Cabernet Franc at the 2022 Savor Idaho event.

A Family Winery Built Around Different Strengths

The Pascullis do not all approach the winery in the same way, and that is part of what makes the business work. Their strengths are different, but the vineyard gives them a common project.

Lori: Mark and I love to be with our kids. We had bought this beautiful property and this old vineyard that we needed to rehabilitate. Our kids were interested in helping. Daniel was in the Marines getting ready to finish. He was interested in farming and winemaking with Mark. Zach loves videos, pictures, and marketing. Savannah is our tasting room manager. I like the design aspect. There is a lot of work to be done; we have our own job responsibilities and we also work very well together.

The Pasculli family telling their story

How Do You Work Together as a Family?

Daniel: There is constant communication. We have a group chat, all the ideas go there, and we get together once a week on various things.

Zach: It’s not always smooth. Being in a business as a family, we sometimes must drop those family privileges that can get in the way of business. We work to operate as co-workers that care.

Savannah: Overall, it works very well for us. We have our different strengths and weaknesses. The way it all comes together, we kind of balance each other out in the perfect way. There is a lot of mutual respect.

That honesty matters. A family winery is not built simply by putting everyone in the same room. It requires clear roles, constant communication, and enough respect to let each person contribute without pretending the work is always easy.

The homestead

Why This Idaho Vineyard Became a Family Legacy

For Lori, the connection began with childhood memories of her grandfather’s vineyard in California. For Mark, it is tied to the experience of an immigrant family and the lessons carried across generations.

Lori: My grandfather had a small vineyard in central California where I grew up. My grandfather would throw me on his lap on the old tractor and we would go up and down the rows. I look back on those times with real fondness. I wanted something like that for my kids. So, when we found this old vineyard, it was just calling out to us.

Mark: I’m a first-generation immigrant of an Italian family. My grandfather came before WWII started, unfortunately the rest of my family arrived after the war. Both our families came to America through Ellis Island. We have great appreciation of what our families went through, both during war, and Lori’s family was part of a genocide. You don’t go through those things personally, but you learn from their story the importance of family in staying together and working together. What is more important than that?!

Those histories give Rolling Hills a deeper meaning than a simple business venture. The family is not only making wine; they are creating a place where memory, work, and the next generation can remain connected.

What Makes Rolling Hills Worth Discovering?

Rolling Hills is worth seeking out if you are curious about Idaho wine and want to understand the people behind the bottle. The Pascullis’ wines are connected to a real family story, one shaped by old vineyard land, different generations, and the steady work of building something together.

That is what makes a small winery compelling. You are not only tasting a style of wine. You are tasting the decisions, history, and sense of place that brought it into being.

You can learn more about Rolling Hills Vineyard and explore their wines on our wines page.

To hear the Pasculli family tell their story in their own words, watch our Rolling Hills Vineyard video.

If you enjoy stories about families building wine businesses in unexpected places, continue with She Came for the Dogs. She Stayed to Build a Vineyard or Dunham Cellars: The Art, the Dog, and the Beginnings They Still Honor.

Dan Pasculli at harvest

“The way it all comes together, we kind of balance each other out in the perfect way. There is a lot of mutual respect.”

Rolling Hills Vineyard reminds us that Idaho wine is still being written, one family, one vineyard, and one generation at a time. The Pascullis’ story began with journeys across the Atlantic, but its next chapter is taking shape in Eagle Hills.

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Originally published May 7, 2024 - Updated August 1, 2026