About Scribe Winery
Scribe Winery is one of California's most distinctive and visually celebrated wine estates. Brothers Andrew and Adam Mariani, fourth generation California farmers raised in a Winters family that grew walnuts and almonds, established Scribe in 2007 on a roughly 256 acre former turkey ranch three miles east of Sonoma Plaza, centered on a historic hacienda that has been painstakingly restored into one of the most architecturally striking tasting destinations in the Sonoma Valley.
The vineyard history runs even deeper: German immigrant Emil Dresel planted Riesling and Sylvaner here in 1858, the first plantings of those varieties in California, on land considered a birthplace of the state's wine industry. The Marianis farm in homage to that heritage with no till practices, no pesticides, wild yeast fermentations, and a Forever Wild conservation approach that folds the vineyard into the surrounding ecosystem, earning certification as a California Sustainable Winegrower. The estate grows Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sylvaner, and Mission, and the family recently acquired the neighboring Arrowhead Vineyard, reuniting more of the original 1850s Rhinefarm.
The hacienda restoration, a project spanning years of careful work, has become as celebrated as the wines. Picnicking on the hacienda's gardens, exploring the estate grounds, and tasting in the atmospheric old buildings creates an experience that the New York Times, Bon Appétit, and Food & Wine have all called one of the finest wine country visits available in California. The appointment-only model ensures genuine hospitality at every visit.
The cellar, led since 2015 by winemaker Gustavo Sotelo, turns out one of Sonoma's most eclectic lineups. Whites include Estate Chardonnay, the Along The Palms Chardonnay, a dry Estate Riesling, the Estate Sylvaner honoring Dresel's original plantings, and the cult favorite Skin Fermented Chardonnay, an aromatic clone 809 macerated on its skins for up to 101 days in concrete and bottled in 500mL. Pinot Noir comes in Estate, Hillside, Carneros, and Petaluma Gap bottlings alongside an annual Nouveau, a White Pressed Pinot Noir, a traditional method sparkling blanc de noirs, a rose petillant naturel, and the canned Una Lou rose, named for Andrew's daughter. Reds stretch from Estate Mission, a revival of California's original grape inspired by 1860s tasting notes found from the property, to the Atlas West and Atlas East Cabernet Sauvignons grown on volcanic slopes above the fog line on Napa's Atlas Peak, plus a small lot Syrah and a summer vermouth. Members join through the Scribe Viticultural Society, and the culinary program is led by Kelly Mariani, an alumna of Chez Panisse.
