The winery is run by the young Mariani brothers, Andrew and Adam, who come from a family that has been farming in California for four generations.
They grow grapes organically on a site in southern Sonoma where Riesling and Sylvaner were first planted by Germans in the 1850s, and they practice making distinctive wines that are rooted in the land.
When they first set their sights on this land in 2007, the land and buildings were in such a dilapidated state that it was hard to imagine the Scribe Winery of today. No one would even consider setting up a winery here.
The Mariani brothers began by restoring the land's ecosystem, removing the remains of the chicken farm, which had required a thorough disinfection, and succeeding in restoring the original shape of the hill, so that its slope and gradient are immediately recognizable.
After that, they remove poisonous sumac and other plants that harm the grapes, and plant dandelions, cosmos, and other vegetables to create an environment that is favorable to the insects that are essential to a healthy ecosystem.
Thus, the Mariani brothers have revived Scribe Winery and its hacienda, restoring it to the glory that was established by Julius Dressel, the German immigrant who founded a winery on this same land 100 years earlier.
The wines are made to reflect the individuality of the land to the fullest extent, avoiding strong oak aromas and high alcohol content, resulting in pure wines.
All the fields are organically grown.
They believe that winemaking is a form of agriculture, and what they want from Scribe is for their wines to create opportunities for people to meet.
And we want a winery to be more than just a place to make wine; it should be a stage where people can connect, like the speakeasies of the Prohibition era.
During tastings, the property serves homemade dishes made with ingredients from its on-site poultry area and vegetable garden, and it also frequently hosts dinners featuring up-and-coming young chefs.
This may be the beginning of a new form of California wine... This winery is a prime example of the "New California" wineries that have been making waves recently, and has been featured in many media outlets in the United States.