Current releases include a Summer Vermouth, estate bottled Rose of Pinot Noir, a blended Pet-Nat, Sylvaner, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Located off of Denmark street in a historic hacienda, this property pioneered pre-prohibition Sonoma Valley winemaking and is managed by fourth-generation California farmers and brothers, Andrew and Adam Mariani. For consumers to now have the opportunity to touch the terroir that these vines are growing from and minutes later be sitting overlooking the natural beauty and indulging in perfectly prepared small plates and estate wines is an educational and memorable experience every time.Ī relatively new Winery that specializes in Food & Wine lunches for its wine club members is Scribe Winery which was established in 2007. Now fast forward 30 years, you can imagine the wineries and tasting rooms in Sonoma and in most wine regions have evolved drastically, and for the most part deliciously! Granted some wineries have changed hands and implemented new tasting room guidelines, fees, and a reservation only policy, but what I find most impressive is how dialed in many are in regards to food & wine experiences.

Having interacted with these owners and operators collaborating on wine dinners and festivals, and simply tasting together, I in fact began lifelong friendships with the folks at Gundlach Bundschu, Alexander Valley Vineyards, Deloach, Dry Creek Vineyards, and many others. It was in fact not until the late 90’s when a multitude of Gold medals began to be awarded to Sonoma Vintners, this of course caught the medias attention, and consumers finally took note of how special Sonoma County was. However, it is documented that a rivalry between these two counties existed then, and to a certain degree remains intact today with growers in both places feeling as though they are growing and producing superior vintages to each other. To a certain degree it would seem as though the wine producers of Sonoma were “ok” with the fact that they were indeed grape farmers and that the insignificant amount of publicity they were receiving was just fine.

These bigger players had deeper pockets to self promote their brands individually and collectively.

Napa had the big names of Mondavi, Charles Krug, Cakebread, Grigich, and of course Chateau Montelena which placed Napa on the world map after the historic “Judgment of Paris” wine competition. Understand that in the 70’s 80’s & early 90’s Sonoma County appeared to play second fiddle to the ever popular Napa Valley. For a young aspiring oenophile meeting these “farmers” and listening intuitively as they spoke of their passions and struggles and all things Sonoma was invigorating. Working in the restaurant business in the years leading up to that trip, I met many winery principals who traveled the country introducing restauranteurs, wine shop owners and others outside of California to their current releases of primarily Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel. As a young twenty something I was beyond excited to experience this place that had inspired many of my culinary creations and was responsible for producing much of what filled my wine glass in those days. Thirty years ago this week, I had the fortunate opportunity to travel to Sonoma County, California, for the first of what would be many future visits.

Visiting scribe winery in winter