Scribe Winery
By Nancy Sands Johnson
2300 Napa Road, Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 939-1858
Case production: “A few thousand”
Planted acres: 40 at Scribe estate, plus more leased on Atlas Peak
Varietals planted: Sylvaner, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc
Wines produced: Sylvaner, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon
Employees: Varies depending on season
No fancy sign heralds your arrival to the Scribe estate, just a wooden placard with the wine company’s name hand-painted in black script letters. But as you make your way along the palm-lined driveway—past an early 20th-century hacienda and rows of zinnias and tomatoes, up toward the tasting room nestled against an oak woodland—you sense that, despite the simple-looking entrance, Scribe is something special.Vineyard
Scribe co-owner and vintner Andrew Mariani felt an immediate connection to the property, located two miles from downtown Sonoma, when he first visited it in 2006. “The influence of volcanic ash up the hill and the proximity to San Pablo Bay felt good, viticulturally, while the decrepit palms and the old stone walls told me the place had been through a lot,” he says. “There was just energy and depth there.”
At the time, the land was in bad shape, devastated by 40 years of commercial turkey farming. “The property had 14, 30,000-square-foot metal sheds full of turkeys on it,” remembers Kristof Anderson, Scribe’s winemaker. “It took a lot of vision to see it as 60 acres of amazing vineyards.”
Mariani admits that youthful naïveté (he was only 24 at the time) might have been a factor in the decision to purchase the property. But his thinking had substance, too. He and his younger brother, Scribe co-founder and vintner Adam Mariani, are fourth-generation California fruit farmers; they grew up (and worked) in a walnut grove farmed by their family in Winters, Calif. Andrew received a degree in business and agriculture and then made wines in Europe; Adam earned a business degree before he headed to work the grape harvest in France and South Africa. They knew about land and winemaking, and they could see this property had potential as well as soul.
Past meets present
Their instincts were spot-on. After purchasing the property, the brothers discovered it had been home to the Dresel winery, founded in 1858 by Emil Dresel, a German immigrant from a prosperous Champagne-making family. Emil and his brother Julius built their winery into one of the most prominent in California before Prohibition.
“The Dresels were leaders in implementing new viticultural practices and in promoting the social and cultural aspects of wine,” explains Adam. Andrew and Adam see themselves as custodians (not owners) of their property, scribes who are documenting its unfolding story (hence the name).
With their staff of young, committed wine appreciators, they have breathed new life into the Scribe estate while leaving in place many artifacts discovered on the property: old tools, Prohibition-era bottles, even a turkey shed. They implemented organic and biodynamic farming methods to rehabilitate the land and established an insectary; these efforts, together with a conservation easement on 150 acres of their estate, have brought birds, lizards and other wildlife back to the valley floor.
“We want our farm to be an expression of the harmony between the natural landscape and the people here,” says Adam.
The Dresels’ influence is felt strongly at Scribe. Andrew and Adam named their wine club the Scribe Viticultural Society to honor the Buena Vista Viticultural Society, of which Emil Dresel was superintendent. They planted one acre of Sylvaner and three acres of Riesling, varietals brought to California by the Dresels. And they decided to make wines recalling the Dresel era: low in alcohol with high acidity, meant to be paired with food and savored over leisurely meals shared with friends and family.
“We’re all about preserving fresh, vivid fruit flavors,” says Andrew. “We have a more restrained, non-interventionist approach that gives us less control of the process but results in a true expression of terroir.”
It’s easy to find the connection between Scribe’s ancient land and its cultivated final product. The inaugural 2011 Riesling refreshes with a floral nose and lime zest on the palate. In the 2020 Chardonnay, which is fermented in 95 percent stainless steel and five percent new French oak, I taste no oak, just tart green apple with a creamy, floral finish. The 2011 Pinot Noir is light and nuanced; it has a rose petal and hibiscus nose and tastes of blackberry and spice. The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon—a blend of 95 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 percent Cabernet Franc, 2 percent Merlot and 1 percent Petit Verdot grown on Atlas Peak—presents earthy, curvaceous flavors with a slightly green finish.
These are wines that taste of California’s past and future, as transcribed by today’s generation of winemakers and farmers.
“We love celebrating California agriculture in an honest way, with wines that speak distinctively of this place,” says Andrew. “It’s inspired everything we do.”
Ramazzotti Wines (Tasting Room)
By Nancy Sands Johnson
21015 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, CA 95441
(707) 814-0016
Case production: 4,000
Planted acres: 100-plus (combination leased, owned and managed)
Varietals planted: Chardonnay, Barbera, Grenache Noir, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Alicante, Carignane, Chasselas Dore
Wines produced: Sparkling Brut, Chardonnay, Grenache Noir, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, port and several Italian varietal blends, includinga Sangiovese-based Super Tuscan, a Cabernet blend and a Zinfandel blend
Employees: 3
In 1958, Giuseppe Ramazzotti moved from a small town in Italy to his great-aunt’s ranch on Dry Creek Road. Just eight years old, little Joe spoke no English and knew nothing about farming. Nevertheless, within days of his arrival, he was put on the bus to go to school—and given pruning shears to help out in the vineyard.
Thus began Joe Ramazzotti’s passion for Dry Creek and Alexander Valley winegrapes. Over five decades, this romance has evolved from teenage lust—back then, he stained his teeth with stolen sips of his father’s homemade wine—to a full appreciation both for the fruit itself and for the liquid heaven made from it.
Joe’s extensive knowledge comes from an education in the field and elsewhere. He earned a degree in pomology (the study of vines and fruit) at Chico State in 1975 then spent three months in Italy traveling, drinking wine and studying viticulture. “I learned how to grow Sangiovese on that trip,” he says. “When I found the right place, I planted Sangiovese on one of the hillsides at the old ranch.”
A story with each vintage
In 1982, Joe took over management of the farm where he’d been raised. And in the years that followed, he built a stellar reputation selling grapes to large premium wineries. Today, Ramazzotti harvests about 500 tons of grapes per year, selling about 400 tons to a few local boutique and large wineries and keeping the rest for his own label. Amazingly, from this he produces 12 different wines (most in quantities of 80 to 500 cases) that appeal to wine enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels.
“I love to make my wines soft,” says Ramazzotti. “I do that by keeping the fruit on the vine as long as possible. The alcohol content is higher, yet the wines are very fruit-forward and soft in the finish.”
The chief winemakers at Ramazzotti Wines are Joe Ramazzotti and Bob Keeble, who was a winemaker at Gallo for 20 years and at California Wine Company for 10 years. Joe, however, is as hands-on in making the wine as he is in growing the grapes. With a twinkle in his eye, he’ll tell you about the potential disasters that were transformed into winners.
Like the left-over barrels of blending wine that led to one of his best vintages, the 2009 Cabernet Franc (chocolate overtones with a rich finish). Or the Merlot vineyard he t-budded that produced his 2009 Grenache Noir (a classic Beaujolais but with a richer mouthfeel). Or the harvest almost destroyed by rain that got a little nudge from the winemaker and turned into the delicious 2011 Chardonnay (fresh and fruity).
“Winemaking is a rewarding challenge,” says Joe. “The blends especially are so much fun. We have the formula down, plus we tap into Bob’s expertise.”
Making wine—and memories
Joe and his wife, Norma, have been selling wine commercially since 2002, but only recently opened their own tasting room in downtown Geyserville. Walking into this sleek, modern space, you instantly see the Ramazzotti family’s touch. On the floor, a rocking chair made by a disabled veteran, fashioned from old Ramazzotti wine barrels, waits for a buyer. On the walls, scenes of West Sonoma explode with color; they’re painted by Sam Racina, whose gallery is down the street from the tasting room.
Joe also makes vinegar from a “mother” that’s been in the family since the 1950s; bottles of it sit for sale on a beautiful redwood bar (crafted by Joe and a friend) made from wood reclaimed from a 100-year-old Cloverdale barn. “We run our business the old-fashioned way,” says Norma. “We strive for excellence and we do everything ourselves.”
That emphasis on tradition extends to their signature wines—Italian-style reds that are lush, drinkable now and ideal with pasta, meat and red sauce. These include classic varietals like the 2010 Barbera (rich garnet color with a hint of cherries and violets) and the 2008 Sangiovese (smooth and velvety), as well as several blends: the 2008 Raffinto (which won a gold medal and Best of Class at the 2008 Sonoma County Harvest Fair) and the 2005 Raffinto Reserve; the 2008 Regale and the 2005 Regale Reserve; and the 2008 Ricordo, which pays homage to the wine Joe snuck from his father’s barrels so long ago.
“Ricordo means ‘I remember’ in Italian,” Joe explains. “It’s a Zinfandel blend reminiscent of the field blends made in the old days.”
Reminiscent…and timeless. Joe and Norma Ramazzotti have recast tradition and, in the process, tell a new story, one that wine lovers will find hard to forget.
Amapola Creek Vineyards & Winery
By Julie Fadda
P.O. Box 1987
Glen Ellen, CA 95442
(707) 938-3783
Case production: 1,800-2,500 (varies each year)
Planted acres: 20 (estate)
Grapes planted: Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot (estate); Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah (purchased)
Wines produced: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Cuvée Alis (Syrah, Grenache blend), Petite Sirah, Old Vine Zinfandel
Employees: Six (not including owners)
Amapola is the Spanish word for “poppy,” the state flower that grows along the creek that runs through Richard and Alis Arrowood’s 100-acre Sonoma Valley estate. It’s fitting that the place is named after a beautiful, delicate yet wild and robust flower, since the wine Arrowood is producing at Amapola Creek is all those things and more.
Richard Arrowood began his winemaking career at Korbel in 1965. He became the first employee and winemaker at Chateau St. Jean in 1974, where he developed Sonoma County’s first vineyard designate program. In 1985, he established Arrowood Winery, where he was winemaker until 2010, even after he’d sold it (originally to Mondavi) in 2000, the same year he and Alis purchased their estate.
The Arrowoods built their home on the property and began planting 20 acres of grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache and Petit Verdot. Today there’s also some Viognier and Mourvedre being grown on the entirely certified organic property. Their first vintage (custom crushed at Arrowood) was in 2005, and the first crush at their new, state-of-the-art estate winery took place when it was completed in 2007.
The estate’s vineyards range from 350 to 1,000 feet on the Mayacamas Mountains’ western-facing slopes, overlooking Sonoma Valley. At the highest point, Cabernet Sauvignon is planted in the Montaña Vista (“mountain view”) vineyard. It also sources Petite Sirah and Zinfandel from the adjacent Monte Rosso vineyard, directly to the east (and even higher in elevation—on a clear day, you can see San Francisco and Mt. Tamalpais). “We’re honored to be able to get some of the Monte Rosso vineyard’s 120-year-old Zinfandel fruit. It’s one of the best vineyards in Sonoma County,” says Richard.
“It ripens unevenly, so we have to make our best guess when to harvest,” says associate winemaker and enologist Micah Zuorski, who originally went to UC Santa Cruz and considered studying film [“but decided that would be a great way to eat Top Ramen forever”], ended up in the wine program at UC Davis, then first worked with Richard at Arrowood. The 2009 Zinfandel is spicy and exuberant with white and black pepper on the nose, dark fruit, black cherry, cassis and cocoa on the palate and a bit of caramel on the finish.
Montaña Vista has red basaltic soil at its peak, which has lots of clay, is fairly deep and is the most vigorous site on the property. A bit further down, a clear line indicates the beginning of rhyolyticsoil, which is drier and more rocky—even the berries are smaller because the drainage is better there. “There are different clones and different soil types in that vineyard,” says Richard. “We’ve always combined the fruit to make the Cabernet, but we may separate it at some point. They ripen at different times, have different flavor characteristics and are fermented in separate barrels,” he adds. The 2007 is elegantly layered with dark fruit, fine tannins and a long, rich finish.
Further down the hill is the Fox Trot vineyard, which includes Cabernet Sauvignon planted in 2005. Even lower is the Bobcat Run vineyard, which has Grenache, Syrah, Viognier and Petit Verdot and is a little cooler due to the shade from the surrounding oak and manzanita trees and the breezes that sweep through.
The China Bowl vineyard holds about half the plantings on the property, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Mouvedre. Its rhyolitic soil is dusty and full of rocks (there are sections on the property where people used to mine cobblestones). Agave plants near the Arrowoods’ home indicate it was once a Spanish homestead as well. All water comes from two wells and solar panels provide most of the power. The vineyards have owl boxes for gopher control and cover crops to keep the soils healthy and the insects under control.
The winery also purchases fruit from Joseph Belli Vineyards in Russian River Valley. Its excellent drainage contributes to the tiny, intense Chardonnay berries produced from both Rued (tropical flavors) and Dijon (mineral-rich) clones. The 2011, in barrels when I visited, is already tremendous with scents of pear and stone fruits, a silky, balanced mouthfeel and toasty finish with a hint of butterscotch. By the time you read this, it’ll be in the bottle, but won’t be released until March (patience is a virtue).
Richard’s daughter, Kerry, who handles hospitality and sales, started working at Arrowood winery at 15, doing everything from scrubbing floors and barrels to working the bottling line after school. From there, she turned toward tasting room sales before getting married and having two sons. She returned to the wine business two years ago. “Amapola is more hands-on,” she says. “And it’s fun because I get to work with my dad. That’s the best part.” She smiles when describing the winery’s ever-expanding portfolio, mentioning that Richard may have some rosé up his sleeve this year—which he confirms while emphasizing a focus on quality. “We just want a handful of diamonds, not a wheelbarrow of rhinestones.”
Madonna Estate
By Julie Fadda
5400 Old Sonoma Rd.
Napa, CA 94558
(866) 724-2993
Case production: 21,000
Planted acres: 140
Grapes planted: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Dolcetto, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Muscat Canelli, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Reisling
Wines produced: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Dolcetto, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Muscat Canelli, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Reisling
Employees: 15
“I think I’ve done everything here for about 10 minutes,” says Susan Bartolucci, partner/artistic director at Madonna Estate. And that’s just the thing: This is a small family business—and always has been. “The winery was built by my husband [Andrea “Buck” Bartolucci] and his father, Louis, including a lot of the equipment,” she says. “We’re ambitious. It’s the Italian work ethic.”
The Bartolucci family has been farming grapes in Napa Valley since Buck’s grandfather, Andrea (“Andy”), an Italian immigrant from a small resort town south of Venice, purchased a 24-acre vineyard and winery in Oakville. His son, Louis, began work there in 1933 and from 1955 to 1965 purchased additional vineyard acreage with his brothers. He renamed the winery Mont St. John when he took it over. Buck joined as assistant winemaker in 1967.
When the original vineyard holdings and were sold in 1970, Buck purchased 160 acres of land in Carneros and named it Madonna Vineyard, in respect to the original winery name. His father purchased 4.5 acres of land nearby in 1977 and, that year, the two of them built Madonna Estate winery. Buck and Susan’s daughters, Brette and Taylor, are also partners in the winery (Brette handles the wine club and is also interested in winemaking; Taylor is director of public relations). This year marks the Bartolucci family’s 90th continuous harvest (making it the second-oldest family still making wine in Napa Valley; the oldest is the Nichelini family in Chiles Valley).
“The spiral on the label symbolizes family,” says Susan, who designs the labels. “It starts in the middle and expands.” The winery also commissions an artist for its special “HalloVine” Cabernet Sauvignon release each year. This September, it hosted the American Folk Art Festival. “This is our first year as host,” says Susan. “It coincides with our 90-year anniversary.” The festival included 19 nationally known folk artists, acoustic music and plenty of antique dealers. Visitors were offered food for purchase or could bring their own picnic to enjoy on the winery’s two picnic grounds.
As far as the grapes go, Madonna Vineyard is entirely dry-farmed and organic. “It provides better quality,” says Buck. “The juice is more concentrated. We’re focused on quality. We like the vineyard to dictate the wine style.
“You have options when making the wine,” he adds. “We create a style by carrying the vineyard flavor through to the wine.” The winery only uses French oak because it doesn’t impart as much oak flavor into the wine.
When I visited on August 15, they were finishing leaf pulling and the grapes were going into verasion. They were also replanting some vineyards and had just finished budding some Chardonnay. “I like to do it the old fashioned way,” says Buck. “The rootstock is more hearty than the bench grafted stock.”
The vineyard’s soil is heavy clay, sedimentary (there are even some fossils in it), which is tight and relatively shallow, meaning the roots are shallow as well. The vines don’t grow as big or produce as much. “Dry farming helps the root system grow a little deeper and stronger,” says Buck. “Our vineyards are widely spaced, which helps them get nutrients better. Everything is trellised in a vertical shoot position. California sprawl isn’t efficient because the plants hang over. So creating a hedge vertically gives them better sun with less chance of mildew.”
After 45 harvests, Buck has seen some changes in farming techniques. “Newer methods have accelerated the quality of the grapes and wine. I also use some old world techniques. People in California help each other out, knowledge-wise. We’re all in this together.”
The winery focuses on direct-to-consumer sales and sees a lot of traffic come through its tasting room, which is located at the corner of Old Sonoma Road and Carneros Highway. One of the reasons it’s such a popular stop is that it offers so many different varietals. There’s even a Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Carneros that you can compare against the one made from grapes purchased in Rutherford. The Carneros offering has an herbaceous, earthy nose with red fruit on the mid-palate and a dark fruit, mineral-rich finish, while the Rutherford offering is a more traditional Napa Valley Cabernet, with berry flavors and firm tannins. The 2011 Pinot Grigio (“the one you want to sit on the porch with,” says Susan) is light, crisp, bright and fruity with a clean finish. The Barbera has flavors of plums and is lush and full-bodied with a sweet finish. The Chardonnay has great body and rich flavors with hints of butterscotch. The Dolcetto has flavors of black cherries and a firm tannin structure [see “Taste the Difference”]. The Muscat Canelli is a beautiful dessert wine, light and sweet with orange aromas and flavors. Open daily, an incredible $5 tasting fee gets visitors several tastes as well as a quick tour and background information about the winery (tours are available if you make prior arrangements). This is a place with style, lots of variety, personality and history, and one I’m looking forward to visiting again.
Cimarossa
By Christina Julian
1185 Friesen Drive, Angwin, CA 94508
(707) 307-3130
Case production: 900
Planted acres: 15
Varietals planted: Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo
Wines produced: Three single vineyard Cabernets, Cabernet blend, Nebbiolo
Employees: 2
As you crawl up Howell Mountain, you might ask yourself if the trek is worth it. One glance out over Cimarossa’s vineyards and you’ll have your answer.
The bustle of the valley floor melts away in favor of rustling trees and hummingbirds. Hawks soar, bears roam and wildflowers burst with abandon. It’s a whole other world, which is exactly what owner Dino Dina and his wife, Corry Dekker, had in mind.
In 1998, the 57-acre parcel, originally a horse ranch, was planted to 15 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, along with 1,200 olive trees. Dina also grows a small amount of Nebbiolo, most commonly found in the Piedmont region of Italy. The decision to grow it, along with Genovese and Tuscan olive trees, is about honoring Dina’s Italian heritage, which is prevalent throughout the vineyard.
From the vineyard’s name (“cimarossa” means “red hilltop” in Italian) to the scattered dispersal of olive trees, nods to Dina’s past remain a constant influence on the present. Childhood summers were spent on the family farm in Italy, just an hour outside of Genoa. “Cimarossa has been a lifelong dream. My parents had a small farm in Ovada that was the same size as this.”
It was there the seeds of Dina’s passion for vineyard life were planted, though it would take years to actualize the dream. There was other work to be done first.
The science of life and wine
While wine and food were a passion, science drew Dina stateside. After studying at the University of Genoa and moving to Switzerland to work with virus and infectious disease, Dina’s interest in cancer research brought him to the Bay Area in 1974. He landed at Chiron Corporation in 1982, where he directed the team that went on to discover the hepatitis C virus. It was there he met his future wife, Dekker, who Dina dubs the “queen of the flu vaccine.” The couple moved on, career-wise, she to serve as professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine and he to form his own biopharmaceutical company, Dynavax Technologies, where he’s served as chief executive officer since 1997.
The Italian way
Dina cites the differences between his homeland and ours: “In Italy, wine is something you drink for dinner. The quality isn’t always there. The most important association is wine with food, to get the best part of both.” Spoken like a true Italian, whom (I suspect) knows his way around the kitchen. One peek at the family garden, which overflows with tomatoes, vegetables and fruits, confirms my hunch. “Dino grew up in such a different way. If he could entertain 24 hours a day, he would. He’s always inviting me up for pizza,” says general manager, Beth Pryor. “He’s all about passion, for the place, the earth and food.”
While the Italian influences are strong, it’s all California when it comes to the wines. Dina brought on veteran Mia Klein as winemaker. She shares why the union works, “You want to be with someone who places quality first, doing and being the best you can be; and that’s him.”
Olive oil is another nod to Dina’s upbringing. “I wanted to reproduce some of the Tuscan characteristics in the oils I grew up with, which are noted for their spicy fruitiness.” He blends Tuscan and Genovese varietals into his olive oil, producing between 125 to 300 gallons per year.
A sip of the single vineyard Rian Cabernet Sauvignon reveals a rich balance of dark fruit flavors like blackberry and blueberry, with a touch of minerality—a result of the white lava rock and red ash soil that defines the vineyard. For Klein, winemaking is a juggling act, “It comes down to balancing the power of Howell Mountain fruit with finesse.”
A wild ride
While the wines are about finesse, a visit to the vineyard is more of a wild ride. With no onsite winery (wine is made at Laird Custom Crush in Napa), Cimarossa opts for an experience of a different variety. “We take guests off-road on our ATV. We roll through the vineyards and cap things off with a tasting in our cottage in the woods. Guests really enjoy seeing the vineyards that correspond to each of the single-vineyard wines we pour,” says Pryor.
As my visit winds down, I’m left with this final thought: “The Italian lifestyle is more convivial. There are no drop-ins here [in the United States]. Gathering to talk and enjoy each other isn’t part of the culture. I miss that,” says Dina. “We’re trying to bring that here—hospitality you’d see in Italy.”
