Scribe Winery

My friend is a member here, so it’s easy for me to piggyback on her visits. I finally made it up to Sonoma with her as the DD to relax in the sun and catch some of the scenery.
The «Bottles and Blankets» concept is wonderful! Scribe provides colorful Mexican blankets to all of their guests. Our group of four was able to make ourselves comfortable in the shade. As the DD I only tasted a few sips. Typically I get rather bored as a DD, but not here! The scenery kept me engaged and enlightened. The mood at Scribe is sweet and pleasant. The other guests were just as happy and relaxed as we were. The highlight for me was petting the adorable mini doodle that was frolicking around. How cool is a winery that allows dogs?!? Props for that.
Scribe was certainly added to my «must-​do» list. I can’t wait to go back and I’m considering getting my own membership!
Tip: Make sure to make a reservation, even for a picnic. They fill up well in advance

We are members and we enjoy the wine, scenery and pick up parties here. But lately they have scaled way back on tasting slots over the weekend. This is the main benefit of the club! We enjoy bringing friends on occasion but lately they only offer a few tastings which are always booked and they try to get you to come in for a bottle and blanket appointment, where you have to buy another bottle of wine even though you’ve already purchased an allocation! And they don’t even allow you to bring food, you have to buy picnic baskets with little snacks which would be OK, but sometimes you want to be able to have a sandwich with your wine versus getting price gouged on snacks. I’d also say our last two wine shipments were just ok. The wine is nothing special.
Really irritated with this place lately, few friends of ours were also talking about cancelling and looking for a better winery that is more accommodating to its members.

Came to the pick up party with a friend, stayed for the view, State Bird Provisions noms, and sunshine.
Scribe is fabulous, and less than an hour drive from San Francisco. It’s the perfect daytime get away (weekday or weekend). It’s beautifully set on the hill overlooking the Sonoma vineyards and dog friendly. We grabbed one of the pretty colorful blankets, sat on the grass, and hung out for a couple of hours.
It seems like most of their members are young and hip. Everyone looks like they walked out of a magazine ad with perfect hair, distressed denim, fedoras, and colorful socks (including kids!). I’ll have to up my style for next time.
You will need a reservation to get in here, though. Don’t show up without one or you’ll wear a sad face when turned away.

The view here is absolutely beautiful. My friend is a wine club member, so we don’t need to make a reservation — we can pop in at any time and grab a blanket to lay on the grass (or nab a table if they aren’t busy, but those are usually reserved for people with reservations). They serve a delicious little charcuterie board, and the staff is sooo friendly. I would give them 5 stars, except that the wines aren’t my favorite. Totally worth it for the free nibbles, great views, dog-​friendly atmosphere, and great staff though.
Definitely a must-​visit for first-​timers in Napa/​Sonoma.

Come for the un-​oaked wines, stay for the picturesque vista. Scribe requires reservations and it’s well worth the minor planning. The driveway and hillside tasting room is a little tricky to navigate but once you’re on site you’ll want to spend the entire afternoon enjoying the clear views of the Sonoma valley, occasionally petting the three host dogs that happily visit guests’ tables.
Scribe’s team believes that wines are best enjoyed when paired with food and they make sure that customers appreciate the full tasting experience. Sampling the various Chardonnay and Pinot Noir offer surprising and refreshing experiences, and the complementary plate of almonds drizzled with olive oil, aged cheese, strawberries and toasted bread enhance the otherwise idyllic experience.
Count yourself lucky if Derek is your host. He’ll even share some of his local favorite spots so you can avoid the tourist traps – but there’s nothing wrong with following the well investigated itinerary stowed away in your fanny pack.

This is my personal version of winery heaven.
I know enough about wine to appreciate a good one. But there are tons of wineries in the area that are at an enjoyable level for me. What really separates a winery I want to visit often from others is the tasting experience.
As someone who knows about wine and can discuss terroir, I appreciate that the staff is so knowledgeable about their wines and will geek out at length. But many out of town guests I entertain do not appreciate it. And sometimes, I just want to drink wine and have a conversation with friends/​family joining me and I don’t appreciate a lengthy dissertation on the wine. And for those guests and those times, the staff gives minimal information and lets you get to drinking and talking. They let you choose your own adventure.
Another thing that makes Scribe’s tasting experience one of my favorites is the beautiful setting. Set on a hill overlooking the vineyard, it’s just what you want to see while you sip wine on a beautiful day. I appreciate hipster-​esque cafes/​restaurants/​bars, and Scribe is the winery version of that.
Yes, making reservations ahead can be tedious. But it’s so so worth it.

Wine is good, but they are not looking for new customers. Unless you have a membership or a reservation, don’t bother showing up as they will not serve you. Another example of excessive wine culture.

Faux-​elitist garbage. Prepare for poor customer service and a palpable taste of smugness. Taking my money elsewhere and will let the SF wannabe-​elites fight over this overrated place with wine that isn’t worth the hassle.

You must make an reservation beforehand, but trust me it’s worth it. I am not a huge wine connoisseur so all I need is a cozy/​exclusive, cute atmosphere to hang out and this winery fit exactly what I was looking for. It is by far the cutest winery I have ever set my eyes on. They have lots of seating indoors with an upstairs/​downstairs and picnic tables outdoors.
We had not made a reservation ahead of time, so we weren’t able to do any tastings (4 for $ 25) since they were completely booked. They were nice enough to let us just grab a bottle and sit downstairs and they even gave us a complimentary cheeseboard. The people here were extremely sweet and accommodating.
I recommend coming here if you are looking purely for an experience, you won’t be disappointed.

Does your ideal Sunday start out waiting hours for brunch outside of Kitchen Story?
Are you really into artisan toast?
Do you wash brunch down with a few Pabst while reclining on the slopes of Dolores Park?
If yes, then slide on the selvedge denim and lace up the Red Wings! This is your spot!
In all seriousness, the experience is nice, although a bit more crowded over the past year. Solid range of interesting juice that will appeal to most visitors. I’m partial to their Pinot, but do recall enjoying a white blend they concocted for French Laundry. Worth a visit, but don’t feel too bad if you can’t get in.

The «Kinfolk» of wineries, Scribe is exquisite in all its whimsical glory.
Beautiful views, delicious wines and airy personalities. A wonderful place to do an afternoon weekday tasting, which was just what I did!
I went with a friend who is a member so I missed the chance to buy a $ 38 bottle (average price point) but I truly am considering going back and becoming a member…
No need to hate on the hipster factor, hipster is a ~thing~ because it’s something a majority of people like… And with that, I absolutely would agree — this could be a place a majority of people would love, I know I loved it!
A hidden gem, seriously, good wine and no bullshit. You won’t be disappointed.

My god. Is this where all the hipsters go to drink??? Appointment needed. Ok. We got one. It’s a beautiful
place to go drink some not so great wine.
I’m a local to the valley, and have been here one time with some friends also in the industry. It was so sub par. Snotty, rude, uninterested tasting room staff. Acting like they were WAY better than me and my normal polite friends and husband. And the wine tastes like something you can get at trader joes. Except for the huge mark up. We get it. It’s a pretty spot. They give you some cheese and apricots for a much too high tasting fee.
And for the other review that said this is a spot for the SF elite crowd? Ha! It probably is. Which is why no local I know ever goes there, or would join the wine club. «Come on guys, it’s got to be great. It’s on a vineyard and there is a tire swing!!!» Says no one in the valley, ever!

Young and hip (ster). This place has a reputation for being SF elite exclusive, and for good reason. The tasting room sits high on a hill with a lovely view of wine country. Picnic tables, lights in the trees, and staff that dress in obscure, expensive hipster beanies and plaid shirts. If you want to feel like you’re part of some cool club, and also drink some refreshing wine, this is the spot.
Definitely need a reservation for a tasting. You get 4 pours for $ 25, and both times I’ve come we’ve tried their riesling, 2 chardonnays, and the pinot noir. All are fabulous. Easy to drink, and they pour with a heavy hand (yay!). Also with your tasting, a plate of snacks including cheese, fruits, and nuts. Wines are realistically priced, and the location is prime if you want to eat at Sonoma Square afterwards. They have blankets so you can bring a picnic (and the dog), and sit outside.
A friend joined the wine club, and I have nothing but good things to say about their pick up parties. Maybe when I join the rich and fabulous life, I’ll opt for a membership. Until then, I’ll just be that friend that enjoys the perks of knowing people.

Sent the below email to describe my experience as an SVS member and cancel my membership. No response in the past 3 days. Tried calling multiple times nobody will answer. They responded to another friend who emailed with a question.
On Mon, Nov 2, 2015 at 7:35 PM, To (6 scribe employee emails including the 2 owners):
I wanted to share my experience as an SVS member with you and cancel my membership. I live in San Francisco and occasionally came up to Scribe when guests were in town. I would call repeatedly and leave messages to book an appointment and nobody would call back. I previously planned on canceling my membership because of this reason but had a nice exchange when I brought up the issue and decided to stay. I booked the next couple visits via email and things were good.
My last visit, I tried to book via email a week in advance but was told I needed to call. I called at least 4 days in advance and was told the whole day was booked but we could sit on the ground. Not ideal but that’s fine. When we get to Scribe, besides the people working, nobody else was there. We asked if we could sit at one of the many vacant picnic tables since the ground was wet and nobody was using them and was told «mmmmm no sorry we’re really booked» one of the gentlemen working overheard and arranged for us to sit at a table. The whole time we were there, only two or three other people showed up. I’m not someone who thinks a wine membership is some sort of sacred entitlement but dang, in my opinion, you guys just don’t treat customers very well and I wouldn’t feel right continuing to commit a significant chunk of my money to that kind of experience.
I’ll definitely miss the pick up parties I hope you take this honest feedback and improve your business for other members. Will you please confirm that my membership has been terminated? I’d prefer this happen in advance to the upcoming shipment.
Thanks

I have dreamed of going to California’s wine country. My friends and I decided to take a day trip to Napa and Sonoma (about 1.5 hours away from downtown San Francisco) to chase this dream of mine, and it instantly became one of the highlights of our SF trip.
I absolutely fell in love with Scribe Winery. The winery is on a hill overlooking the Sonoma vineyards. The atmosphere is very laid back and the scenery breathtaking. They have picnic tables outside of the winery for customers to enjoy the stunning view of the valley.
Our tasting was scheduled at 2pm on a Thursday that lasted 1.5 hours and took place outdoors. A person is assigned to your table and sits with your group to explain the different wines included in the tasting and answer any questions you may have. Our host was well informed and very friendly. We were introduced with four wines (three whites and one red — pinot) that were served along with a plate of snacks for the table to share. Each wine is served in a separate glass — which is different than most of the wineries, and we enjoyed them all!
Sonoma is specializes in white wines, so if you favor whites more than red, you’ll definitely enjoy it. The small size made the experience very intimate and personal. I found the entire experience at Scribe Winery to be a great and it was definitely one of the highlights of our visit to San Francisco.

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit today. Beautiful views from tasting tables on the elevated knoll overlooking the vineyard.
Light snacks provided complimented the four wines tasted today. All were solid and complex despite having a low alcohol content. The low alcohol is by design, to better complement food pairings. We purchased the Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir. Very impressed!
A 19^th century Spanish-​style stucco residence is being rehabbed on the property, and we can’t wait to see it complete on our next visit.
Staff was knowledgeable and friendly, felt like tasting with family!
This is a fairly young vineyard and I can’t wait to see its growth in the future! A must visit, the variety of wines will not disappoint!

Oh man, I’ve been hearing about Scribe for a while now and finally was able to make a reservation and get up there this past weekend. To start off, the setting of the winery is absolutely beautiful. The picnic tables sit at the top of the hill and you look down at all the vines which is awesome, very picturesque. The whole thing with Scribe is that it’s about the experience. You make a reservation and have a full two hours you can hang out, they schedule it so it’s never too crowded. It’s all outside and the person comes to your table for the tasting and to pour the different wines. They also provide you with a board of little snack when first sitting down which was a nice touch.
We had our tasting which only took about 30 minutes as its only five wines. After the tasting we wanted to hang out and get a bottle of wine. When we asked if we could order a bottle we were told that you had to be a club member of you wanted to buy a bottle and drink it on their property, you couldn’t order glasses either. None of us wanted to join the club as their wine is nothing to write home about. We were bummed we couldn’t drink some more wine but we had gotten sandwiches earlier as they don’t have a menu or food you can order at Scribe. We decided to stay and eat there, about five minutes into eating at our picnic table someone came over and told us we weren’t allowed to have outside food. Now, I would totally get this if they had a kitchen and served food but beyond the bite of cheese and almonds you get in the beginning there is no formal kitchen.
It was just kind of a bummer, we went from loving it to disliking it very quickly. If you can’t order wine or eat, what are you supposed to do for two hours? We wanted to spend more money there and enjoy the property but they make it pretty hard to do so. Honestly, I have no interest in going back. There are beautiful vineyards all over Sonoma that don’t have the silly rules Scribe has.

Gorgeous, hipster winery… but the wine was only ok.
We came to celebrate my friend’s bachelorette and had heard great things about this winery. It is seriously breathtaking… the wine tastings are outside at picnic tables overlooking the vineyards. Love that they include little bites for you to eat with the wine too. I feel like this is the place to go if you’re not that much about the wine and more about the experience.
Make sure to make reservations!

Relaxed ambience, great wine, super nice people and overall awesome experience. You do have to make an appointment, but that’s pretty typical of smaller wineries. I think it’s kind of nice because it keeps the whole experience very personal.
Our first visit was with out of town friends and we did the tasting at a picnic table. They loved it so much, they wanted to go back the next day. Space was limited, but the staff was very accommodating and got us room to grab a bottle and a blanket on the hill overlooking the vineyard. We actually enjoyed that even more!
We made reservations to go back next weekend. It’s a beautiful place with nice people and great wine (love the rosé)! Enjoy!

I really loved Scribe Winery! As suggested, we made reservations for a wine tasting prior to arriving. After checking in, we were seated at a picnic table and given a plate with delicious cheese from Vella Cheese Co (cheese was so good, we needed to know where it was from), yummy roasted almonds (which per our wine guide, the vineyard owners family produces these almonds — the Mariani Nut Company), along with olives, some crackers and oranges. They also have a huge picnic table that I was told is reserved for walk-​ins (?this might be new as I noted other reviews commenting on not accepting walk-​ins). They also have knoll blankets you can cozy up with on cooler days.
Upon arriving to the vineyard, there is a long row of palm trees along the roadway that leads you up to the top of a hill at which the picnic tables are perched on offering beautiful views of the vineyard down below. I appreciated the laid-​back vibe of the winery, that makes you feel right at home without an ounce of stuffiness. Probably one of the prettiest vineyards I’ve been to that is so relaxed.
The girl who guided us through our tasting was very knowledgable and clearly passionate about the wines. None of us are wine experts and she walked us through everything we would need to know to truly appreciate the differences in which this winery produces their wine. Overall, it was a great experience and I will definitely visit this winery the next time I’m in Sonoma.