It’s Indian summer in San Francisco, and temperatures are on the rise. As are the local luminaries in our annual Hot 20, er . . . Hot 30. That’s right. We were so impressed by the crop of talent and brains moving the needle this year—in fields as diverse as technology, music, education, sports, and arts—that we added 10 bright stars to our list.

Call them crazy, but the family nuts and dried fruits business didn’t appeal to these fourth-generation California farmers. So they opted for wine instead. Andrew Mariani (above, right) launched Scribe Winery in 2007 (brother Adam joined him soon after), and the two subsequently revived the storied plot of a 19th-century German winegrower that fell into disrepair after Prohibition (left to bootleggers, the land is rumored to have hosted both a brothel and a turkey farm).

Now with its palm-lined driveway leading to a historic hacienda (the brothers have plans for its restoration), this is a place where pretty young things work and play. The bucolic tasting room is a Sonoma hot spot thanks to a hilltop picnic area, and the brothers’ Scribe Viticultural Society (SVS) dinners (featuring chefs from Fatted Calf or Chez Panisse) are regularly sold-out. 
Hype aside, the Marianis keep it cool, working in harmony with the land that hosted California’s first Riesling and Sylvaner—two varietals they are growing 
in earnest to keep up with mounting demand from cult followers.

Go-to for 
late-night eats:
Our kitchen table: And by eating, we mean drinking.

Beloved 
restaurant:
After a night harvest, there’s nothing better at 8 a.m. than chicken and waffles and a giant coffee at Fremont Diner.

Sonoma hotspots to try:
Campo Fina in Healdsburg, El Molino Central in Boyes Hot Springs, and Glen Ellen Star in Glen Ellen.

Best undiscovered place:
The El Verano Inn in Sonoma might change your life. Be careful.

Hottest wine:
Scribe’s 2011 Sylvaner is an 
ode to the pre-Prohibition farmers up here in Sonoma. 
You can find it at RN74.

This article was published in 7x7's October issue. Click here to subscribe.