Never taken East Coast wine seriously? We’re on a mission to join other trailblazers setting the tone for the next generation of Northeast wines, and to put the Greater Boston Area on the map as a natural wine destination.
100% of our fruit is proudly sourced from the Northeast as sustainably as possible
Unless otherwise stated, the only addition/modification to our wines is the introduction of small amounts of sulfites at bottling to achieve .4-.8ppm molecular sulfur (tiny additions to what’s already naturally occurring is necessary for shelf stability on most, but not all wines)—that means no filtering, fining, temperature or other physical manipulation, or any of the 62+ additives allowed in wine
We also take quality seriously. Natural wine sometimes gets a bad name due to faulty wines that are misleadingly sold. We don’t think anyone should pay for an objectionable wine, which is why we take measures to assure only the best wines make it to market. Sometimes minor faults which may affect a small portion of bottles or taste preferences are unavoidable—we aim to call out where we believe there to be risk of this and are happy to offer a full refund if you’re unhappy with the quality of your purchase.
On Winegrowing…
We believe nature provides all the building blocks of the best wines. Latent quality is developed in the vineyard, by achieving vine balance. We believe in regenerative agricultural practices, integrated pest management, and minimal chemical usage. Leveraging generations of cultural knowledge and science is not only the right choice for the environment, but makes for more resilient vines that produce better wines.
What does this look like for the vineyard we plan to plant? We’d consider our practices regenerative or sustainable rather than limiting ourselves to organic or biodynamic certification standards even if they’re essentially the same.
We never use any herbicides
We practice integrated pest management/organic & cultural means pest control (i.e. no pesticides)
We practice no-till agriculture with cover cropping and organic nutrient sources to promote soil health and reduce our carbon footprint
We use variety selection, cultural practices, targeted spraying, and biodynamic/organic preparations to minimize reliance on chemical fungicides. Unfortunately, some amount of fungal control is a necessity in many cases when it comes to vinifera vines, especially in a humid climate—we believe a rotation of sprays including chemicals (which are more targeted and break down rapidly) is more sustainable than sticking to organic standards and spraying excessive amounts of the heavy metal copper, which accumulates in soil causing toxicity to all microbial and insect life in the soil.
What about the grapes we buy? There’s very limited availability of quality grapes in the Northeast for purchase, and we do our best to source the most responsibly grown grapes we’re able to—We’d rather be a positive force for change in the industry than remain a tiny producer with very expensive, organic-only wines (or ship in grapes from thousands of miles away!). A large portion of the grapes we source are already organic or otherwise espouse enhanced growing standards, and at a minimum, all growers are enrolled in a sustainable growing program. We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been able to convince our most conventional grower to trial eliminating herbicide use for our La Crescent acreage in 2024 and can’t wait to show off this special fruit in our first varietal wine next year.
We’re also working on compiling info from each of our growers to be able to provide an even more transparent map showing where our 2024 fruit comes from, complete with details on growing practices—We’ll be labelling each grape as “Sustainable Growing Program,” “Enhanced,” or “Marzae Standard".” “Enhanced” means the growers are taking concrete steps to improve growing practices over the very low standards required by sustainable growing programs and “Marzae Standard” is organic/biodynamic/regenerative such that they’re as close to our own standards as we can find!
On Winemaking…
We believe it is the job of the winemaker to make stylistic and technical decisions to guide fermentation to a harmonious conclusion. Without proper intervention, such as appropriate use of sulfites and proper environmental controls, the natural potential of the wine is lost to faults. With too much intervention, the authentic expression of terroir and true potential of the wine is lost. The winemaker must marry artistic vision and a firm understanding of the science behind winemaking to achieve balance.
Unless otherwise stated, the only addition/modification to our wines is the introduction of small amounts of sulfites at bottling to achieve .4-.8ppm molecular sulfur (tiny additions to what’s already naturally occurring is necessary for shelf stability on most, but not all wines)—that means no filtering, fining, temperature or other physical manipulation, or any of the 62+ additives allowed in wine.
We aim to produce wines that are fun and exciting expressions of the unique terroir we have to work with. Not adding any sulfites until bottling time unless a wine is particularly high risk for developing faults allows us to capture a full and authentic expression of the wild native yeasts and bacteria we have to showcase in the Northeast. The practice of co-fermentation, whether in the sense of fermenting multiple grape varieties together (most blends you buy are blended after fermenting separately!) or introducing other fruits like cider apples, wild blueberries, and sour cherries makes for fabulously complex yet approachable wines. A lot of conventional wines are made to taste a certain way through modifications, whereas we have general stylistic preferences, and then let the fruit tell us the wine it ultimately wants to become in the winery and adjusting our plans accordingly—no two vintages will be the same nor should they be (what would be the fun in that?).
Our winemaking breaks with convention in a lot of ways that don’t mesh with the federal government (TTB)’s labelling standards so always look at our tech sheets on our website for a more complete picture of what you’re drinking (there are many details they don’t let us put on the actual label unfortunately!).
On Community…
We believe wine is only as good as it is for the land from which it comes, those that tend the land, and how our neighbors are treated. All too often, labor and other business practices go overlooked in discussions around sustainability and natural wine—Simply put, we don’t think we should exist if we’re not treating people and the planet right.
We’ll have a close-knit team that gets their hands dirty in every part of the business and we take pride in our work. All of our full time employees earn a generous living wage with generous benefits (including 6 weeks PTO, 6 months parental leave, and free platinum healthcare and dental coverage). All part time employees are guaranteed to make at least $25/hr. All employees (full time, part time, and contract) are all eligible for annually vested ownership in Marzae. We encourage people from all backgrounds to join our team and help us build the inclusive community we aim to create.
We aren’t just about community when it comes to employment—we want our customers to feel like they’re part of the family. As a locally and employee-owned small business we place a special emphasis on making sure everyone feels welcome at Marzae. We think that one of the most beautiful aspects of the natural wine movement is removing the snobbiness from wine—what makes wine exciting is its diversity so there should be no wrong way to enjoy it. We’re on a mission to make it more accessible—through not-outrageous price points, flavors that’ll appeal to any palette, providing education & transparency around production and all aspects of the business, and providing a warm and welcoming environment to come share a good time with friends & family.
We strive to minimize our environmental impact wherever possible, including promoting our refill program, kegs, and cans to reduce our need for glass bottles—the most energy intensive component of wine. Sustainability in the vineyard doesn’t end at “organic” for use—we’re always on the lookout for ways to reduce our carbon footprint in fuel usage and any other means we’re able to.