Azizam (“darling” in Farsi) Wines was created in 2022 by Maryam Hariri, “climate-change policymaker turned climate-adaptive winemaker,” as she describes herself. She makes natural, ØØ wines from dry-farmed parcels in Baja, Mexico. 'Zaza', named after Maryam’s Azerbaijani great-grandmother, is 80% nebbiolo, 15% cabernet sauvignon, and 5% tempranillo from 20-year-old vines growing in granite soils in mountainous Tecate. (Note that there is some dispute about whether the “nebbiolo” growing in the Valle de Guadalupe is the nebbiolo from Piemonte or something entirely different; the latter half of the blog piece The Mystery of Nebbiolo de Baja delves into the controversy.) 'Zaza' saw eight days of semi-carbonic maceration (a blend of whole-cluster and destemmed grapes) and spontaneous fermentation in concrete tinajas (amphoras) and stainless steel. This is a dark-fruited, more herbal and minty expression of nebbiolo (or whatever it is!), with floral undertones. It’s deeply savory, a little bit wild, and a little grippy. Drink it with lengua tacos or a hearty pozole.
