Darling, in Farsi
From climate policy in Washington D.C. to concrete tinajas in Baja California, Maryam Hariri is rewriting what Mexican wine can be — one dry-farmed Mission vine, one wild yeast fermentation, one Azerbaijani great-grandmother's name at a time. Azizam: a project of the soul, a wine of the desert, a darling of the natural wine world.
From Climate Policy to Concrete Tinajas
Maryam Hariri's path to winemaking was not the usual one. Before she became a "climate-change policymaker turned climate-adaptive winemaker," she worked in climate policy — a career that gave her a global perspective on agriculture, water, and the urgent need for adaptation in a warming world [^213^][^212^].
Her Persian heritage carried a deep, often overlooked connection to wine. Iran — ancient Persia — is one of the birthplaces of viticulture, with archaeological evidence of winemaking dating back 7,000 years. The Farsi word "azizam" means "darling" — an endearment that captures the tenderness Maryam brings to her project and the affection she has for the land, the fruit, and the people who grow it [^213^].
Before launching her own label, Maryam honed her craft at Bichi — Mexico's premier natural winery, founded by the Téllez family in the Tecate mountains. There she learned the techniques that would define Azizam: wild yeast fermentation, minimal intervention, and a deep respect for the rugged Baja terroir. When she was ready, she launched Azizam in 2022 with a clear mission: to focus on climate-adaptive and uniquely Mexican grape varietals from old vines, lost ranches, and small-scale, sustainable farms [^213^][^218^].
"Azizam ('darling' in Farsi) Wines — founded in 2022 by Maryam Hariri, climate-change policymaker turned climate-adaptive winemaker — is a project of the soul."
— Azizam Wines
Dry-Farmed, Heritage, & Generational
All Azizam fruit comes from dry-farmed parcels in Baja California — a region that shares a Mediterranean climate with Southern California but carries its own distinct geological and cultural identity. The vineyards are not irrigated; they survive on what rainfall the desert provides, forcing roots deep into granite and sandy soils for water and minerals [^212^][^214^].
The focus is on heritage varietals — grapes with historical significance in Mexico and the Americas that have been overlooked by the mainstream wine industry. Mission (also known as Criolla or Pais), Rosa del Peru, Palomino, and Nebbiolo (or a mysterious Baja variant thereof) are the backbone of the range. These are not the Cabernet and Chardonnay of Napa; they are the grapes of colonisation, migration, and survival — planted by missionaries, tended by generations of Mexican farmers, and now rescued by Maryam's vision [^213^][^219^].
The growers are small-scale, family farmers using ecological principles — no chemicals in the farm or the cellar. Maryam sources from "old vines, lost ranches and small-scale, sustainable farms," building relationships with generational farmers who share her commitment to the land [^213^][^214^].
Mountainous Tecate, where 20-year-old vines grow in granite soils. The source for ZaZa — Maryam's Azerbaijani great-grandmother's namesake. Semi-carbonic maceration in concrete tinajas. Dark-fruited, herbal, minty, with floral undertones. Deeply savoury and a little wild.
The heart of Mexican wine country, where Mission and Rosa del Peru thrive in sandy, well-drained soils. Dry-farmed, old vines, minimal intervention. The mystery of Nebbiolo de Baja — whether it is true Piemontese Nebbiolo or something entirely different — adds intrigue to every bottle.
Hand Destemming, Wild Yeast, Ancient Vessels
Maryam brings together her Persian heritage of winemaking with ancient production methods that predate stainless steel and temperature control. Grapes are hand-destemmed — not by machine, but by human hands, ensuring gentle handling and intimate connection with the fruit. Fermentation occurs in concrete tinajas and lagars — large, open vessels made of clay or concrete that allow natural temperature regulation and slow, steady fermentation [^213^].
Only wild yeast is used. No commercial inoculations, no nutrient additions, no adjustments. The fermentation is spontaneous, driven by the native yeast populations that exist on the grape skins and in the cellar environment. This is not the controlled, laboratory-like process of conventional winemaking; it is a collaboration with nature, where the winemaker guides rather than dictates [^213^].
The result is wine that is alive, unpredictable, and deeply expressive of its place. "Azizam's energy stems from its authenticity, in vision and practice," the winery states. This is not marketing copy — it is the lived reality of a winemaker who left policy for passion, who chose concrete over conference rooms, who believes that wine can be a form of climate adaptation [^213^].
The Mystery of Nebbiolo de Baja
The "nebbiolo" growing in the Valle de Guadalupe may not be the Nebbiolo of Piemonte at all. Some believe it is an entirely different variety, perhaps brought by Italian immigrants and mutated in the Baja sun, or perhaps misidentified decades ago. Maryam's ZaZa cuvée — 80% "nebbiolo" — carries this controversy in every bottle. The wine is dark-fruited, herbal, minty, with floral undertones — recognisably nebbiolo-like in its savoury depth, but with a wildness that suggests something else entirely. The mystery is part of the pleasure [^212^].
Woman-Owned, Persian, & Climate Adaptive
Maryam Hariri is part of a growing wave of women winemakers in natural wine — a movement that The Vinguard and Feminist Food Journal have celebrated for its diversity and innovation [^214^][^217^]. As a woman of Persian descent making wine in Mexico, she occupies a unique intersection: between ancient Iranian viticultural heritage and modern Mexican agricultural revival, between climate policy and cellar practice, between the global north and the global south.
Her work with Bichi — Mexico's most prominent natural winery — established her credibility in the community before she launched Azizam. She continues to collaborate with Bichi while building her own identity, bringing the Téllez family's influence to her own project while diverging in her focus on heritage varietals and climate adaptation [^218^].
The name "Azizam" is more than branding. It is a statement of intent: to make wine with love, to treat the land and the people who farm it with tenderness, to create something that feels personal in an industry often dominated by corporate scale and masculine ego. "Darling" is not a word you often hear in wine marketing. Maryam uses it as a manifesto [^213^].
"Azizam is focused on dry-farmed, heritage varietals, sourced from generational family-farmers using ecological principles: no chemicals in the farm or the cellar."
— The Vinguard
The Azizam Range
All wines are made from dry-farmed, organically or sustainably grown fruit, hand-destemmed, fermented with wild yeast in concrete tinajas and lagars, and bottled without additives. The range centres on heritage Mexican and American varietals — Mission, Rosa del Peru, Palomino, and the mysterious Baja Nebbiolo — with a focus on lower alcohol, savoury complexity, and food compatibility [^213^][^212^][^219^].