Marginalia

Marginalia exists to explore styles of wine that lie outside the dominant big red/crisp white paradigm. That’s how winemaker Tim Doyle describes what he calls his ‘research program’ in creating lighter reds and amber whites.

The winemaker, a teacher, philosopher, and historian, is inspired by non-mainstream winemaking traditions kept alive by small winemakers throughout Eurasia and the modern natural wine movement. His vision is supported by present-day breakthroughs in oenology practices.

The name comes from the scribbles, notes, and doodles found in books and manuscripts. Marginalia document a previous reader’s interaction with the ideas of the author. They form a continuous conversation over the ideas and information presented. Doyle offers his wines and techniques as an annotation on the margins of wine and winemaking.

Located in Walla Walla, Washington, Marginalia sources its fruit from within the Walla Walla AVA, in order to maintain close relationships with like-minded growers who are sparing in their use of non-organic treatments. The winemaking process is minimally invasive, avoiding chemically synthesized additives or other agents. Non-synthetic additives help maintain a taste more purely of the fruit and the conditions under which it grew. The wine is moved mostly without pumps to avoid cavitation, carbon dioxide loss, and oxygen pickup.

Marginalia wines are offered at the lowest sustainable price to make them accessible and enjoyable to as many wine drinkers as possible.