Our Story
Ethan Godfrey
Family Owner — "The Doer"
Despite graduating from Cal Poly Pomona with honors in mechanical engineering in 2024, Ethan chose to leave behind a career in engineering to help his parents pursue the family’s dream of creating a winery. It wasn’t a small change, but one that made sense and would welcome a period of growth. At MarAmi, he brings his own touch of technical discipline to his role, overseeing the wine program, vineyard operations, and broader business development. He leads the overall strategy across vineyard and cellar operations, guiding decisions from taste profile to logistics, and making sure every part of the process supports the bigger picture.
His background in systems thinking shows up in how the pieces come together, but what really drives his work is something simpler: the goal of fostering an elegant but fun wine experience that welcomes all people as family. Ethan is working to shape not just how MarAmi operates, but what it feels like to be part of it.
“I have found that to fall in love with wine, you just need three simple things. You must be with the right people, in the right place, and of course, drink the right wine.”
Purpose
In Tagalog, the language of the Philippines, MarAmi means “abundance.”
The MarAmi Estate was created with a simple but ambitious goal: to build a winery experience unlike anything else in California. We envisioned a place where every detail mattered, where the land and the architecture worked together to create something both beautiful and welcoming, and where every guest could feel at home. It’s that same vision that guides our approach to hospitality, as we create one of the most thoughtful event destinations in the region, with a goal of becoming a premier wedding and gathering space in California.
Truly Extraordinary
We’re not generational winemakers. At the same time, our background in hospitality and design has shaped the way we think about space and experience, allowing us to craft something truly extraordinary. We’re a family stepping into a highly respected industry, with humility, care, and a determination to get it right.
Personal, Grounded, and Lasting
What drives us is simple: to create something that feels personal, grounded, and lasting. That sense of responsibility extends to how we treat the land. Across our vineyards, we use fully electric tractors and vehicles to reduce our impact. Our storage barn uses night-cooled air and rooftop solar to maintain stable temperatures without relying on power-hungry systems. And as we build our winery, we’re finding ways to reuse what the land gives us, including crafting furniture from fallen oak trees on the estate. These choices may be quiet, but they matter to us, and they’ll continue to guide us as we grow.
At MarAmi, our purpose is clear: to craft wine with care, to design experiences with intention, and to offer a space that brings people together. A place where abundance is always within reach.
Because where there is abundant love, there is abundant life.
