While it’s considered one of the U.S.’s younger wine regions, Arizona has a rich winemaking history. Missionaries are believed to have introduced viticulture to the area in the 1700s, and by the mid-1800s thirsty miners were raising glasses of red wine alongside beer and whiskey. Today, three major appellations have emerged in the state: the Sonoita American Viticultural Area (AVA), the Willcox AVA, and the Verde Valley. Here, a guide to some of the best wineries in those regions.
Sonoita AVA
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Callaghan Vineyards
Kent Callaghan and his parents planted their Buena Suerte Vineyard in 1990, and Kent has mentored many local winemakers, including Maynard James Keenan. At the tasting room in Elgin, try the tannat, which starts off with brooding fruits on the nose and palate, followed by a gaminess that calls out for steak tartare.
callaghanvineyards.com
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Dos Cabezas WineWorks
Owner/winemaker Todd Bostock is always experimenting at his Sonoita winery, be it with grape varieties, aging vessels, or fermentation methods. “I don’t want to be the cover band for your favorite thing,” he says. Try the sangiovese-dominant Quintosol blend, which hints at a Super Tuscan but is a quaffable, silky-textured red all its own.
doscabezas.com
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Los Milics Vineyards
Pavle Milic, a co-owner of Scottsdale’s James Beard Award–nominated FnB restaurant, produces gastronomic wines such as the Beaujolais-like Betty’s garnacha, which has a bright and crunchy red fruit profile. A new hospitality center, complete with high-end accommodations, is slated to open in Elgin next year.
losmilicsvineyards.com
Verde Valley
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Chateau Tumbleweed
The Clarkdale tasting room of this Four Eight Wineworks protégé is eternally packed, but a new, bigger facility is under construction. Come for the fun labels designed by co-owner Kris Pothier; stay for the Dos Padres vermentino, which has tropical fruits on the nose and a savory minerality on the finish.
chateautumbleweed.com
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Pillsbury Wine Company
A fixture on the Arizona wine scene for decades, Pillsbury has two tasting rooms, the original in Cottonwood and a newer outpost in Willcox. (The fruit is all grown at the estate vineyard in Willcox.) Try the Guns and Kisses, a shiraz that the winemakers coferment with a different white grape variety each vintage.
pillsburywine.com
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Caduceus Tasting Room
One would never know that Jerome was once an abandoned mining town, given the crowds that populate the Caduceus Tasting Room. A rotating selection of Maynard James Keenan’s wines is available to taste, and most of the portfolio can be purchased by the bottle. The shelves are also stocked with local pantry items such as hot sauces, vinegars, and chocolate bars.
caduceus.org
Tucson
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Sand-Reckoner at The Citizen Hotel
Malvasia bianca is becoming one of Arizona’s flagship varieties, and at Sand-Reckoner the grape’s inherent floral qualities meet a savory, almost saline-like finish. Even more exciting for visitors, a tasting room and production facility recently debuted at The Citizen Hotel, a brand-new wine-themed boutique lodging.
sand-reckoner.com
Next Up: Maynard James Keenan Sets the Tone for Arizona’s Wine Industry
