This AWGA event features the best wines from Arizona’s thriving wine scene and it promises to be a classic, held at the Charlie Clark Orchard at 1701 W. White Mountain Blvd., part of an original homestead.

Participating wineries include Alcantara Vineyards, Arizona Stronghold Vineyards, Carlson Creek Vineyards, Flying Leap Vineyards, Gallifant Cellars, Grand Canyon Cellars, Hannah’s Hill Vineyard, Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery, Kief-Joshua Vineyards, Lawrence Dunham Vineyards, Page Spring Cellars, Pillsbury Wine Company, Pleasant Valley Winery, Saeculum Cellars, Sonoita Vineyards, Studo Vino Winery, Su Vino Winery, Wilhelm Family Vineyards, and Zarpara Vineyards.

Regular priced tickets are $30, if purchased by June 13, and $35 at the door. This gets you a commemorative tasting glass and 10 tasting tickets. Event is restricted to guests 21 and older; proper ID is required.

Chilling with music in Sonoita  

If music is your passion, head down to Kief-Joshua Vineyards in Elgin, AZ, for the summer concert series, every other Saturday, all summer long. Musicians will typically perform from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and food prepared by Chef Stephen will be available. Of course, there will be plenty KJV wines, too.

Last weekend, Blaine Long of Phoenix entertained a fine crowd with his original guitar music. The rest of the schedule looks like this:

June 22, Carlo, a sweetie with a voice like Elvis

July 6, Sage Gentle-wing performing many originals—known as one of the best jazz-style guitarists around

July 20, Tucson’s own AmoSphere jamming the vineyards

August 3, Bryan Dean Trio—original blues band, listed in the Arizona Blues and Tucson Musicians Hall of Fame

August 17, Gram & Krieger, also Arizona Blues Hall of Famers, playing originals and other music in the Americana style—Country, Bluegrass, Jazz, old-time Rock-n-Roll, Beatles, and more

August 24, the annual Magdalena bash will feature many of the above performers returning to celebrate Magdalena, Kief’s grandmother, turning 94—and you know she’s got a wine named for her…

CURRENTS connect arts and wines

TRUST Art & Design has pulled out all of the stops preparing for CURRENTS, a progressive event, Saturday, June 22, 2013. If you’ve ever been curious about the wine and/or the art scene in Willcox, this is the perfect weekend to check it all out.

This event is designed as a drifting, wafting, flowing summer art show. TRUST shows work by exceptional local artists in wine-tasting rooms and vineyards. CURRENTS opening day features three special events in three different Willcox Wine Country locations (Zarpara Vineyards, Flying Leap Vineyards’ Willcox tasting room, and Keeling Schaefer Vineyards’ tasting room). Meet the artists and learn about their work while enjoying a day in wine country, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

CURRENTS will feature new work by TRUST artists in each location. Many of the artists will be available to answer questions about their work. Thomas Ale Johnson and Kim Johnson, owners of TRUST Art & Design, will be the hosts at each space. Guests are invited to “choose their own adventure” and join the party at one, two, or all three locations. Winemakers/winery owners will be at each venue to talk about their wines and offer wine tastings.

Special hotel deals are available from Holiday Inn Express-Willcox and Quality Inn-Willcox. Stay the whole weekend and plan to check out the other Willcox area tasting rooms—Carlson Creek Vineyards, Coronado Vineyards, and Pillsbury Wines Vineyard. You’ll also want to assess those amazing pies and other items at the new Apple Annie’s Country Store.

Yum… and cheers!

According to the Stetson Winery website, it was a beautiful spring evening when Don and Jo Stetson were sitting with friends on their patio, enjoying the sunset and sipping on a glass of wine, when their vision was born. Someone said: “Can you picture this valley planted in grapes with all of us on the veranda of a tasting room enjoying a sunset like this one?” The next day they were digging for a soil sample to send for testing to assess how well wine grapes might grow there— the sample showed the soil to be ideal for cultivating a vineyard, and their dream of a winery and event center took flight on 11.11.2012.

Today, the Stetson Winery and Event Center is located 15 miles north of Kingman, AZ, and just a few minutes from historic Route 66—the only winery and event center in northwestern Arizona.

New lodging

After a long day of standing on my feet pouring Pillsbury Wines with owner Sam Pillsbury for nearly 1,500 people at the wine festival, I retreated to what I recalled as a ruggedly charming but run-down Stage Stop Inn in Patagonia. The 30-minute drive was actually relaxing, as I maneuvered the amazingly beautiful sun-kissed hills and valleys along Route 82W, with that bottle of wine from the north in my thoughts. You see, on a day of pouring wines, most of us don’t drink wine at all, so I looked forward to uncorking this sexy looking bottle of Hop In The Cab.

I was thrilled to discover that the Stage Stop Inn hotel is now under new ownership and undergoing renovations—and I was the first patron to enjoy a newly refurbished room, just off the handsome courtyard with pool. The room was decked out with stunning new floor tiles, spotless everything, even brand-spanking-new sliding glass entry doors—double pane, of course.

Before settling in, I took a short walk to the Wild Horse Restaurant—about 100 paces from the hotel’s entrance, where I ordered my first good meal of the day. At this spotless and friendly restaurant, I was hoping for comfort food to soothe my tired and hungry soul.  I chose the grilled beef tenderloin medallions. Well worth the $15 and 20-minute wait to get my order to-go.

Back in the room, before digging into the fork-tender beef topped with a very light and tasty rich mushroom sauce, I popped the Hop In The Cab Darlin’ cork to enjoy as I dined. The garlic mashed red potatoes and the seasoned cauliflower and peppers were both fresh and savory. My small house salad featured fresh dark green veggies and mushrooms. The Cab was a delightful accompaniment to every last bite.

Made with Napa grapes and master-crafted by award-winning Arizona vintner, Eric Glomski, this Cabernet Sauvignon is classic—complex, lots of body, and well-balanced, with a slight hint of chocolate on the finish. The label suggests: “Just like that beautiful old pick-up truck that always turns your head.”

I confess, I was much too tired to even enjoy a second glass—it was early to bed with an early return to the second day of pouring wines at the festival in Sonoita. However, I’m happy to report that the Cab held up to further enjoyment once I returned to Willcox late the following evening.

Looking forward

I can’t wait to savor more of the wines made from the grapes grown in the Kingman valley by the Stetson Winery.  Stay tuned for a follow-up, sometime after Don and Jo bottle their first harvest.

I am delighted to have re-discovered the renewed Stage Stop Inn in Patagonia as a choice place to stay next time I head to the Sonoita/Elgin region for some more wining. And that happens a lot.

Also hoping to share many more thoughts on other Arizona wine discoveries with my ol’ Facebook buddy JD. Thanks, man!

Cheers!

Bud break–about 2 weeks ago in the Pillsbury Wine Co. Vineyards, and the vines are now sprouting leaves and beginning to grow. This week brought the threat of frost, but the babies survived!

Writing Pour Me Some Grapes for TucsonCitizen.com has led to a fantastic personal opportunity that will make me a wiser wine blogger. I have just moved 89 miles from my Tucson “roots” (okay, only 21 years)—to the Pillsbury Wine Company vineyard property in Willcox Wine Country. Soon I will be managing a new tasting room at this rustic working vineyard/farm in the Sulphur Springs Valley, just a couple miles from the Zarpara Vineyards tasting room, which opened a little over a year ago.

Why would any semi-respectable 60-some-year-old woman do such a crazy thing? If you’ve followed Pour Me Some Grapes at all, you know I am a champion for the wines produced in Arizona. Likewise, I have become captivated by the people who turn Arizona grapes into these palatable concoctions. I’ve said often that I’d really like to get more hands-on experience in the wine industry. Be careful what you wish for!

Who better to direct me into the Arizona wine business than famed New Zealand film and television director, Sam Pillsbury, who now gets red carpet reviews for the amazing wines he’s been creating with Arizona grapes since 2000.

Last December, Sam and I were musing on Facebook about the well-connected and supportive Willcox wine community. I mentioned I had considered moving to Willcox if I ever found suitable accommodations. Sam, who also operates a tasting room in Old Town Cottonwood, AZ, mentioned his charming cottage in the Pillsbury vineyard, which he’d like someone to open up as a tasting room.

Long story short, I now reside in that quaint vineyard cottage off Kansas Settlement Road, readying for my new life as a grapista*. I’ll continue blogging, writing, editing, and social marketing, which will be easy—with majestic mountain views all around, fruit and nut trees in bloom, birds galore, and, of course, vineyards everywhere, this is perhaps the most inspirational place I’ve ever lived and wrote.

A view of the Pillsbury Wine Co. vineyard estates. The plowed area is all prepped and ready for planting an organic vegetable garden. Tasting room is situated upper right side of photo.

The tasting experience here at the Pillsbury Wine Co. Vineyard Tasting Room will be as unique as its rustic locale. We plan to greet you with a complimentary taste of the Pillsbury Wild Child (red, white, or rose), making it well worth your time to seek out our distinctive setting and try our wines. The wide open spaces surrounding the tasting room beckon hanging out to enjoy the views and sharing a packed lunch and wine. Four days a week—Thurs.-Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m., I will share my digs with lively wine tasters, beginning sometime in mid-May.

Because I love my wine and respect where it comes from, I’ll also be pitching in—pruning, planting, harvesting, bottling, etc.—for the growing number of Willcox grape growers with vineyards nearby (22 vineyards at last count). I’m certain there is much joy to be discovered in the effort—and what a great balance to my many hours spent in front of the computer.

Cheers to my new life! Stay tuned as I continue to bring the Arizona wine news to you—from an insider’s perspective.

*DEFINITION—Grapista: One who pours wines (personally coined identity)

Check out Arizona wines firsthand, as the spring tasting season is revving up with new releases, festivals, and new tasting rooms–all within a scenic 1- to 2-hour drive from Tucson. Arizona winemakers have pruned their vines and are keeping a close watch on the weather, hoping for precious few frosts, as they look forward to sharing their wines with you at these public events.

Spring Tempe Festival of the Arts

Head to Tempe, Arizona the weekend of April 5-7, 2013, to sip, sample, and savor local Arizona wines. Fourteen wineries will showcase their wines and offer tastings along with sales by the glass, bottle, or case at this event sponsored by the Arizona Wine Growers Association. The wine festival admission of $15 includes six tastings and a commemorative wine glass. The festival will be located on 7th Street, just west of Mill Avenue in Tempe. Tickets available for purchase in advance.

Celebrate in Sonoita

Saturday and Sunday, April 20 and 21, 2013, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., head to the Kief Joshua Vineyards on Elgin Road for the second Southeast AZ Wine Growers Festival. There will be more than a dozen winemakers and live music, fabulous food vendors, and many wineries will be releasing new wines. The lovely Jeordie (daughter of ’60s musical artist Melanie; remember her?) is the featured musician. Plan to stay for the day (or the weekend). This is a laid-back, simply enjoyable weekend to hang out in the KJV vineyards.

Second Annual Bacchanal Festival

Looking for nothing but fun? There’s always something hopp’ning at Arizona Hops & Vines. Megan and Shannon are prepping for their Second Annual Bachannal Festival, Saturday, May 11, 2013. This all-day, all-out festival includes wine and beer tastings, homemade root beer, great food from local restaurant and food truck delectables paired with wines from Arizona’s best vineyards, family crafts, a petting zoo, and plenty of fun and debauchery for all ages. Located on Hwy 82, about 5 miles east of Hwy 83, this gorgeous vineyard enjoys some of the best valley views.

Willcox hosts AZ Winemakers

Downtown Willcox in Historic Railroad Park is the scene of one of the most peaceful, easy-feeling wine festivals in the area. Well, that’s until a train flies by about every 9 minutes; but that just adds to the ambiance.

The Willcox Wine Country Spring Wine Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and May 19, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Your $15 tasting fee includes 8 tastings, commemorative glass, and some of the best live entertainment in all of Southeast AZ.

Following the festival on Saturday, at 6:00 p.m., will be a special showing of Free Willy III at the historic Willcox movie theater, immediately across the street. This movie is one of dozens directed by film director-turned-winemaker, Sam Pillsbury of Pillsbury Wines. The movie viewing is free for one and all, but donations are welcome to help support the theater.

Rumor has it there will be at least two new tasting rooms opening up in the Willcox area by then as well. Well worth the drive (about 1.5 hours from Tucson); lots of places to spend the night.

Alice Feiring Recap

The presentation of Naked Wine at the Tucson Festival of Books earlier this month featured well-known author and wine critic Alice Feiring. The wines tasted and discussed by the panel of experts and audience participants were:

• Tournelle Fleurs Savagnin 2007
• Pitancier Sauvignon Blanc 2011
• Matariki Sauvignon Blanc 2009
• Coturri Carignane 2009
• Olivier Cousin Pur Breton 2011 (my personal favorite)

Cheers!

Naked wine is defined as stripped down to the basics—wine that represents the terroir, as it was meant to be. Feiring calls naked wines wholesome, exciting, provocative, living, sensual, and pure. This is quite the opposite of many of today’s new world-style wines being produced—which she describes as “over-ripe, over-manipulated, and over-blown.”

In this book, described as her “personal journey into the new (but centuries old) world of natural wine,” Feiring takes the dare to try her hand (and feet) at natural winemaking—making wine with nothing more than crushed grapes. She learns that it isn’t all that easy, but she remains steadfast in her belief that additives and chemicals used in the process should be used only when necessary. This includes the addition of yeasts, enzymes, and processes that use machines to alter alcohol level, flavor, or texture, or that promote premature aging.

Meet Alice Feiring, Author of “Naked Wine” at Tucson Festival of Books, Sunday, March 10, 2:30 p.m.

In her first book, THE BATTLE FOR WINE AND LOVE or How I Saved the World from Parkerization, Feiring fearlessly takes on Robert Parker, whose rating system she believes set the stage to tempt winemakers into produce fruit-bomb, over-processed wines to score his approval. Both of Feiring’s books are fascinating fodder for anyone interested in wines.

Alice Feiring is a James Beard Foundation Award-winning journalist whose blog, alicefeiring.com, was named one of the seven best by Food & Wine. Formerly the wine/travel columnist for Time, she has written for the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Town & Country, Wall Street Journal, and Los Angeles Times Magazine. She lives in New York City.

She will be on-hand to sign her books immediately following the presentation.

Cheers to Tucson Festival of Books!

Bear Track Bistro and Winery Welcomes You!

A brand-new exclusive wine bistro has quietly opened its doors in Northeast Tucson this week, and I suggest you make tracks to try it out before it gets so busy you can’t get through the doors.

At the Bear Track Wine Bistro, located on the northeast corner of Sunrise at Swan, you’ll be greeted by an 8-foot friendly wooden bear just outside the door. Once inside, you’ll enjoy a wine experience like no other in Tucson.

Choose for wine selections that were personally gathered and/or produced by proprietor Rick Riddle, a sommelier, New Mexico winery owner, professional golfer (also UofA team), and all-around ingenious guy. His dream of such an establishment has morphed into many layers of engagement for Bear Track customers. His sister Celia will manage the shop.

Patrons will enjoy tasting a highly selective repertoire of fine wines from California, New Mexico, Arizona, and all around the world,  including many from Riddle’s own New Mexico winery. Customers will be able to blend their own wines here as well.

Select from an upscale European-style menu featuring homemade bread sticks and ciabatta made by Mona’s Danish Bakery (just a few doors down from Bear Track) for dipping in the fine olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Accompany this with all-natural artisan-cured meats seasoned with organic spices, smoked oysters, stuffed olives, and an amazing selection of cheeses.

Ah, the cheeses—these are all-exclusive too. Riddle has been working with an award-winning fourth-generation Wisconsin cheese maker to create incredible combinations.

Over a bottle of Riddle’s hand-crafted 2010 Montepulciano, we shared a sample of green chili with roasted garlic cheese, and some cheddar made with Chimayó chiles and El Patrone tequila. The groupings enjoyed a party courtesy of my palate.

Bear Track will offer all wine and cheese products retail, plus olive oils, balsamic vinegars, and Sabino Artisan Chocolates. As Riddle puts it, “You won’t find these wines at BevMo or Total Wines.”

This is going to be some fun, especially if you’re willing to play along with all that Bear Track has to offer. It will become a favorite place to find special gifts for any foodie or wine-lover you might need to please. Riddle intends to make Bear Track a totally green operation as well.

Cheers to Rick Riddle’s new adventure with Bear Track Wine Bistro!

Over 30 wineries will celebrate the best Arizona wines on Sat., Nov. 17, at the fourth annual Arizona Wine Growers Association (AWGA) Festival at The Farm. Shake hands and drink the wine of Arizona’s own grape farmers and wine producers in the picturesque and peaceful pecan groves of Phoenix’s intimate The Farm at South Mountain

Participating wineries will represent growing regions from the Verde Valley in the north, Sonoita and Elgin in the south, and Willcox in southeastern Arizona.

As a nod to Arizona wine’s rich history, the festival is an officially-sanctioned Arizona Centennial event. The event will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and is limited to 1,000 guests. Adult guests over 21 with I.D. only, please.

The festival will include:

• Wine tasting with 31 participating Arizona wineries
• Picnic lunch prepared by The Farm Kitchen; tasty treats from other local Arizona favorites
• High-energy live auction for great prizes
• Educational seminars including food & wine pairing with Chef LaPrad from Quiessence and Curt Dunham, winemaker from Lawrence Dunham Vineyards

The festival will be preceded by a special event on Friday, Nov. 16. The Celebration of the Arizona Wine Growers is an opportunity to mingle and meet winemakers from across the state. The event is 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Quiessence Restaurant at The Farm at South Mountain.

The winemaker celebration is open to the public but capped at 150 guests. This special evening includes an awards reception followed by a specially prepared appetizers using local produce by Quiessence Executive Chef Greg LaPrad. Each course, from appetizers to desserts will be paired with the winning wines from the 2012 Arizona Grower’s Cup and Winemaker’s Medal competition. Each of the winning wineries will be present to discuss their wine and wine-making philosophy.

Ticket information for both the Celebration and Festival is available online.

“Novice or aficionado, this is a can’t-miss event for wine lovers to meet the folks behind the rising Arizona wine movement,” said Peggy Fiandaca, president of AWGA. “Come sip the juice from our state’s beautiful wine regions all in one place, in one of the most wonderful settings Phoenix has to offer.”

This Festival at The Farm is widely considered to be Arizona’s best showcase for its fine wines. Arizona is home to 63 licensed and bonded wineries operating throughout the state, and vineyards represent small, family-owned, low-water-use agriculture. The money raised from the festival goes to the AWGA’s commitment to advancing with integrity the sustainable growth and production of authentic Arizona wines. The industry creates jobs and keeps dollars in Arizona.

“The Arizona wine industry continues to grow and expand at a rapid rate despite the sluggish economy. Every year, more Arizona wines are being recognized for their outstanding quality and uniqueness. There is a growing buzz that Arizona is becoming the next great wine region in the U.S.” concludes Fiandaca.

Cheers, see you at The Farm!

James Callahan, Aridus Winery, poses in front of some awesome stainless tanks.—Photo by Thomas Ale Johnson

Aridus Wine Company is a new custom crush winery in Willcox, Arizona. The winery in housed in an existing 24,000-ft. insulated building that has been converted into a state-of-the-art custom crush winery. The winery was opened for business this year and was ready for the Arizona grapes harvest in late summer 2012.

Wines of Sam Pillsbury Wines and Carlson Creek Vineyards, the first custom-crush clients, will be served at the Willcox Chamber of Commerce sponsored ribbon-cutting ceremony for Aridus Wine Company’s this Saturday, October 27, 2:00pm-4:00pm at 145 N Railview Ave in Willcox.

You’ll be able to check out the magnificent facilities. The winery production area features a covered crush pad with crushing, pressing, and fermenting tanks, indoor fermenting room, climate-controlled barrel storage, and bottling room. Other buildings house offices, lab, staff, and client work areas. A lab is available for many analysis requirements. Special analysis will be in association with ETS labs.

The custom crush winery is a welcomed asset to the growing Arizona wine industry, and opened just in time for 2012 record harvests.

Get to Willcox EARLY!

Might as well make it a day trip to Willcox—it’s only about 90 miles from Tucson.

Show up early at the Zarpara Vineyard, just off Kansas Settlement Road (left on Lucky Lane, then follow the signs). They will be hosting the Arizona Wine Growers Association Arizona Grape Stomp 5K tomorrow morning. You can register beginning at 7:00am tomorrow and the race will begin at 9:00am. There will be sangria and a special tasting discount for the event.

Check out this sweet little bunch of grapes known as Kipper at the Carlson Creek Vineyards Hallo-wine tasting room as you make your way across Willcox this weekend. Boo!

Then check in at Lawrence Dunham Vineyards for their Burgers and Big Ass Reds event (the LDV 2010 Petite Sirah will be making its debut), Hallow-Wine fun at Carlson Creek Vineyards, music and tapas at Coronado Vineyards, art and wine at TRUST at the Keeling Schaefer Vineyards tasting room, and the fall pumpkin celebration at Apple Annie’s Orchard will round out your day. There should be time to stop by the Aridus ribbon-cutting along your journey (see above).

Cheers!

This two-day fun-filled event focuses on wine tasting and meeting the Arizona winemakers who make it so. For a $15 tasting fee, festival-goers receive 8 wine tastings, a commemorative wine glass, and will enjoy live entertainment. Additional tasting tickets may be purchased at the hospitality kiosk. Choose from more than 60 wines from 13 Arizona wineries at this event; be among the first to taste some of these wines, many of which are new or recent releases.

There will be plenty of live entertainment on hand as you make your way around the park to taste the wines.

On Saturday, October 20, Buzz and the Soul Senders will be providing entertainment. This is a versatile group of talented musicians from southern Arizona with a strong background in blues and funky soul.

On Sunday, October 21, local favorites from Bisbee, Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl with Sam and Daniele Panther, will play an eclectic mix of styles along with their own critically acclaimed songs. Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl have received rave reviews of their most recent CD Children of Fortune. Not only is their music uniquely Arizona, it is an exciting update of the Folk/Americana genre.

13 to the Gallows will be closing the event on Sunday, October 21. The group mixes classic country style with contemplative lyrics and a self-described “spaghetti western” vibe. This Peoria, AZ-based band is a gem shining from the Arizona desert dust.

“Melancholy Radiance” was created with the assistance of a Sand-Reckoner Vineyards Sangiovese (Brunello clone) leaf. Look for this moody mixed-media work by Xymyl at the TRUST booth, which will feature other artwork in the “Terroir” series made with grape leaves from Keeling Schaefer Vineyards, Coronado Vineyards, Carlson Creek Vineyards, Pillsbury Wine Co., Zarpara Vineyard, and Lawrence Dunham Vineyards.

On Saturday, the 20, TRUST Art & Design will give away an original artwork by a local artist. Everyone who buys a bottle of wine can enter the drawing. They will also conduct a silent auction at the TRUST Art & Design booth in the park, featuring local artwork, so stop by and bid on your favorite piece(s).

Other vendors will be scattered throughout the park, where you’ll discover locally grown pecans, olive oils, food mixes, jams and jellies, jewelry, gifts, and more.

Movie Night Bonus

Starlight Hotel is a 1987 film by Arizona winemaker and movie director Sam Pillsbury, who will be screening this family-friendly film. This after-hours special event will be held just 35 short steps across the street from the park, on Saturday, October 20, at 6pm, at the Rex Allen Theatre. There will be no admission fee, but generous donations at this viewing will help reopen this historic theater to the public.

According to a review that ran in the New York Times, the movie is set in the Great Depression. Kate (Greer Robson) is a 13-year-old girl living on New Zealand’s South Island, whose mother dies and father takes work far away. Kate is sent to live with an aunt, until she runs away to find her father. She hops onto a boxcar and befriends a fellow fugitive, Patrick (Peter Phelps), an emotionally battle-scarred WWI veteran. The two use each other for cover as they make their way across New Zealand, sleeping under the stars (hence the film’s title), and championing the rights of destitute farmers and homeless squatters whose fortunes have been wiped out by economic hardship.

I’ll see you in Willcox this weekend, woo woo woo (that’s my railroad train sound).

Cheers!

Picking the Mourvedre grapes in the Pillsbury vineyards, Willcox, AZ

After two years of weather-beaten crops, 2012 is turning out to be one of the best grape harvests on record for Arizona vineyards. Better than usual rainfall, fewer hail storms, and generally all-around good farming has resulted in some of the nicest grapes and highest yields for Arizona winemaking in years.

As the 2012 grape harvesting season nears its end, I must say that Arizona winemakers are certainly acting much happier than they did during the past two growing seasons. Faces are beaming and most of them appear to be quite busy with all the work that tons and tons of freshly picked grapes create. Winemaker Sam Pillsbury recorded a running blow-by-blow of his winery’s harvesting on facebook beginning in early September:

Big heat spike in the last month had pushed the grapes a bit fast; we’re trying to slow things down so they reach their peak before we pick.

It’s always something at harvest though…

The 2-ton Friday Shiraz test pick pressed out beautifully; looks like we’ll be pickin’ more Shiraz tomorrow. Unless it pours.

‎14 Tons of Shiraz to go. Picked Grenache and Viognier already; still waiting for Mourvedre and Petite Sirah.

It’s still in process… We’re picking the last of our grapes tomorrow—Mourvedre… and it’s never tasted so deeply satisfying on the vine.

When I asked him to describe the harvest overall later in September, he responded:

We’ve really learned some things about getting richness and complexity from the grapes without just going for simple over-ripeness. And in that endeavor we picked a small amount of one grape earlier than we will next year, although we can use that wine to balance another pick that was too high in pH and alcohol to balance it out.

We are on a huge learning curve with our unique terroir and I really am hugely optimistic that our wines will continue to get better!

Better Pillsbury wines? Have you tried Pillsbury’s DIVA, or Wild Child White (and Red) yet? And the Pillsbury Symphony… oh my!

Curt Dunham of  Lawrence Dunham Vineyards described in his newsletter:

“We are literally up to our elbows in deep purple must, and have been scrambling to try to find places to not only ferment the grapes but to store the finished wine after pressing. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of new barrels and some temporary storage tanks. We were totally taken by surprise by the volume of fruit we picked from the entire vineyard. To put this year in perspective, we picked a total of 9 tons last year; 2012 yielded over 32 tons.”

Rod Keeling of Keeling Schaefer Vineyards summed it all up in a facebook posting:

87.76 tons of estate grown fruit harvested. Thankful for this great harvest of renewal.

Sonoita/Elgin Wine Region Day Trip

I took a little side a couple of Fridays ago to the Sonoita/Elgin wine region to catch up with some old friends and learn firsthand what was new on the wine tasting menus at the vineyards. It’s a short jaunt, just about an hour from Tucson—and once I got there, I didn’t want to come home.

The generous rains this year have transformed this once-barren mesquite scattered countryside to plush sunflower and wildflower speckled hillsides and valleys. (My allergies noticed before I did.) And the smiles of the winemakers who greeted me tell an entirely different story than their weather-related harvesting tales of yore.

I drove to the farthest vineyard, Lightning Ridge Cellars, and met up with Ron and Ann Roncone in the beautiful tasting room. With only one more field to harvest, this year’s bounty looks good, she told me.

I tasted (and purchased) their latest bottled wine to the tasting room line-up, the Lightning Ridge Cellars 2010 Montepulciano. This wine has captured true Italian richness—although young, it has some earthiness to it, along with blackberry and black olive overtones. It proved to be delightful with my pasta primavera, of course.

I had to admire the new beautifully constructed bocce ball courts on the Lightning Ridge Cellars premises; looking just about ready for competition. Ron promises a tournament soon; stay tuned!

Next stop, Kief Joshua Vineyards, where dad Jeff was manning the tasting room. New on the menu for me were the 2010 Magdalena (named for Kief’s grandmother), and the Kief-Joshua Vineyards LaCrime Divino (82% Syrah,18% Viognier). That’s right; it’s a blend of a red and white grapes. Kief tells me his mother Charlene fell in love with this blend while visiting him when he was studying in Australia—it’s a popular down-under blend. The rich nose of ripe red cherries, pomegranate, and eucalyptus is faintly floral. The palate follows with a pleasant structure of hints of cherries, plum, herbal notes, and a suggestion of vanilla and oak. Nice tannins on the finish; this pairs nicely with dark chocolate; just sayin’.

I missed the formal release party celebrating several new wine releases at Canelo Hills Winery last month, but Joan Mueller was quite willing to catch me up on what’s being served in the tasting room. Most new ones on the menu are from the 2009 vintage, another good growing season for their vineyards. I really enjoyed the Nebbiola 2009, an intense taste of licorice, mint, cedar, and dried cranberries. This struck me as one that I’d like to have around for Thanksgiving feasting. But my favorite (and I suspect Joan’s too) was the Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, which won a bronze medal in the 2012 Finger Lakes International competition. Dark and intense with a hint of oak, the black raspberries and licorice tastes end in a soft and somewhat dry finish. The tasting notes proclaim: “Sonoita dust weaves throughout the experience of this wine.” Yeah, that’s it!

I disturbed Paula Bostock and the boys taking a siesta on the front porch when I arrived at Dos Cabezas Wineworks on this sunny afternoon, but she gladly abandoned her rest and poured me a few of their newest offerings. I found the Dos Cabezas Toscano 2010 to be the most fun on the Dos Cabezas tasting menu; this is a blend of 78% Sangiovese and 27% Cabernet Franc. I bought a bottle and enjoyed it with a spicy grilled chicken salad the next week and couldn’t have been happier.

Likewise enjoying a bountiful harvest this year, Dos Cabezas will be celebrating next week at Cosecha 2012: A Harvest Celebration. Celebrate the end of a bountiful harvest with them October 27-28.  Festivities will take place at the winery where they’ll have some new releases for you to sample. There will be four barrel tastings each day. This is a rare opportunity to sample their wines before they are blended and bottled. Participants may select the time that works best when purchasing tickets. Either preceding or following the barrel tasting, current releases will be available for sampling along with lunch by Baratin and a concert on the patio. The $50 cost of admission covers the barrel tasting, lunch, concert, wine tasting, and a wine glass.

My last stop on this tour was Arizona Hops & Vines, and meeting up with Thomas (aka Xymyl) and Kim Johnson of TRUST, the art gallery located in Willcox. Thomas was busily securing his artistic creations to the walls, and the joint was hopping as usual, thanks to Shannon’s spirit-stirring style of wine pouring and oh, how about those Cheetos as palate cleansers? The real appetizers soon appeared as the Art Opening was underway. Alas, I had to head back to Tucson before dark. [Stay tuned for a new release party announcement SOON at AZ Hops & Vines.]

So little time, so many fine wines. I missed stopping by several other great wineries, but I’ll be back soon—Rancho Rossa, Callaghan, Wilhelm, Charron, and more will be on my list. Next time, I might just reserve myself a room at Xanadu Ranch and make it a weekend.

Grape Stomp 5K in Sonoita THIS weekend!

Don’t put off heading to explore the Sonoita/Elgin wine region. Start out with an early morning 5K run/walk, the Great Arizona Grape Stomp sponsored by the Arizona Winegrowers Association, beginning at the Village of Elgin Winery and ending at Sonoita Vineyards. Sign up at AWGA or at the Sonoita Vineyards beginning at 7:00am on Saturday, October 20. Runners will be shuttled to the Village of Elgin at 8am to start the run at 9am. After the run, breakfast will be available at Sonoita Vineyards.

Musician Dave Manning will be performing blues, old rock, and boogie woogie at the Kief Joshua Vineyards that same day.

Wilhelm hosts Hallo-wine celebration

Later this month, Saturday, October 27, 5:30 till 8:00pm, Wilhelm Family Winery will host a family-friendly Halloween Party. In addition to wine-tasting, eats, and non-alcoholic drinks and games, there will be a cupcake/cookie walk, maze, popcorn and movies, costume contest, temporary tats, Gluhwein by the fire (or at least a cauldron), and more Hallowine-type stuff.

Cheers to a very fun and busy season of activity throughout Arizona wine country!