Are you one of those who scrunches your face and says, “Arizona wines? They can’t be good.” Then this weekend is out to prove you wrong. Head down the Sonoita Wine Trail, Arizona’s original and oldest wine-growing region, for the Southeast Arizona Wine Festival at Kief-Joshua Vineyards this Saturday and Sunday, 11:00am-5:00pm . The festival is a perfect and affordable event for the entire family–and a great way to check out the wines of 17 wineries from throughout the state–from the Verde Valley to Willcox. I could guarantee that you’ll not leave there without more than one new favorite wine, made right here in Arizona. Check out my earlier posting for more details. See you at the festival!

Wine Tasting Sunday Benefits NOCC

Here in Tucson, a Sunday afternoon tasting (April 15, 4:00pm-6:00pm) at CataVinos Wine Shoppe & Tasting Room, 3063 N Alvernon Way. Your $20 tasting ticket is good for six wines and heavy appetizers. Proceeds will be donated to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC).

Vertical Syrah Tasting at Keeling Schaefer Vineyards

The wine tasting fun continues. Next Saturday, April 21, from 1:00pm-5:00pm at the Keeling Schaefer Vineyards in Pearce, Arizona in the Willcox Wine Region, Jan and Rod will be opening the Keeling Schaefer wine library for a retrospective of their six Syrah vintages. The $50 tasting ($35 for KSV club members) will include Keeling Schaefer Three Sisters Syrahs, Home Place Reserve, and Keeling Brothers Shiraz. Special hors d’oeuvres and tapas by Chef Rod Kass of Cafe Roka in Bisbee will round out the fare. Wine sales will begin at 3:00pm, featuring special pricing for participants. RSVP by Monday, April 16 to Jan, 520-824-2500 or email jan@keelingschaefervineyards.com. Space is limited.

Carlson Creek Vineyard Vine Planting

Planting vines is the perfect way to get involved in the Arizona wine scene–the vines you plant will be around for generations and a plaque with your name on it will be placed at the end of any full row that you plant at the Carlson Creek Vineyard. The holes are already dug…all you need to do is bury a baby vine in each one. Plantings are scheduled for April 14, 15, 21, and 22, starting at 7:00am. Breakfast and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided, and lunch will be catered by Taste of Coronado for $15. Contact Robert Carlson for more information and to sign yourself up!

Blessing of the Vineyards

The 34th Blessing of Sonoita Vineyards will take place April 28, 2012 from 10:00am-4:00pm in Elgin, AZ. Admission of $15 includes a souvenir glass, wine and food pairings, wine tasting, horse-drawn wagon rides through the vineyard, and winery tour. Lunch and horseback rides may be purchased separately. Reservations not required.

Heading east on I-10 a windy Sunday, our target was to explore Willcox, Arizona wine region wines.

Mark Jorve showcases Zarpara Vineyards 2007 Origen in their new tasting room in Willcox, AZ

First stop, the newly opened Zarpara Vineyard’s tasting room, located on the Willcox Bench off Kansas Settlement Road, nestled in Arizona’s largest grape growing region. The directions claimed it was a few minutes south of historic downtown, but I found myself thinking they possibly could paint the road yellow to make it a bit easier to find. Once arrived, I discovered that Zarpara’s tasting room was well worth the search.

Friendly Mark Jorve (owner) explained the selection we were about to taste: “We feature carefully selected, hand-crafted, and hard-to-find wines from our Willcox Wine Country neighbors.” Pourings included wines from Sand-Reckoner (a sweet, herb-y Malvasia and 2, a red blend), Sierra Bonita (Syrah), Golden Rule (Sangiovese), and Lawrence Dunham Vineyards. All were delightful ‘finds’ among Arizona wine offerings.

I discovered that the 2009 Lawrence Dunham Vineyards Petite Sirah, 100% Cochise County grown grapes, particularly pleasing to my palate. A beautiful nose, the mouth-feel and finish was peppery and spicy with big tannins—just as expected from a classic Petite Sirah. This wine would be perfect with pizza or spaghetti and meatballs, or to share with a romantic steak dinner.

While Zarpara hopes for its first harvest this year, Mark proudly pours us a sampling of their first offering, 2007 Zarpara Origen, a blend of Cochise County Grenache and Syrah grapes. This wine is complex and mature—having aged for 3 years in neutral oak and a year in the bottle. Fabulous just for sipping, I enjoyed it with a salmon salad this week. The tasting notes suggest pairing it with lamb, thin sliced flat-iron steak, or pork tenderloin. Look for great things to come from this new vineyard.

On to Coronado Vineyards, I once again enjoyed the winery’s 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and Two Heads Red (two of my all-time everyday favorite affordable Arizona wines). I finally took the challenge to try the Coronado Vineyards Conquistador Red, a dessert wine (well out of my comfort zone). Amazingly, it was not too sweet—instead, it was full of berries and cherries with sort of a green tea finish. Big, sweet, smooth, and easy-drinking. I bought a bottle to take home, knowing I will enjoy this some evening soon with a great chocolate-inspired dessert.

We headed about 25 miles east of Willcox to the Fort Bowie Vineyards. The modest tasting room is located behind this little town’s post office (don’t blink!) but it offers about a dozen of some of the most surprising Arizona wines you’ll find—at amazingly affordable prices—from Sweet Water (white) to Syrah and everything in between. The Fort Bowie Pecan Delight is a distinctive sparkling wine with the essence of pecan for only $9/bottle.

Fort Bowie Vineyards is a family-owned and operated farm in Bowie, Arizona. In addition to the vineyards, they grow pecans, walnuts, peaches, and cherries.

Southeast AZ Wine Growers Festival Features 17 Wineries at Kief-Joshua

Looking forward to tasting even more Arizona wines on April 14 and 15, at the Southeast Arizona Wine Growers Festival at the Kief-Joshua Vineyards, 370 Elgin Road. Tickets ($15/person) are on sale now or can be purchased the day of the event. Ticket covers wine tasting and a souvenir glass.

Here is your chance to learn more about the wines grown throughout Arizona by 17 Arizona wineries, including:

Sedona/Verde Valley/Cottonwood Region: Arizona Stronghold, Page Spring Cellars, Jerome Winery, Dribble Creek

Urban Wine Region: Kokopelli, Su Vino Wineries

Willcox Region: Keeling Schaefer Vineyards, Golden Rule Vineyards, Coronado Vineyards, Carlson Creek Vineyards, Zarpara Vineyards, Gallifant Vineyards

Sonoita/Elgin Region: Charron Vineyards, Wilhelm Family Vineyards, Kief-Joshua Vineyards

In addition to wine tasting (11am to 5pm), the expanded festival will include sensory wine-tasting and wine-pairing seminars. Buzz and the Soulsenders will be singing the blues from noon to 5 pm. Locally Arizona and Sonoita’s very popular Steak-Out Restaurant will be on site selling chicken wings, pulled pork sandwiches, sirloin steaks, and much more for your enjoyment.

Only about an hour from downtown Tucson, this will be a most gratifying way to spend a day outside the hub-bub of Tucson.

Cheers!

Good wine is a celebrated perk in a wine blogger’s world. But my favorite perk is when good friends gift me with wines of their choosing, always opening up new experiences.

Returning from a business trip to Argentina, a friend gifted me with a bottle of Domingo Molina Torrontés 2010. Torrontés is a white-wine grape, ripened to extraordinary intensity at mile-high vineyards in Argentina’s remote Salta province. Perfectly chilled, I shared this with others over home-made apple allspice cake. The Torrontés’ citrus intensity blended with velvety smoothness and just a hint of oak—the combination was delightful—not too sweet at all. It wasn’t a varietal I would have selected for myself, but for the right occasion, I just might. Thanks, Andy, good choice!

The Otis Kenyon Carménère was a gift from my friend Janice, who often shares great wines from the Walla Walla Valley where she grew up.

I love a good back-story; it always adds to a wine’s enchantment. In the early 1900s, James Otis Kenyon had a struggling dentist practice. When a new dentist moved to town, James burned the competitor’s office to the ground. Mortified, his sons’ families moved to Walla Walla; after 50 years, everyone patched up their differences in a joyous reunion. In tribute to four generations of Otis Kenyons, owners Stephen Otis Kenyon and Deborah Dunbar have returned to the Walla Walla Valley to make wine. In honor of James Otis Kenyon, the label bears his silhouette.

I found this Carménère a tad more structured than its Chilean counterpart. The familiar smoky nose was complemented with green peppers and spicy pepper. I caught a little bacon and fruit on the palate and savored its spicy finish. As this wine opens up, it becomes even more complex; I found it delightful with smoked dilled salmon.

Gift wines always add an extra layer of enjoyment. Consider the gift of wine for that special person or occasion—and always give one that won’t disappoint.

Cheers to good friends!