The Arizona Wine Growers Association’s first Arizona Wine Week celebration is now history, but the memories and photos are still being shared on facebook and among friends. Many new wines were discovered last Saturday as Arizona wine growers showcased their best in the pecan grove at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix.

Trust Yvonne Foucher of CataVinos when she says she can find you a wine that you'd like -- she got the people's choices both right!

Our Tucson contingent particularly enjoyed the People’s Choice event, where we tasted eight different wines (four reds, four whites) and voted for our personal choices, while the ‘experts’ discussed the art of wine tasting and its subtleties. My guest, Yvonne K. Foucher, owner of CataVinos Wine Shoppe & Tasting Room, told us she wasn’t going to vote for her favorites, she was going to select the ones she thought the most people would like best. Dang, she was right on! The People’s Choice winners were Merkin Shinola (red) and Arizona Stronghold Site Archive Bonita Springs Chardonnay (white). Next time Yvonne tells you she can help you find a wine you’ll like, trust her.

My personal favorites were Caduceus Kitsuné (red) and Callaghan’s Lisa’s Blend (white), for what it’s worth.

Award Winners – AZ Wine Week

Eric Glomski and Maynard James Keenan’s wines made quite a showing in the Arizona Republic Wine Competition, held in conjunction with Arizona Wine Week. The Caduceus Kitsuné 2008 took the Gold Arizona Grower’s Cup in reds; Keenan’s Merkin Vineyards’ The Diddler 2009, took the Gold in whites. A couple of Bronzes and another Silver (rosé) rounded out their take in the Growers’ Cup competition (wines produced from Arizona grown fruit).

Other wineries winning big in that competition included Arizona Stronghold (Gold in rosé with Dayden 2009) and Sonoita Vineyards (Peach Sparkles NV garnered the Gold in dessert wines). Callaghan, Dos Cabezas, Carlson Creek, Coronado, Wilhelm, and Four Monkeys also took home prizes in the Grower’s Cup.

In the Arizona Winemaker’s Medal competition that judge wines produced in Arizona (not necessarily with AZ grown grapes) saw Alcantara Vineyards take Gold honors in the red wine category with their Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. They also captured Silver and Bronzes in the same category, as well as a Silver in the white wine category. Caduceus Dos Ladrones 2009 won the white wine Gold; they also had two wines win Bronze honors in the red wine category. Page Springs also captured a Bronze in white wines.

Coronado Vineyards Anniversary Celebration

Coronado Vineyard in Willcox (just off Interstate 10 at Exit 344) will celebrate its 4th Anniversary and Release Party, November 20, 2010 10 am - 4 pm, with wine tasting, anniversary cake, and complimentary appetizers. They will also be releasing the new 2009 Coronado Vineyards Meritage (50% Cabernet Sauvignon; 50 % Merlot), a wonderful new addition to the Coronado family of wines. (They’ll begin serving this new release at dinner, Friday, November 19, at 5:00pm, if you’d like to be among the first to sample the Meritage).

Canelo Hills Holiday Wreath-Making Workshop & Wine Tasting

Join Elgin winemakers Tim and Kathryn Mueller for the Canelo Hills Vineyard and Winery annual grapevine wreath-making afternoon. Make your own grapevine wreath and take a piece of Canelo Hills home with you for the holiday.

Participants will cut their own vines from the vineyard, fashion them into a wreath, and personalize with their choice of decorations – all while tasting Canelo Hills’ wines and snacking on holiday treats. Each participant will make one decorated wreath, and can make unlimited plain wreaths to adorn at home.

The cost is $35 per person. Reservations are required, call 520-455-5499, or email info@canelohillswinery.com to reserve a space.

Tempe Wine Festival / Festival of the Arts

Plan now to attend the Arizona Wine Festival of the Arts in Tempe, December 3-5, 2010, from 10:00am to dusk. This is an exciting opportunity to visit talented artists from all over the country and, of course, taste and purchase wine.

Participants will taste wines from 12 Arizona wineries. $12 buys a glass and 6 tasting tickets (additional tickets are available).  Check with the Arizona Wine Growers for more details.

Did you know?

One ton of grapes will fill two oak barrels with wine. Just a bit of vine trivia from Canelo Hills Vineyard and Winery.

Is there such a thing as kosher wine that is actually good, beyond Manischewitz? Find out for yourself, Sunday, September 26, between 3:00 to 5:00 pm.

Sample six fine wines which happen to be kosher at the Temple Emanu-El Women of Reform Judaism Beyond Manischewitz Kosher Wine Tasting. Five local chefs will pair their favorite recipes with kosher wines for the event. Chefs will also give cooking and wine pairing tips for trying their recipes at home.

Sample food offerings will be from 47 Scott, elle wine country restaurant, Naked Food & Fitness, Shlomo & Vito’s, and Sous Chef. Coffee tasting and sparkling cider will also be available. The event is a fundraiser for continuing Jewish education opportunities for Kurn Religious School teachers.

Tickets are $36 in advance or $42 at the door. Beyond Manischewitz will be held in the Temple Emanu-El Sukkah (located in the Biblical Garden) at 225 N. Country Club Rd.  For more information or to purchase tickets contact Lori Riegel at 327-6722 or lriegel@templeemanueltucson.org.

Grape Stomp 5K in Willcox next weekend

There’s still time to sign up for the third “stomp” on the Arizona Winemakers Association Grape Stomp tour will lead you 3.1 miles through the Keeling Schaefer Vineyards in Willcox, on September 18th, beginning at 7:00am.

After the race, enjoy wine tasting in the Willcox area; take your commemorative glasses to the local wineries to receive discounts. Or take a hike in the Chiricahua National Monument. (I’m personally going to taste the wines.) Contact the Arizona Wine Growers Association for more information.

Sedona Winefest 2010 scheduled

The weekend of September 25 and 26, 11:00am till 5:00pm, will be a busy one at the Sedona Airport with the Sedona Winefest 2010. The event will be located on the airport mesa, taking advantage of the substantial parking available as well as spectacular views. The Winefest will be joined by the airport’s traditional airport open house and fly in, and the classic car show on the first day of the event, September 25.

The two-day wine festival celebrates the wine growing industry of Arizona, particularly the wineries in the Verde Valley region: Freitas Vineyard, Javelina Leap, Caduceus Cellars, Merkin Vineyards, Jerome Winery, Bitter Creek Winery, Page Springs Cellars, Arizona Stronghold, Alcantara, Pillsbury Wine Co., Oak Creek Vineyards, Juniper Well Ranch Vineyards, and Carlson Creek Vineyard.

The entry fee of $12.00 will include an 18-ounce commemorative Winefest glass and six tasting tickets. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase wine by the case, bottle, and by the glass from all the participating wineries.

The Sedona Arts Center’s “Artists in Action” program will also be featured — over a dozen artists who are also instructors at the art center will demonstrate their artistic skills. Visitors will be able to join in and get on the pottery wheel to see if they can create a masterpiece.

The Sedona Winefest pavilion will include a food court with a variety of menu items and snacks throughout the day. Entertainment scheduled on Saturday is Steve Douglas’ gypsy jazz trio, ZAZU; on Sunday, patrons will enjoy the popular trio Soundscape Sedona, featuring Susannah Martin.

On Saturday, September 25, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, the airport will also host the annual airport open house and fly-in plus the classic car show. Included in this family event will be the 1929 Ford Tri-Motor aircraft which was is only one of five such aircraft still flying in the world. Rides on the Tri-Motor will be offered for $60 a person. Other aircraft, including four brand new, state-of-the-art airplanes representing the best of American aircraft manufacturers will be on display. The Sedona Car Club will once again host their competitive 100+ car show with car buffs from around the state completing for prizes for best of show.

For more information, contact Sandy at sandy@sedonawinefest.com.  Or contact the website. is: http://www.sedonawinefest.com.

Congratulations to Yvonne Foucher, owner of CataVinos Wine Shoppe and Tasting Room, for achieving the unthinkable – three years of doing successful business in Tucson. Foucher celebrated with more than 300 of her closest friends and patrons (one and the same) on Saturday, September 4. The event featured 12 Arizona wine distributors pouring 50+ wines to sample. Musicians Chuck Aubrey, Anna Warr, Mike Kuhn, and great food from the Lao Student Club rocked the house.

CataVinos is not just a little store to stop by to pick up some wine, although you can do that. You’re more likely to stick around and enjoy the themed taste testing with strangers, soon to become friends. Priced at $15 or less per bottle, Foucher claims that most every wine in the shoppe has been tested and approved by a ‘board of taste testers’ that was created during the first months of the business to set the standard.

In recent months, CataVinos has opened a new tasting room plus began hosting regular monthly events like Cheers to Books (third Wednesday) and the GLBT Meet & Greet (first Wednesday). It’s become a favorite venue for parties and company events as well. Many CataVinos regulars taste wines out of Riedel glasses with their names on them – Foucher’s tribute to loyal patrons.

How has CataVinos survived throughout one of the most volatile economic eras of our times, especially in Tucson, where small retail businesses come and go before the ink dries on their sign? “White knuckles and incredibly loyal and loving customers,” Foucher says.

Cheers to many more years of CataVinos wine tasting to come!

Blood Into Wine DVD release party at Club Congress

There will be a special Blood Into Wine screening and DVD release party at Club Congress in Tucson on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 7:00pm. This fast-moving and entertaining movie recounts the story of Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan on his road to producing some very fine Arizona wines at Caduceus Cellars.

If you stop by ZIA Records to pick up the Blood Into Wine DVD or Blu-Ray (available September 7), you’ll get priority entrance to the screening. Club Congress will have a great selection of AZ Stronghold and Caduceus wines that are featured in the film available for sale.

Sonoma Winery’s green efforts saluted

Greenopia has awarded the Benziger Family Winery in Sonoma, CA, top honors in its wine guide. Their release reads, “Benziger has addressed nearly every impact to make it the greenest wine we came across in our study.”

Anyone who has visited the Benziger Winery knows that they are very proud of the various environmental initiatives that they do. They produce a variety of green wines including organic, sustainably grown, and biodynamic. Likewise, Benziger has incorporated some elements of green building design in its facilities, including solar power, and its wines are bottled with natural cork which has the smallest life cycle impact of all wine stoppers.

The Benziger Family Winery further reports that they are rolling out a new label with improvements to its packaging. The new glass bottles are 30% lighter (amounting to 286,900 pounds of glass saved per year). The labels are comprised of 30% post-consumer waste and the inks used to print them are soy-based.

elle is moving on up …

After 11 years of serving its loyal customer base at its Broadway Village location, elle Wine Country Restaurant is moving to a new location. Its last day of serving diners at 3048 E. Broadway is tentatively set for Sunday, September 12. elle will undergo a name and concept change and relocate to Campbell Plaza at 2968 North Campbell (Northeast corner of Campbell & Glenn).

elle’s describes the new location as a hipper, trendier restaurant person. It will showcase a brand new, intimate, contemporary look, feel, and taste, while remaining affordable. Look for it to debut in early October this year.