Spring Tempe Festival of the Arts-goers can sip, sample, and savor local Arizona wine at the Arizona Wine Growers Association’s Arizona Wine Festival, this weekend, March 25-27. Twelve Arizona wineries will showcase their wines and offer tastings, along with sales by the glass, bottle, or case. The wine festival has an admission of $12 that includes six tastings and a commemorative wine glass.

The Arizona Wine Festival will be located on 7th Street, just west of Mill Avenue in Tempe, AZ. The festival is the perfect opportunity for partakers to sample and purchase Arizona wine.

The 2011 Spring Tempe Festival of the Arts features more than 400 fine artists and crafts persons displaying and selling their original work amid a street festival atmosphere in Tempe’s Mill Avenue District. The event is the largest festival of its kind in Arizona, hosting as many as 225,000 festival visitors. It consistently ranks among the top 20 festivals in the nation. The event also includes the Festival Jazz Stage, live entertainment, street performers, sports exhibits, Kids Innovation Station, and fun festival food. Sponsored by the Arizona Wine Growers Association.

Arizona wines are growing in stature and have been served at the White House. In 2010, Arizona wines were poured at three separate esteemed James Beard House dinners. More than 20 wines from eight Arizona wineries have scored at least an 88 rating from Wine Spectator.

Arizona Wine Festival at CataVinos promises great wines and good times

First Arizona Wine Festival in Tucson

CataVinos Wine Shoppe & Tasting Room  is introducing Arizona-produced wines at the first ever Arizona Wine Festival in Tucson on Sunday, April 3, 2011, from 2:00pm-5:00pm. Ten Arizona winemakers will be pouring their finest—if you haven’t tasted Arizona wines for awhile, come out and be pleasantly surprised! Cost is $15/person; receive $5 off with purchase of over $50, and $15 off with the purchase of a case. For more information about the event call CataVinos at 323-3063.

Mark your calendars…plan to enjoy some mighty fine wines. Cheers.

Don’t fall in love with a specific Arizona wine—just as soon as you commit, it becomes so popular, it flies off the shelf and it’s on to the next vintage. That’s not a bad thing—each vintage seems to improve with age and winemaker experience. It’s delightful to discover a new one each time you make it to a tasting room in one of the three Arizona wine regions—Elgin/Sonoita; Willcox; and the Verde Valley. This week, I’m concentrating on the Verde Valley wine-finds discovered just a few weeks ago. If a wine I recommend is not available, don’t worry; these over-achieving winemakers never stop trying to compete for your palate.

Jerome Winery

Label features family aunt and uncle Paula and Hans Heinemann hugging next to their old automobile Aunt

The town of Jerome has no shortage of interesting tales, wines, and personalities. At the top of the list is creative Jerome Winery and Bitter Creek winemaker John McLoughlin. He wasn’t in town when we visited, but we were greeted by his sister, Melanie, in the Jerome Winery tasting room, where she is seven days of the week, while brother John minds the grapes and the business. She dances behind the copper counter pouring wines and sharing family secrets, often spurred by the individual wine labels depicting memorable family photos.

I most enjoyed the 2007 Jerome Winery Charbono, featuring aunt and uncle Paula and Hans Heinemann hugging next to their old automobile on the label; “Hug and Kisses” describes the tender scene on the back. Melanie shares a fond memory of the couple’s bakery in south Chicago. The unusual grape offered a grand fruity nose, nice fruit-driven tannins and acidity in the mouth, and a medium dry, almost cedary finish. This is a fine ‘sitting around sipping with friends’ choice, but I enjoyed a glass with my ginger-grilled salmon and cabrese.

Bitter Creek Winery

Bitter Creek Hierophant Wine - equal blend of Arizona-grown Cabernet, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel grapes

Our friend McLoughlin is supported by a cast of hard-working family characters that must make it delightful to ply his trade. A few hundred steps down from the Jerome Winery tasting room, we were greeted by Melanie’s husband and John’s brother-in-law, Isiah, who continued to entertain with even more family tales and camaraderie. While Jerome Winery wines are single varietals, the Bitter Creek wines are blends. Each bottle is named after a Tarot major arcana card—and, of course, each one sports characteristics of its own.

I previously reviewed The Fool by Bitter Creek Winery, so this time, I choose The Hierophant by Bitter Creek Winery—described on the label as a “Dogmatically Kind, Spiritual Leader, Speaking Truthfully.” (Isaiah hinted that the labels depict family members; is this one named for John? Ask Isaiah, the next time you stop in to see him in Jerome). This wine is a red blend of equal parts of Arizona-grown Cabernet, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel—it just doesn’t get any fairer than that. The Hierophant delivers with plum and pomegranate flavors and smooth lingering finish…a simply yummy match to my St. Patrick Day-inspired corned beef and cabbage.

Arizona Stronghold

Arizona wines were launched steps closer to the forefront of national notice in 2007, with the coming together of Eric Glomski and Maynard Keenan. Glomski, formerly with David Bruce Winery, is the owner/director of winemaking at Page Spring Cellars; Keenan, owner of Caduceus Cellars, is the lead singer for a band called Tool, Pucifer, and others—together they sport the Arizona Stronghold Vineyards banner.

The majority of their quality fruit is grown in the Dos Cabezas Vineyard near Willcox, AZ. The core of the new plantings of Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, Tempranillo, and Sangiovese, Viognier, and Malvasia Bianca are now finding their ways into some of the most palate-pleasing wines in the state. Maynard’s own Merkin Vineyards is also just coming into its own with grapes raised in the high Jerome terroir.

The Site Archive Lozen delivers fruit, spice, and balance

I previously reviewed the Arizona Stronghold Nachise, a Granache-based Rhone blend. This time around, I was drawn to the Arizona Stronghold Site Archive wines that are sold only by Arizona Stronghold. The Arizona Stronghold Site Archive Lozen 2009 is named for a very powerful and skilled Apache warrior and prophet, the inspiration for this powerful yet feminine Bordeaux blend. Cabernet Sauvignon-driven dark blackberry and cassis with Merlot-enhanced aromas of dark fruits and green spices balance out into a lingering Cabernet Franc graphite minerality, smoke-like finish. Great pairing for lamb, pork, steak, or burgers; or for just total enjoyment.

Merkin Vineyards Shinola

I tasted (and bought) the 2008 Merkin Vineyards Shinola at Maynard’s Caduceus tasting room in Jerome. The wine is a Merlot, Cabernet, Sauvignon blend with a nose and notes of earth and vanilla, opening up to delightful flavors of oak and smoke, and finishing strong. I’ll enjoy sharing this with ribs or pork tenderloin on the grill.  This is the final year for the California Shinola and it’s in short supply—however, the Arizona Shinola is bottling now. Only $25/bottle.

Wild Child Red  

Pillsbury Wine Company is the evolution of a dream-come-true project by New Zealand film director and winemaker Sam Pillsbury. Sam flew into Arizona to shoot a pilot for Universal Pictures, fell in love with an Arizona girl, and the Arizona landscape at the same time. 

Pillsbury Wine Company WildChild Red

Growing up in New Zealand Sam witnessed the phenomenon of growing classical wine grapes in unusual places. He thought he could try the same thing here. The location he chose was a high-altitude desert valley in Cochise County, 200 miles southeast of Phoenix. This all came from a desire to get away from mass-produced McDonalds-like wines and create a distinctive regional boutique wine that is 100% Arizona and 100% original. He gambled that the high-altitude, endless sunshine, sandy loam, and dry desert would make for a perfect terroir; in 2000 he planted 20 acres of Rhone varieties. It worked.  

The Pillsbury crowd-favorite WildChild Red is an enchanting value wine at $18/bottle. 100% Arizona grown, this new release is a dry red from a neighboring wild vineyard found dotted with crop circles. It’s a field blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Zin, and Cabernet, to which the winemaker added more Zin from neighbor Golden Rule Vineyards. Red currant and cranberry on the nose with a hint of leather, this finishes with fruity red-berry, orange peel, velvety with a smooth, rounded mouthfeel, according to the tasting notes. I got a bit of smokiness on the finish.

So many Arizona wines, so many more to experience. If your only experience with Arizona wines was 10 years ago, it’s time to hit the trail again. If you’re already a fan, do not worry if a favorite is no longer available; there are plenty more to come, with 45 wineries now producing throughout the state. New varietals are being promised across the state for Spring release. And as they say at the Javalina Leap Winery, no matter what, “Love the wine you’re with.” Cheers!

Don’t miss upcoming chances to taste Arizona wines like the Tempe Art Festival Celebrating Arizona Wines this coming weekend and Tucson’s first ever Arizona Wine Tasting event set for Sunday, April 3 at the CataVinos Wine Shoppe & Tasting Room.

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.