Canelo Hills Vineyards & Winery in the Sonoita/Elgin region announces its winery is now under contract to Flying Leap Vineyards, one of the state’s newest domestic wineries.

Canelo Hills’ owners Tim and Joan Mueller tell their story on their website: “In 2003, a doctor, a counselor, and a classical singer, in true pioneering spirit, moseyed on down to the rolling ranchlands of Sonoita to plant some wine grapes. Now they harness Arizona-grown grapes to make award winning, old-world style wines.”

For 10 years, they’ve enjoyed the successes and challenges (freezes, frosts, hail storms, etc.) of running a family winery and producing fine Arizona wines; they are now ready to move on to other ventures.

The Muellers, owners of Canelo Hills Winery—l-r, Kathryn, Tim, Joan—embarking on new ventures.

Tim has been the winemaker at Canelo Hills. A Harvard and Stanford-educated doctor, he enjoyed turning his scientist’s mind to the art of wine making. Luckily, he liked to be busy—in addition to making the wine, he  served as handyman in his ‘free time’ from a full-time position as a psychiatrist at the VA Hospital in Tucson.

Joan has served as the business manager and farmer of Canelo Hills. She left a successful private practice in mental health counseling to tend to the needs and whims of the grapes and to run the tasting room; she generally ran the family farm.

Daughter Kathryn, has served the business as director of marketing while pursuing her professional singing career.

Flying Leap to take over

Canelo Hills is now under contract to one of the newest Arizona wine ventures, Flying Leap Vineyards. The owners of Flying Leap, Mark Beres and Marc Moeller, both 1991 graduates of the US Air Force Academy and seasoned pilots, are committed to the success of their business and brand. With the help and support of their families, they have made this the primary focus of their lives.

Mark Beres, hard at work in the Flying Leap vineyards.

“With developed acreage in both Sonoita AVA and Cochise County, Flying Leap will now offer a diverse portfolio of ultra-premium, carefully crafted wines from tasting rooms at its newest estate vineyard on Elgin Road along the Sonoita Wine Trail and its newest tasting room in historic downtown Willcox, opening in March,” said Beres.

Beres, a retired Special Forces pilot in two theaters of war, most recently worked in the engineering and system integration business at Raytheon. He grew up in the Walla Walla valley of southeastern Washington State and spent his formative years working in local vineyards and cattle ranching. He has enjoyed several years of successful large-scale commercial viticulture experience including all phases of vineyard development.

Marc Moeller tending to the weeds in the Flying Leap Vineyards

Among his many aviation achievements, Moeller served as an instructor pilot for Air Force II, which transports the Vice President of the United States. Moeller is a first-generation American who grew up with deep and diverse connections to his European family that owns a private vineyard, grows wine grapes, and has produced wines for many generations—he learned the wine-making craft first-hand.

These former pilots have more recently been flying much closer to the ground, plying their talents as farmers, engineers, and managers to the literal roots of establishing Flying Leap Vineyards in their Willcox vineyards, planted in 2011. Their humble mission: To be the Southwest’s most successful commercial vineyards and winery by sustainably producing premium wines from the highest quality Arizona-grown wine grapes.

It’s no mistake they chose to buy this winery ‘next door’ to Callaghan Vineyards; owner Kent Callaghan, their mentor and consultant hand-crafted Flying Leap’s 2011 vintage.

Stop in to say good-bye… and hello

Joan, Tim, and Kathryn (and their shop dogs) are winding down their stay in the Canelo Hills tasting room on Fridays and Saturdays for the rest of this month. Saturday, January 26 will be your last chance to stop by and wish them well and pick up some of the classiest wines in the region.

Beres said, “We are working like crazy to get everything ready to open. A massive sandblasted HDU Flying Leap sign—8-feet wide and almost 50-inches tall, weighing several hundred pounds—will be erected so visitors to the beautiful southern Arizona wine country can find us.”

This winery is located at 342 Elgin Road in Elgin, 7.5 miles southeast of the Sonoita Crossroads.

Cheers to the Muellers, Moellers, and Beres on their new ventures!

Sarah Hammelman, San Reckoner Vineyards, ready to pour tastes of wine at the Willcox Spring Wine Festival 2012

So many Arizona wines, so little time! At the Willcox Spring Wine Festival last month, I selected a few new releases to try, not expecting much—it’s difficult to tell how wines perform with food and guests after only a few sips. After all, they were ‘new’ and I couldn’t expect much, right?

I chose wines from three Willcox vineyards that are considered ‘new kids on the block’—the ones who are just now beginning to offer their first wines. But in a state where more than 20 wines from eight wineries have already scored at least an 88 rating from Wine Spectator, I wanted to see if these new wines were ready to stand up to that standard. I’m happy to report that the new vintners are approaching the trade with a wealth of knowledge gleaned from predecessors in the state’s vineyards and are successfully serving up their own unique style and palates.

Golden Rule Vineyards Manzora Red 2009

The Golden Rule Vineyards Manzora Red 2009 is as impressive as any of the state’s wine I’ve tasted. Fortifying the fruity spicy estate Zinfandel (85%) with 15% California Petite Sirah from Shell Creek Vineyards has added the deep purple color and a heavier-than-typical-Zin-but-smooth texture. This wine was a wonderful partner to my grilled portabella stuffed with pesto and goat cheese.

Owners Jim and Ruth Graham established the first vines in 2007 at Golden Rule Vineyards, located on the western edge of the historic Sulphur Springs Valley in Cochise County, nestled near the North tip of the Dragoon Mountains. The vineyards enjoy a unique combination of quartz and limestone soils, excellent water resources, and high-elevation climate—intense sunlight, warm days, cool evenings, and near constant air flows. Bravo with the Manzora!

Sand-Reckoner Vineyards “2” 2010

Sand-Reckoner Vineyards is located on the Willcox Bench at 4,300 feet, tended by Rob and Sarah Hammelman. Winemaker Rob began his wine journey in Arizona in 2000, while taking a summer off from teaching Humanities and Sciences to work in the vineyards of Callaghan Vineyards (Sonoita/Elgin Region) alongside Kent Callaghan, one of the Arizona wine pioneers. Rob’s early experience ignited a passion, and his dream began to grow vines and make wine in Arizona.

Enter the couple’s first red—the Sand-Reckoner Vineyards 2010 “2″ (70% Sangiovese, 30% Syrah) is deep ruby in color with pretty aromatics of black cherry, spice, and smoke. On the palate of this firmly structured wine, you’ll be intrigued by notes of blackberry-infused black tea, vanilla bean, and cinnamon. It finishes with dusty tannins and plenty of bright and vivid acidity.  Enjoy it now, or store it (4-6 years, according to the winemakers) for special occasions that involve great salads, seafood/salmon fare, and hearty cheeses.

Zarpara Vineyards Rhona MacMillan ready to pour tasting of the latest release: Verdelho 2011.

I actually enjoyed some “2” with a grilled veggie burger loaded with fresh garden tomatoes, avocado, onion, and spinach. Gratification personified!

Just as I was putting the finishing touches on this blog post, Sand-Reckoner Vineyards announced the release of two newer wines—2011 Rosé and 2011 Malvasia Bianca. Can’t wait to get back to Willcox to try these out!

Zarpara Vineyards Verdelho 2011

Mark Jorve and Rhona MacMillan, working with Rob Hammelman of Sand-Reckoner, have brought their third fine wine to the table with the release of a highly palatable white—Zarpara Vineyards Verdelho 2011. The wine is rich and fragrant with pleasant notes of apricot, tropical fruit, and cotton candy. This dry white 100% Verdelho was barrel-fermented for a full 8 months in 100% neutral French oak, then aged on the lees, 80% in barrel and 20% in stainless steel.

This delightful Zarpara white will become a go-to wine for the fish and salads I tend to eat all summer long. I chose to enjoy my first bottle with a sautéed halibut and a spinach-and-spring-mix salad and tomato, dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette and shaved Parmesan—the perfect ending to a perfect ‘pre-summer’ 100-degree day in Tucson. Bellissimo!

Cheers to another round of wine winners from Arizona wineries. Looking forward to many more!

Running through the Keeling-Shaefer Vineyards in the 2010 Grape Stomp 5K

We’re heading to Willcox, AZ for the the first leg of the 2011 Grape Stomp 5K, series sponsored by the Arizona Wine Growers Association on Saturday, September 10 to participate in a 5K jaunt through the beautiful Coronado Vineyards. What better way to enjoy Arizona’s beautiful wine regions than with your family and friends than running, jogging, or walking with other wine lovers through the vineyards? Well, wine tasting at the other wineries in the Willcox growing region will be a perfect follow-up to a fun morning.

This year, the 5K races are set for the following dates and locations:

Race 1: September 10th at Coronado Vineyards, Willcox in Southeastern Arizona. Racers will be able to run through the vineyards at this award-winning winery. Following the race enjoy wine tasting at the area wineries in Willcox.

Race 2: October 1st in Historic Downtown Cottonwood in Northern Arizona. Racers will begin in Old Town, run to Dead Horse State Park, crossing the Verde River, and finishing back in Old Town. After the run stay, relax, eat, shop and enjoy the wine tastings rooms. Then take in some music and food at the Rhythm & Ribs Festival in Old Town or venture out to the wonderful and scenic wineries in the countryside surrounding Cottonwood. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at what Cottonwood and the Verde Valley have to offer its visitors.

Race 3: October 22nd in the Sonoita/Elgin area in Southern Arizona. Racers register starting at 7:00 a.m. at Callaghan Vineyards and the course runs through Rancho Rossa’s Vineyard, along scenic Elgin Road with views of the Huachucca Mountain range, the Biscuit, and rolling grasslands. The finish line is at Callaghan Vineyards with refreshments and an awards ceremony. Childcare provided for children under running age (limited space available, RSVP to kelly@doscabezaswineworks.com).

Race 4: November 5th at the Fountain Park in Fountain Hills in Central Arizona. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. with race start at 9:00 a.m. The race course traverses Fountain Hills Park with beautiful views of Four Peaks, Red Mountain, and the park’s centerpiece fountain. A mini-wine garden will be open from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. where non-racers can enjoy a taste of Arizona wines for a fee (wine tasting for racers is included in their registration), an art fair, and special Fountain Hills Cultural Council docent-led public sculpture tours will follow the race.

To register for any or all of the races, go to at the Arizona Wine Growers Association website. The registration fee of $35.00 includes a runners’ tote bag, event t-shirt, wine glass, and discount coupons. The wine glasses can be used at local wineries for discounts. Many of the wineries have formed teams so join your favorite winery team to receive a discount of $5 dollars for teams of 10 or more.