“I love to cook with wines; sometimes I even put them in the food.” This long-time Julia Childs’ quote will resonate with wine lovers forever. This week marked what would have been her 100^th birthday, and I have raised more than one toast to her spirit. If I was to dine with any one person, alive or dead, I’d choose Julia. She’d do the cooking, of course; I’d try my hand at selecting the most appropriate wines… or so I imagine.

Julia also is known for her thought, “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces—just good food from fresh ingredients.” That may just be the mantra of Renee Kreager of Renee’s Organic Oven. This week was my first experience dining in this sweet little nook of a Tucson restaurant at 7065 E Tanque Verde, and it will not be my last.

I chose the “Slice and a Glass” from the lunch menu for $8.00, and was more than pleased with my selection. The slice of pizza was a plate-sized portion of the good stuff. It was based on gluten-free crust (full and tasty, not the cardboard flavor I had come to expect), and featured fresh basil, crushed garlic, feta cheese, and two fresh vegetables of my choice—mushrooms and green peppers. The vegetables were warm but still crisp on delivery, and the garlic and basil married, celebrating with every bite.

The house red wine served was a certified organic (no added sulfites) Badger Mountain Pure Red—a tasty blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc—which hails from Washington’s Columbia Valley. It pleased me with a juicy and bright, slightly acidic taste with layers of cherry, vanilla, and a light spice. Perfect with that party that was going on with the pizza.

Julia would be certainly proud that Renee has combined fresh ingredients with a good wine for just the right touch. Bon Appetit! (I always wanted to say that.)

Coronado Vineyards Grape Crush

We move from Julia to another favorite mentor, Lucy, I’m wondering how many people ever wanted to duplicate her infamous to stomp around in a barrel of grapes. Now is your chance; no stomping experience necessary. Awarding winning Coronado Vineyards 6th Annual Grape Stomp is happening this weekend, August 18th and 19th, from 10:00am to 4:00pm both days. The event features two days full of festivities with live music, featuring GRIND Saturday and BUZZ & THE SOUL SENDERS on Sunday, food, and, of course, wine tasting. It’s your chance for a firsthand experience in winemaking.

Take the whole family for this festive Italian-tradition. Adults are $10 and admission includes a souvenir wine glass, all the grapes you can stomp to live music, and a wine tasting of the winery’s current releases.

Coronado Vineyards is located just a short trip east from Tucson at 2909 E Country Club Drive, in Willcox, Arizona.

Grape to Glass Symposium Teaches about Sustainable Farming Practices, Pairing Wine/Food

On Saturday August 25, 2012, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, Lawrence Dunham Vineyards invites you to help them celebrate this year’s harvest. Participants can learn more about the wine grape-growing and winemaking process at the 3rd Annual Grape to Glass Symposium, held at the winery in Pearce, Arizona. The event includes a tour of the vineyard/winery with the winemaker and gourmet lunch paired with Lawrence Dunham Vineyards’ wines. Lunch features locally-grown cheeses and produce, as well as mesquite-grilled beef paired with the winery’s Petite Sirah that received 88 points from Wine Spectator (2nd highest rating for an Arizona grown wine), grilled salmon and shrimp, perfectly paired with Sky Island Grenache, plus a variety of salads and desserts.

Cost is $65.00. Register for the Grape to Glass Symposium at (602) 320-1485 or online.

Wo(men), Wine, and Wellness for Girl Scouts

Now that school’s started, it’s time to take a deep breath and “wine down” at Wo(men), Wine, and Wellness, on Friday, August 24 2012, 6:00 until 8:00pm, at Self-Centered Yoga & Fitness, 4425 N Campbell Avenue.  Plenty of wine will be served along with live music, local gourmet food with Kuisine by Kathy, artwork by painter Calvin Hammond and photographer Liora Kutler, Aveda Spa attention, and jewelry by Ruby Jane. Win prizes, mingle with the community, and enjoy an evening of fun while giving to the Girl Scouts of Southern AZ. Tickets are online under Yoga Events for only $20 in advance & include a free yoga class pass. At the door price is $25 without a class pass. RSVP is necessary.

Arizona wines produced in the Willcox Region—just a little over an hour’s drive east from Tucson—are palate-pleasing and quality crafted. Combining the volcanic-rich soil with attentive grape growing and skillful wine making produces stellar results.

First stop—Carlson Creek Winery & Vineyards’ wine-tasting room in quaint ‘downtown’ Willcox, just across the railroad tracks. Robert Carlson commandeers this family-owned operation. Formerly on track with a stockbroker’s career, Robert became enamored with the operations of the California vineyards. He shared his passion with brother John, father Robert (a lawyer), and Mom Liz, all of whom were all on hand to share the vineyard’s two newest wine releases for our review.

The 2010 Carlson Creek Sangiovese, is lighter than most Sangiovese. This wine offers smooth tannins and notes of cherry, strawberry, honeycomb, and cinnamon—sure to pair well with any red sauce pasta dish.

The 2010 Carlson Creek Rule of Three is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape inspired blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre. This sleeper hints of pomegranate, tart plum, and rose oil. An elegant wine, this is food friendly and will only get better with age.

My take-home choice from the tasting was a bottle of the recently released 2009 Carlson Creek Syrah. I have long been a fan of their 2008 Syrah, but this vintage is a bit more spicy with a nose of cherry, unrefined cocoa, and dried spice, giving way to a pleasant acidity and wooly tannins with a peppery finish—my type of wine. The grapes for this vintage were sourced from Colibri Vineyards in the Dos Cabezas Mountains, and received 88 points in a Wine Spectator review.

Tasting & Dinner in the Vineyards

The Coronado Vineyards is located conveniently off I-10 (Exit 344). We first arrived in the midst of a terrific thunderstorm, but the cozy tasting room welcomed us. Jacque Cook, who owns the business with her husband Mark, greeted us and began pouring some amazing wines, mostly priced in the $10-$15 range.

I fell in love with Coronado Vineyard Two Heads Red, a full-bodied 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. The smooth mouthfeel is luscious—a nice balance between the rich jammy texture and a dry but lingering finish.

But we didn’t linger long over the tasting; it was time for our dinner reservations at the Taste of Coronado, the on-site restaurant with a vineyard view. Chef Zach Hoffman greeted us earlier, and we were amazed with his extensive menu selections and friendly service. The bottle of wine bought earlier was brought to our table to enjoy—we’d chosen Coronado Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, a medium-bodied wine that offers layers of herbs, coffee, and cherries.

I won’t linger over food details, but I must rave about my perfectly grilled Salmon served with Risotto dish—it was melt-in-my-mouth magic! My friend had the prime rib, which is served every Friday, and there were no complaints from her side of the table either.

This little restaurant offers evening dining at its finest and many surprises —including roast duck and roast quail; now serving Sunday brunch too.

Grape Stomp 5K Success

Team Tucson: Nancy Stewart, Katherine Waser, Karen Irby, and Pour Me Some Grapes.

Our main reason for venturing to Willcox in the first place was to ‘compete’ in the first leg of Arizona Wine Growers Association’s Great Grape Stomp 5K. Under clear blue skies, we gathered in the Coronado Vineyards early that Saturday, and about 45 hearty souls trekked through the vineyards for 3.1 miles, up and down the muddy rows of grapes. Robert Carlson, race director, had to layout the course at least twice, considering the previous day’s buckets of rain wiped out his initial efforts.

It was in great fun, and the Tucson Team finished 1-2-3-4…that’s the LAST four places, of course. Hey, we were there for the wine.

Next stop on AWGA’s Great Grape Stomp 5K is Cottonwood, Arizona, deep in the heart of the Verde Valley Wine Region on October 1, 2011; followed by the Sonoita/Elgin leg of the journey on October 22, 2011. Sign up now!

Fall Wine Festival

The Willcox Wine Country Festival is a two-day fun-filled event (from Saturday, October 15 at 10:00am until October 16 at 5:00pm) at the historic Railroad Park in downtown Willcox. The Festival is a perfect getaway for Phoenix & Tucson residents—not too far, but feels a world away. Your $10 tasting fee will be good for 6 wine tastings, a commemorative glass, and live entertainment. Additional tasting tickets may be purchased at the hospitality kiosk.

While you’re in the area, I recommend a side trip to Apple Annie’s, just a few miles north off I-10. Apples, pears, and pumpkins are all in season, ripe for your picking and/or purchasing.

Wilcox Wine Tour

Looking for a way to get to/from the Willcox Wine Region without the worry of DUIs? Arizona Wine Tours, owned by Mike and Dian Clark, offers group wine tours, traveling in their comfortable and elegant Excursion SUV limousine for an all-day, all-inclusive wine tour. You can be picked up at any location you request.

The trip from Tucson or Phoenix includes visits to the three tasting rooms in Wilcox; then on to Taste of Coronado for late lunch or early dinner and Coronado Vineyard’s tasting room. Clients/guests are returned to their desired location.

For the set tour price, Arizona Wine Tours covers tasting fees and meals at Taste of Coronado, and provides bottled water, snacks in the limo, and a gift bag with wine-related items. You can purchase bottles of wine at all the locations. Mike, the chauffer, is wonderful with people and will accommodate most any requests. Contact Arizona Wine Tours for more information.

Cheers to my new friends in Willcox, we’ll be back soon!

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.