Arizona wines have come a long way, baby. Several amazing wines from around the state have made their way to high honors and recognition, and certainly into my home this year … and my glass. Any of these would all make great gift selections, as well as good cheer for sharing with family and friends.

Vignerons Eric Glomski and Maynard Keenan of Arizona Stronghold Vineyard in Cochise County, AZ, offer up Nachise – a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah, and Mourvedre aged in French oak. The 2009 release has a beautiful nose of concentrated dark fruit, mocha, tar, sweet cigar smoke, and hints of pumpkin spice. The hearty and textured mouth-feel is full-fruit jammy but balanced, with a multi-layered finish. This one will be super with that hearty holiday meal featuring roast lamb.

This wine commemorates Nachise, the youngest and fiercest of Cochise’s sons. After the death of his older brother Tazi, Nachise became leader of the Chiricahua Apache and resumed raids to reclaim his ancestral homeland alongside Geronimo.

Charron Vineyards, Vail, AZ, has added two new wines to its line-up. First, is the Merlot Blanc De Noir — another white wine from black grapes. This one is a drier version of the White Merlot, made by fermenting out more of the natural sugars. It pairs well with chicken, seafood, and pasta dishes.

At last, Charron now offers a 100% red Merlot, just in time for the holidays. This medium-bodied, well-balanced wine offers good structure and refined tannins. The delicious wine is easy to enjoy on its own or pairs well with grilled or smoked red meat and fish.

The Fool by Bitter Creek Winery is a blend of grapes from Jerome, AZ, and Willcox, AZ — 33% Cabernet, 33% Syrah, and 34% Zinfandel. Its smoky nose gives way to a zesty ripe berry taste with a smooth finish – another wine that will stand up to the strongest of cheeses and meats.

Bitter Creek wine labels feature Tarot card characters, created by popular Verde Valley artist Rick Wyckoff. I love the saying on the back of the bottle: “Going through life without a care, Just one step ahead of life’s challenges.” I believe I identify way too much with that sentiment; does that make me a fool? No, just a fool for a good wine, so I chose this one.

I’ve discovered the best way to finish off any holiday meal or gathering is Lightning Ridge Cellars 2007 Afterglow. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, this dessert wine is only slightly sweet with a subtle cinnamon taste and finish. Its light style can be savored as the perfect finish to a perfect meal – you’ll likely want more than one glass of this one.  It’s even better paired with dark chocolate or fudge.

If you’re in the Sonoita area over the holidays, stop by the winery. Winemaker Ann Roncone will serve you up some of her own personal fudge recipe to demonstrate the power chocolate adds to this wine. Priced at only $15 per bottle, Afterglow makes a great hostess gift.

I wish to thank my newfound Arizona wine friends for introducing me to many magnificent wines, pleasant times, and good cheer. I look forward to pouring many more glasses of your grapes in the coming year.

Cheers to a weather-friendly 2011 for winegrowers everywhere!

The Napa Valley-based thriller CRUSH by Alan Jacobson brings new meaning to the verb as it applies to wine. The book features FBI profiler Karen Vail romping through wine caves and vineyards searching for yet another brand of crushing.

It appears that Vail is finally getting a much-needed (and required) respite from her grueling profile work in Washington, D.C. With boyfriend, Det. Robby Hernandez, in tow, they head to California’s famed wine country for a peaceful romantic getaway and some wine tasting. First outing, guess what — dead body deep in the wine cave they are touring. Gruesome and distinctive body mutilations and, you guessed it, a crushed throat. This victim is female. Instinctively, Vail becomes deeply immersed in the case.

When a second victim is discovered, a task force is formed and led by Lt. Redmond Brix, at first Vail’s adversary soon to become one of her closest allies. The force begins working round-the-clock on the case to catch the killer. Vail partners with Det. Roxxann Dixon providing the sort of focused teamwork it takes to un-earth details on their UNSUB (unidentified suspect).  Poor Robby left, all too often, to his own devices, unfortunately, tasting all those great Napa wines on his own.

The vineyards and winemakers of the valley soon become major players. The task force makes every attempt to keep word of the killings out of the media to avoid threatening Napa Valley’s multi-billion dollar industry. This frustrates perpetrator, John Wayne Mayfield, who offers his perspective throughout the story and taunts Vail personally, only adding to her frustration that she’s finding it virtually impossible to profile him as more and more victims are identified.

Vail finds the unpredictable serial killer virtually impossible to profile, as more and more victims are identified. It’s amazing that Vail herself wasn’t among those victims, although there are several attempts to eliminate her from the mix, or at least send her a strong warning. The perpetual action rocks and rolls all the way to the bitter end.

This is Jacobson’s fourth thriller featuring Vail and I think it’s his best effort to date. Except — I wanted to look him up and do harm when I finished the book, since he left so many loose ends … ON PURPOSE! I suddenly realized, what a brilliant marketing plan, hooking readers deeper into his lair, leading them to his website, and making them salivate for the next novel. Wow.

Jacobson will be in Tucson for book signings and to introduce his newest book in the Karen Vail series, Velocity. Meet him at CataVinos Wine Shoppe & Tasting Room on Saturday, October 23, 2010, from 2:00-4pm; Barnes & Noble on Broadway, Sunday, October 24, 2010, starting at 2:00pm; and at Clues Unlimited, Monday, October 25, 2010, from 5:30pm-7:00pm.

The Novelist Meritage 2007

M. Cosentino Winery’s The Novelist Meritage 2007 is among my favorite white wines to enjoy with food. It’s only appropriate to review alongside a book review by a novelist I admire.

A blend of Sauvignon Blanc (77%) and Semillion (23%) grapes, this wine adds a crisp and clean complement to any meal. I get a nose of tangerine, lime, a hint of melon, and spices that combine with a full herby, creamy texture for a lingering finish.

Partially barrel-fermented and aging in French oak barrels creates a balance, with just enough oak overtones to make me happy.

I enjoyed The Novelist with Alaskan salmon (seasoned with fresh ginger, smoked paprika, and lemon) and asparagus, both grilled.