I've been visiting Arizona, tasting AZ wines, and preaching about them, for seven years or so now. As someone born and raised on the sandy East Coast, visiting Arizona never ceases to amaze me. The mountains, the cacti, the open space and big sky, and the people who are drawn here to make wine.
I've long loved wines I've tasted from Sonoita and Willcox, two American viticultural areas (AVAs) in Southeastern Arizona. But, until last month, I hadn't visited. I'm so glad I did, as this area is gorgeous, and some of the wines here are phenomenal. I'll have a full report up in the coming weeks, but I wanted to share some snapshots of Sonoita to prove my point.
Have you been to this area? Thinking of going? Leave a comment and let me know. Cheers!
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| Todd Bostock of Dos Cabezas is the man to see about all things Arizona wine. He's a total whiz, producing a wide range of blends from all sorts of grapes. His stoke for wine and experimentation is contagious, and his wines are some of the best in the state. |
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During my visit, Arizona was hit by a 10-year-plus storm, that blanketed much of the high elevation desert in snow. It was one of the more stunning displays of desert beauty I've ever seen. This picture is taken just north of Sonoita, AZ.
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| Todd pours and talks me through his perpetual cuvee sparkling wine, which is like a one-barrel solera system he uses as a base for a sparkling wine. He also makes a Madeira-style desert wine. He creates his own path, and his wines are fascinating. |
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| Rune wines is a solar-powered winery outside of Sonoita that is a must for any wine fan. Gorgeous views, excellent wines. |
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| James Callahan worked in Washington State, New Zealand, and became cellar master at Sonoma's Kosta Browne before moving back to his native Arizona to pursue winemaking in the Sonoita/Willcox area. I really can't rant enough about his wines. They are wonderful. |
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