Pam and Scott's daughter Dana is living in Phoenix, AZ these days, and has been doing some winery touring of her own. The following series of guest posts are from Dana as she tours and tastes at some of Arizona's local wine destinations.
Along one road in Cornville, AZ are three fantastic wineries and tasting rooms, complete with vineyards on the grounds. If you're looking for a fun afternoon, definitely take a drive to these vineyards.
One of my favorites, and definitely "Verde Valley's Best Kept Secret" is Oak Creek Vineyards & Winery. Making most of their wines on site, they've got a delicious tasting menu and fabulous grounds. Take your wine and sit outside on their patio for beautiful views across the vineyard and the neighboring mountains.
The wines produced were all delicious. The favorite red was definitely Oak Creek's Zinfandel. It had some jammy, fruity flavors that my husband enjoyed, and it was full-bodied enough for me, even on a hot summer day.
One white wine that caught my attention, however, was their featured Sunflower blend. 50% Chardonnay and 50% Roussanne, this wine had the most interesting flavors. because of the blend, it smelled of honey. However, tasting the wine, you get the distinct flavor of sunflower seeds. It was one of the most unique wines I've ever tried, so I had to take home a bottle.
make sure you swing by Oak Creek Vineyards for some delicious wines and a beautiful afternoon the next time you're in Arizona.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Northern AZ Wine Tour: Alcantara Vineyards
Pam and Scott's daughter Dana is living in Phoenix, AZ these days, and has been doing some winery touring of her own. The following series of guest posts are from Dana as she tours and tastes at some of Arizona's local wine destinations.
With many of the Arizona wineries and vineyards being in the southern part of the state, it's unique to find an estate vineyard right off the highway in the north. But that is exactly what you find at Alcantara Vineyards.
Located 1 mile off highway 260, Alcantara boasts a beautiful house and 13,000 vines, on which grow 12 different varietals. Driving through the vines to get to the house, the property is nothing less than stunning. The beautiful Verde River runs right through the land, so tasters can bring a picnic and enjoy an afternoon in paradise.
The wines are fabulous as well. They are made in more of a traditional Bordeaux style which brings out the fruity side of the red.
Alcantara also hosts a variety of events and parties on their property, including their bottling parties and being the drop off point for a River and Wine tour.
Such a fun location needs to be shared, and try to make sure you have time to enjoy all the beauty offered by Alcantara Vineyards.
With many of the Arizona wineries and vineyards being in the southern part of the state, it's unique to find an estate vineyard right off the highway in the north. But that is exactly what you find at Alcantara Vineyards.
Located 1 mile off highway 260, Alcantara boasts a beautiful house and 13,000 vines, on which grow 12 different varietals. Driving through the vines to get to the house, the property is nothing less than stunning. The beautiful Verde River runs right through the land, so tasters can bring a picnic and enjoy an afternoon in paradise.
The wines are fabulous as well. They are made in more of a traditional Bordeaux style which brings out the fruity side of the red.
Alcantara also hosts a variety of events and parties on their property, including their bottling parties and being the drop off point for a River and Wine tour.
Such a fun location needs to be shared, and try to make sure you have time to enjoy all the beauty offered by Alcantara Vineyards.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Northern AZ Wine Tour: Pillsbury Wine Company
Pam and Scott's daughter Dana is living in Phoenix, AZ these days, and has been doing some winery touring of her own. The following series of guest posts are from Dana as she tours and tastes at some of Arizona's local wine destinations.
Not only is there a singer who owns wineries in Arizona, but a filmmaker as well. An also, some more delicious wine to boot.
Pillsbury Wine Company is owned by Sam Pillsbury, and specializes in (almost) 100% Arizona Grown grapes. Their vineyard is located in the southern part of the state, but their tasting room is in Cottonwood, AZ (directly across the street from Arizona Stronghold). And they have many fantastic wines to talk about.
Their Roan Red was scored 90 points by Wine Spectator, and is simply divine. Their Diva red blend is bold, strong and sassy. And my personal favorite, their Wild Child Red, is 100% from Arizona and came from a neighborhood wild vineyard they found dotted with crop circles. Totally incredible.
You most definitely need to pick up these fantastic wines next time you're in the area. And make sure you say hi to the cute redhead who works there (her name is Dana too!).
Not only is there a singer who owns wineries in Arizona, but a filmmaker as well. An also, some more delicious wine to boot.
Pillsbury Wine Company is owned by Sam Pillsbury, and specializes in (almost) 100% Arizona Grown grapes. Their vineyard is located in the southern part of the state, but their tasting room is in Cottonwood, AZ (directly across the street from Arizona Stronghold). And they have many fantastic wines to talk about.
Their Roan Red was scored 90 points by Wine Spectator, and is simply divine. Their Diva red blend is bold, strong and sassy. And my personal favorite, their Wild Child Red, is 100% from Arizona and came from a neighborhood wild vineyard they found dotted with crop circles. Totally incredible.
You most definitely need to pick up these fantastic wines next time you're in the area. And make sure you say hi to the cute redhead who works there (her name is Dana too!).
Friday, July 1, 2011
Northern AZ Wine Tour: Arizona Stronghold
Pam and Scott's daughter Dana is living in Phoenix, AZ these days, and has been doing some winery touring of her own. The following series of guest posts are from Dana as she tours and tastes at some of Arizona's local wine destinations.
As mentioned in a previous post, Maynard James Keenan, the lead singer of the band Tool, owns 3 wineries in our great state. The one that is most generally popular is Arizona Stronghold. While the vineyard is located in the southern part of Arizona, the tasting room is located up north in Cottonwood.
The tasting room is one to be admired. Not only can a customer come in and taste (a lot of) delicious wines, but they are encourages to pull up a chair or grab a seat on the couch and hang out for a while. Play a couple board games or chat with friends.
And definitely try the wine. They've got a lot of different varietals and blends to choose from, available in different tasting flights to fit your palette. And again, many of these wines weren't for me. They either didn't have enough flavor, or the flavor was too intense for my liking. My husband and I did take home a bottle of their rose, which was pretty delicious.
One of these wines that is a stand out, however, is their chupacabra. This is a blend of 18 different wine varietals and the flavors are so plentiful that one couldn't be pressed to list them all out. Definitely something to try.
If you're passing through northern Arizona and need a place to stop, relax, and have a drink, Arizona Stronghold is the place to do it.
And, Arizona Stronghold was recently announced as the official wine of the Arizona State Centennial in 2012.
As mentioned in a previous post, Maynard James Keenan, the lead singer of the band Tool, owns 3 wineries in our great state. The one that is most generally popular is Arizona Stronghold. While the vineyard is located in the southern part of Arizona, the tasting room is located up north in Cottonwood.
The tasting room is one to be admired. Not only can a customer come in and taste (a lot of) delicious wines, but they are encourages to pull up a chair or grab a seat on the couch and hang out for a while. Play a couple board games or chat with friends.
And definitely try the wine. They've got a lot of different varietals and blends to choose from, available in different tasting flights to fit your palette. And again, many of these wines weren't for me. They either didn't have enough flavor, or the flavor was too intense for my liking. My husband and I did take home a bottle of their rose, which was pretty delicious.
One of these wines that is a stand out, however, is their chupacabra. This is a blend of 18 different wine varietals and the flavors are so plentiful that one couldn't be pressed to list them all out. Definitely something to try.
If you're passing through northern Arizona and need a place to stop, relax, and have a drink, Arizona Stronghold is the place to do it.
And, Arizona Stronghold was recently announced as the official wine of the Arizona State Centennial in 2012.
Monday, June 27, 2011
What do you mean Box Wine?
Yup,in May, the WineTimers had an evening of box wine. As you know, wine snobs everywhere turn up their noses to box wines, but Anna and Blair provided a great evening of these poorly accepted wines, that turned out to be great selections.
From the standpoint of wine flavor and freshness, wine boxes have several advantages over traditional wine bottles. First, there is no possibility of a wine becoming corked", i.e. spoiled by a deteriorated cork. Wine boxes also keep air away from wine, even after partial consumption. (Granted, the WineTimers rarely have a problem with partially consumed bottles, but just in case...)
The first selection of box wine was the Fisheye Moscato. This is a light bodied and delightfully sweet, fruity wine with flavors of juicy peach, pineapple abd tropical fruits with hints of honey on the nose. Fisheye wines are born in South Eastern Australia, where the beaches are bigger and the sun shines brighter; where the land is larger than life, and the fish are measured in feet, not inches.
The next selections were from Bota Box, Old Vine Zinfandel and Malbec. The Malbec is a plush, medium bodied wine with aromas of ripe plum and blackberry with a touch of roasted coffee.
The Zinfandel especially pairs with picnic foods such as natural cased weiners, baked beans and homemade potato salad-- all of which we had at this gathering, many thaks to Anna and Blair for a fabulous picnic dinner, despite the cold, rainy weather.
FYI, Bota Box is green! The box is 100% recyclable.
Whew-- now the Winetimers have caught up! Pam and Scott will host the first gathering of the new season in September. Stay tuned!
From the standpoint of wine flavor and freshness, wine boxes have several advantages over traditional wine bottles. First, there is no possibility of a wine becoming corked", i.e. spoiled by a deteriorated cork. Wine boxes also keep air away from wine, even after partial consumption. (Granted, the WineTimers rarely have a problem with partially consumed bottles, but just in case...)
The first selection of box wine was the Fisheye Moscato. This is a light bodied and delightfully sweet, fruity wine with flavors of juicy peach, pineapple abd tropical fruits with hints of honey on the nose. Fisheye wines are born in South Eastern Australia, where the beaches are bigger and the sun shines brighter; where the land is larger than life, and the fish are measured in feet, not inches.
The next selections were from Bota Box, Old Vine Zinfandel and Malbec. The Malbec is a plush, medium bodied wine with aromas of ripe plum and blackberry with a touch of roasted coffee.
The Zinfandel especially pairs with picnic foods such as natural cased weiners, baked beans and homemade potato salad-- all of which we had at this gathering, many thaks to Anna and Blair for a fabulous picnic dinner, despite the cold, rainy weather.
FYI, Bota Box is green! The box is 100% recyclable.
Whew-- now the Winetimers have caught up! Pam and Scott will host the first gathering of the new season in September. Stay tuned!
Catching up
Many thanks to Dana for filling in for WineTimers!
Now time to catch up on what the WineTimers have been doing in Superior as the 2nd season came to a close. Debi and Rick hosted the April event and we were treated to a variety of fabulous wines as only the WineTimers can do. The first, was as Debi put it "the best wine we never had". This was the Mezza Corona Moscato. Sadly, Debi had tasted it, and then was unable to find it for the April gathering. She assured us that it was fabulous and then substituted Twisted Moscato from California. This variety orders up a swirl of apricot and prach pie flavors with a dollop of creamy vanila and crisp acidity for a reviving finish. Good to pair with chopped salad, chicken terriyaki, or even a fruity dessert.
As we moved from the sweet white to the reds, we started with Running with the Bulls Cabernet Sauvignon. This Salvatore Principe's series collection embodies the essence of Salvatore's work. It's rich intricacies and subtle nuances showcase dark berry fruits and casis flavors accentuated by layers of chocolate and vanilla.
Next, we tried Grand Noir Cabernet-Shiraz . This wne is billed as being unique. When they blended the blackcurranty Cabernet grapes with the spicy Shiraz, they weren't following anyone else's recipe. Whatever they did works. This is a wonderfully smooth red and quite inexpensive. A great wine for every day dijnner!
The last selection of the evening was the Greg Norman Shiraz. This Shiraz is from Australia's Limestone Coast and is made from vineyards grown on shallow red soils overlying hard limestone. Dark plum, blueberry and black cherry are enhanced with a touch of spicy oak and followed by subtle yet supportive tannins.
Thanks to Debi and Rick for hosting a wonderful evening for the WineTimers, complete with superbly grilled bratwurst on the grill!
Now time to catch up on what the WineTimers have been doing in Superior as the 2nd season came to a close. Debi and Rick hosted the April event and we were treated to a variety of fabulous wines as only the WineTimers can do. The first, was as Debi put it "the best wine we never had". This was the Mezza Corona Moscato. Sadly, Debi had tasted it, and then was unable to find it for the April gathering. She assured us that it was fabulous and then substituted Twisted Moscato from California. This variety orders up a swirl of apricot and prach pie flavors with a dollop of creamy vanila and crisp acidity for a reviving finish. Good to pair with chopped salad, chicken terriyaki, or even a fruity dessert.
As we moved from the sweet white to the reds, we started with Running with the Bulls Cabernet Sauvignon. This Salvatore Principe's series collection embodies the essence of Salvatore's work. It's rich intricacies and subtle nuances showcase dark berry fruits and casis flavors accentuated by layers of chocolate and vanilla.
Next, we tried Grand Noir Cabernet-Shiraz . This wne is billed as being unique. When they blended the blackcurranty Cabernet grapes with the spicy Shiraz, they weren't following anyone else's recipe. Whatever they did works. This is a wonderfully smooth red and quite inexpensive. A great wine for every day dijnner!
The last selection of the evening was the Greg Norman Shiraz. This Shiraz is from Australia's Limestone Coast and is made from vineyards grown on shallow red soils overlying hard limestone. Dark plum, blueberry and black cherry are enhanced with a touch of spicy oak and followed by subtle yet supportive tannins.
Thanks to Debi and Rick for hosting a wonderful evening for the WineTimers, complete with superbly grilled bratwurst on the grill!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Northern AZ Wine Tour: Caduceus Cellars
Pam and Scott's daughter Dana is living in Phoenix, AZ these days, and has been doing some winery touring of her own. The following series of guest posts are from Dana as she tours and tastes at some of Arizona's local wine destinations.
Something that draws the attention of a lot of people is when celebrities own wineries. It's become a somewhat acceptable and almost expected second (or thirs or fourth) career for celebs these days. And Jerome, AZ is home to one of them.
Maynard James Keenan, the lead singer of the band Tool, has his hands in 3 different wineries in Arizona. The most well respected winery of them all is Caduceus Cellars. With a tasting room located between Jerome Winery and Bitter Creek Winery in Jerome, AZ, Caduceus gets a lot of traffic because of its celebrity... and because it's delicious.
The wines offered at Caduceus are some of the more higher end wines you'd find in northern AZ, but they have decent flavor to help back up the large prices. And the tasting room is just beautiful. With granite countertops, dark wood and a lot of light, your tasting glasses sparkle as you try some strong, bold flavors that are native to Arizona wine grapes.
While all of the wines were fantastic, though a bit too intense for me, i was blown away by their Primer Paso. A blend of 88% AZ Syrah and 12% Malvasia Bianca, this wine was delicious, fruity and bold with an interesting crisp finish. Despite the larger price of a bottle, I took one home. I think it's insanely good, and I can't wait to pop open that bottle and enjoy the evening.
If you are a big Maynard fan, or just a fan of interesting, intense wines, stop into Caduceus Cellars for some fun and fabulousness.
Something that draws the attention of a lot of people is when celebrities own wineries. It's become a somewhat acceptable and almost expected second (or thirs or fourth) career for celebs these days. And Jerome, AZ is home to one of them.
Maynard James Keenan, the lead singer of the band Tool, has his hands in 3 different wineries in Arizona. The most well respected winery of them all is Caduceus Cellars. With a tasting room located between Jerome Winery and Bitter Creek Winery in Jerome, AZ, Caduceus gets a lot of traffic because of its celebrity... and because it's delicious.
The wines offered at Caduceus are some of the more higher end wines you'd find in northern AZ, but they have decent flavor to help back up the large prices. And the tasting room is just beautiful. With granite countertops, dark wood and a lot of light, your tasting glasses sparkle as you try some strong, bold flavors that are native to Arizona wine grapes.
While all of the wines were fantastic, though a bit too intense for me, i was blown away by their Primer Paso. A blend of 88% AZ Syrah and 12% Malvasia Bianca, this wine was delicious, fruity and bold with an interesting crisp finish. Despite the larger price of a bottle, I took one home. I think it's insanely good, and I can't wait to pop open that bottle and enjoy the evening.
If you are a big Maynard fan, or just a fan of interesting, intense wines, stop into Caduceus Cellars for some fun and fabulousness.
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