In the Arizona High Desert, Taking the Temperature of a Wine Boom

Now on the to-do list!

I've lived in Arizona for over 25 years and was slow to realize Arizona was on the map as a wine grower. Recently I visited the places in Cornville in your article on a Saturday and was disappointed at how crowded the places were. At one place it was impossible to park. My husband and I decided to go to Up the Creek on a weekday the following week and received horrible service. I wonder what the people who moved to Cornville to get away from the population explosion in Phoenix think of what is happening in what was once a nice quiet place. Articles like this will only make it more crowded. signed Grumpy in Arizona

It's nice to see northern AZ wineries getting some exposure. But this article doesn't really say much more than what was covered in a previous article on this topic a year ago, which I am surprised to see was not (as far as I can tell) referenced here: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/18/travel/sedona-wine-syrahs.html

When you visit, whether it’s for the wineries, the culinary expertise in Scottsdale and Phoenix, the Grand Canyon, Spring Training, golf, whatever, please pay attention to seasonal fire danger from drought or flooding, as we get both! Arizona loves your tourist dollars, your snowbird dollars, especially the latter (now that you’re gone and there’s no traffic!!!). If you decide to stay, and many do, as evidenced by the growth rate, please help us turn blue by 2020!

I loved the article about Arizona wines. Thank you for portraying Arizona as the beautiful place it is, with such friendly people. I encourage everyone to enjoy the pungent, utterly distinct, wonderful aroma of the Arizona desert after a good monsoon rain. Inhale deeply, while you admire the orange, pink and purple sky as the sunset melts into the monsoon rain clouds. It's possible you'll be rewarded with a rainbow, too. The perfect place to sit outside and enjoy an Arizona wine. As dusky skies deepen, listen for the coyotes' yips and cries, a sure sign they've found their dinner. The circle of life, as day turns to starry night.

I went to college with Mr. Glomski of Page Springs Cellars just over the hill from Jerome in Prescott. This area is one of the most beautiful and diverse regions of the West and adding wine to the mix only makes it more interesting. I see some comments about water usage, always an issue in this area. I'm curious as to the amount of dry farming that occurs, many of the Rhone grape varietals thrive in the conditions found in the Verde Valley. Eric made some tasty beer back in the day if I recall, I hear great things about his wine-great to see him doing so well.

The traffic in Sedona has become unbearable. My suggestion? Stay home!

Wine is not really about this or that region. You can get a decent wine at your local grocery. It’s about the glass and the cork! I’m serious! It all breaks down to this: You’re a couch potato and you really do need to drive out to the local wine tasting event with your partner and friends. Wine is that item for conversation! Real Life! Your waiter pours a small quantity into a glass and gives it to the credit card holder (that would be you). You horizontally swoosh the glass, smell the bouquet, and look into your waiter’s eyes, giving him your nod of approval to pour at $100 a bottle! Then you continue talking (and listening) to your friends—with no cellular connection—about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!

This is a lovely region, but I find it hard to believe growing thirsty grapes is a good, sustainable use of this parched region's water supply.

This is why we only get a new Tool album every 10 years, thanks Arizona!

To me, wine has been my romance since college days. From days when a visit to Napa meant bellying up to the bar at Louis Martini's till we dropped and then went to BV for the good stuff. Mondavi was then a rebel to his Krug family. I love the development of wine, everywhere, and now especially in Arizona, where dedicated friends pursue this exquisite passion. Soon we will see the corruption of Arizona to the same sickness that invaded Napa and elsewhere that wine gives way to corporate marketing that strips it of nuance and romance. And propels it to a space out of reach to those who love it for what it is. Thank all that is grateful to the grape, that its abundance and the passion of winemaking overrun the mule stupid who put a dollar on its value.

If it is south of I-40 it is not really "northern Arizona." "Rim Country" might be a better term for the massive escarpment called the Mogollon Rim, the southern end of the Colorado Plateau that runs about 200 miles from northern Yavapai County to the NM border. But, watch out: the roads are small and narrow and I-17, the only real highway from Phoenix northward can be literally and figuratively a killer. Traffic jams on holiday weekends can be so bad the state police have had to helicopter from their cars pregnant women who go into labor because one is just stuck there. In other news, the AZ Dept of Transportation today had to cancel applying rubberized asphalt on Phoenix highways this weekend because: IT'S TOO COLD!

I've been lucky enough to experience and taste wines in Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Temecula, Burgundy, Champagne and the South of France. I live in the Phoenix area and I have to say it's just as fun and educational as any of the major AVA's, however it is very young... That's the exciting part because I've watched it grow quite rapidly recently and there is SO much diversity in the AZ terroir like the article highlights. Eventually my guess is that it will become federally recognized in the next 5 years, so my advice is to get there while it's still young and new. Everyone is incredibly nice and there is no pretentiousness, only passionate people doing what the love. Another great place to stay with standalone cabins is the Briar Patch Inn in Oak Creek Canyon.

Mr. Keenan also has a documentary on the start of his vineyard, "Blood into Wine" A correction: He is still a member of Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer.

But, but - it's all too close to that lawless frontier that the accidental President* keeps warning us to avoid! Won't the Army stop people from going anywhere near this area? Where are the razor wire emplacements necessary to protect the homeland from the hordes of invaders determined to destroy America? How can this possibly be safe! And look - there are people speaking Spanish! They must be stopped!

It’s rather a stretch to call all of Yavapai County “Northern Arizona”. You say “Northern Arizona” and one thinks of Flagstaff or the Grand Canyon. It’s true that Yavapai County is north of Phoenix, but that hardly makes it “Northern Arizona”, especially the places where the wine grapes are being grown

Sounds good. When conservative Arizona changes its politics I’ll show up.

Maynard Keenan remains the lead singer of alt-metal band Tool. They are currently on tour.

You're lucky you didn't get a dui while you cruised after wine tasting at these establishments. AZ is a zero tolerance state for drinking and driving. If you do come out to sample these fine wines please pick a designated driver (and pick up a bottle to enjoy at your room for the night)

There is much more to Arizona than the Sonoran Desert and the Valley of the Sun. The environment of the Verde Valley is quite unique. As long as you are around Clarkdale, you should take a ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad. It's a little touristy, but there is no better way to see the off road of that region. The views are Arizona stunning. The train winds along the Verde River, with an occasional bald eagle and blue heron. Although badly damaged by fires this century, the forests of northern Arizona are still magnificent. I participated in the Arizona Mushroom Club. And it was unbelievable the hundreds of pounds the members would forage from the detritus of the forests in the White Mountains of northeastern Arizona.

Between the Scottsdale article last month, a Journal expose in the 'Mansion' section on an area close to where I live and now this, it is becoming apparent to the public Arizona is not a desert that's 120 degrees. The stereotype that it's all heat and cactus keeps people out, even though that's like 30% of the state. In 90 minutes, I can be skiing, in a pine forest hoping there aren't black bears, have access to some of the best hiking in the entire country or fishing in a lake in the mountains. Sadly, Maricopa county is the fastest growing county in the country; we have 250 people moving here a day, as Phoenix has surpassed Philadelphia in terms of city size. In fact, this is a terrible place to live: no gun laws, no education, nothing, so just stay on the east coast and fly over to L.A. Much better place.

A number of the wines are remarkably good, and not simply grown and sold for tasting room tourists, as many of those of the North Fork wines are. The terroir of high desert allows for a broad ranch of grapes to be grown, and it's wonderful to see Voigner, Barbera, Tempranillo, and the like used in abundance. Should you visit Sedona or the Grand Canyon, and especially if you dine at a higher end restaurant, trust your waiter if he suggests an Arizona wine. The red blends are generally a robust experience, but they are not unsophisticated in their approach. If you visit in the summer, one of the vineyards has a white blend of Malvasia Bianca, Chenin Blanc and Muskat that this is probably the brightest summer wine I've ever had. (Just in case I shouldn't mention specific names, I won't. But the locals should know what I'm referring to.)

In addition to well-made, quality wines, I also love a wine with a good story behind it. One winery not mentioned in this article is Caduceus. Also the work of Maynard Keenan James, Caduceus is Jerome-based and produces robust and well-made wines. James' mother Judith suffered a stroke and lived in a partially paralyzed state for the rest of her days. She eventually died from the complications. James said that he spread the ashes of Judith over the vineyards behind Jerome, and the vines and wines are her resurrection. I find this touching. When I drank a Caduceus wine, I thought of the soul of Judith living on within the wine. I thought of what it means for a soul to live on, and how we can find ways to eternalize the ones we've lost. Then I thought of the loved ones that I've personally lost myself, and I imagined their souls nearby me. After all, a deep red wine goes hand-in-hand with introspection.

You did not include the Yavapai College Wine Program and its tasting room between Cottonwood and Jerome. Beautiful building repurposed from a racquetball court in a secluded setting. There are tours of the vineyards and the production area along with an attractive place for tastings.

We passed through Jerome several years ago and enjoyed it very much. It is a very unusually situated town built on a steep hill. The main street and downtown follow the switchbacks back and forth but staircase shortcuts for pedestrians make the town quite manageable. We stayed overnight in a terrific B&B called The Surgeons House that ranks very high on our list of favorites. The town had a certain funky charm that we liked. And yes, the kaliedescope store is that good.

The area needs this revitalization. There is a great deal of poverty in the area as there is in much of rural AZ.

It sounds very inviting. And beautiful However, what is the water situation? Are Oak Creek and the Verde River enough to sustain viniculture, and more people? There has been massive depletion of aquifers in the SW.

A half glass of wine and I’m asleep so wine tasting isn’t my thing, but the Verde Valley towns written about here are a lot of fun to spend time in. If you’re a birder the area is wonderful. Jerome and old town Cottonwood are two of my favorite places to spend a day or two. Next time I may have to try the wine.