Arizona's Wine Country

We had to leave beautiful Scottsdale and our friends this morning - first real sunny morning! - and departed for the south, towards Tucson. 

Our purpose this Sunday was to explore the Arizona Wine Country, or, to be correct: the Sonoita/Elgin AVA – one of three wine regions in Arizona (Willcox and Verde Valley are the other ones). 

 

The 2-hour-drive to Tucson was beautiful, but the landscape then completely unanticipatedy: grasslands surrounded by high snow-covered mountain ranges. Loosely spread out ranches and wineries, completely different from the idyllic, touristic wine routes in California or Oregon.

Located an hour south of Tucson, and just north of the Mexican border, Sonoita sits at 4,500 – 5,200 ft. elevation and was the first designated AVA (wine growing region) in Arizona. Brownish barren grasslands and (snow-covered) rolling hills, a valley surrounded by mountains as the Santa Rita Mountains – it didn't look like the land would be able to nurture vines on first glance. 

But, though the vineyards appear small and the wineries pretty rustic/rural (photos below), Arizona’s southern high deserts became the most prolific Arizona wine regions, with mostly Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot varietals being produced.

It's been certainly a different experience compared to other wine regions! We are staying in Sierra Vista, one of the larger communities in the area, and, most importantly, seat of Fort Huachuca, constructed in 1877 as one of a chain of forts established to guard southern Arizona against the Chiricahua Apaches, led by Geronimo. The fort was also the headquarters of the famed 10th Cavalry, the “Buffalo Soldiers,” one of the Army’s elite black cavalry corps, formed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in  1866. Today it's still an active Army post. 

Superbowl 2024 - KC:49ers. We went to Tombstone Brewing Company to watch part of the game, having good IPAs and a burger before we headed back to our hotel. 

First fully sunny day today, but still cold, currently (evening) 5 deg C/40 deg F.