Meet the pioneers putting Arizona wine on the map.
Friends had been skeptical when I mentioned my latest assignment.
They make wine in Arizona?
Temperatures fluctuate dramatically from day to night, fostering sugar development while preserving natural acidity.
Few casual consumers know Arizonas wine story yet, despite its roots stretching back to 16th-century Spanish missionaries.
The results looked promising, and Arizonas modern-day wine industry began.
Were really experimental here, Bechard told me.
I sipped a 2022 Picpoul Blanc, a single-varietal white, with Kris Pothier, another Tumbleweed cofounder.
Fresh and smooth, with bright pops of citrus, it was perfect for a desert afternoon.
Arizona winemakers work with so many different varietals, she said, giving the flaxen liquid a swirl.
We stood overlooking Cottonwoods old town.
Im exhausted by the can they make wine in Arizona?
question, Keenan said.
Were making world-class wine.
The 412 acres of grapevines, which include Graciano and Tempranillo, are growing strong.
From left: Grapes on the vine at Los Milics Vineyards, in the Sonoita-Elgin wine region; steel columns greet visitors at Los Milics.Credit:Cassidy Araiza
Sonoita-Elgin
The next morning I headed south.
Part of the regions old guard, Bostock came on the scene in 2002.
Arizona wines are interesting, Milic said.
Caduceus Cellars' high-desert vines in Verde Valley.Cassidy Araiza
They dance in this nebulous place between Old World and New.
I spent my last afternoon atRune Wines, where James Callahans varietals celebrate the magic of wild-yeast fermentation.
Now we just need to get our wine in front of people.
From left: A glimpse of downtown Cottonwood; grapes are a common motif in Old Town Cottonwood, which is surrounded by wine country.Cassidy Araiza
I swirled and sipped, soaking in the view.
In the distance, the Mustang Mountains loped across the horizon.
Golden hour in Arizona’s Sonoita-Elgin wine region.Cassidy Araiza
From left: A garden gnome at Chateau Tumbleweed winery, in the Verde Valley; pouring a glass of Picpoul Blanc at Chateau Tumbleweed.Cassidy Araiza