Meet the pioneers putting Arizona wine on the map.

Friends had been skeptical when I mentioned my latest assignment.

They make wine in Arizona?

Spectacular sunset illuminates saguaro cacti near Windgate Pass in The McDowell Mountains

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.

Horseshoe bend seen from the lookout point, Arizona, United States

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.

A pathway through cacti in McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Arizona

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?

Pair of photos from Los Milics winery, one showing grapes on the vine, and one showing metal columns on the grounds

question, Keenan said.

Were making world-class wine.

The 412 acres of grapevines, which include Graciano and Tempranillo, are growing strong.

Pair of photos from Los Milics winery, one showing grapes on the vine, and one showing metal columns on the grounds

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.

A winery on a hillside in Arizona

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.

Pair of photos from Cottonwood, one showing a vintage sign, and one showing a wine barrel decoration on the street

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

Golden hour in Arizona’s Sonoita-Elgin wine region.Cassidy Araiza

Pair of photos from Chateau Tumbleweed in Arizona, one showing a gnome, and one showing a glass of wine being poured

From left: A garden gnome at Chateau Tumbleweed winery, in the Verde Valley; pouring a glass of Picpoul Blanc at Chateau Tumbleweed.Cassidy Araiza