Wind Down with Arizona Wines
According to the Arizona Winegrowers Association, viticulture in Arizona began with the arrival of Spanish settlers and missionaries to the lower Rio Grande River and what is now the Tucson area in the 1700s. By the 1900s, in addition to the southern part of the state, grapes were being grown and wine was being produced all around Arizona, where it is still made and sought after today including areas of northern Arizona such as Jerome, Sedona, Oak Creek and Cottonwood. As the state’s winemaking industry grew in popularity, the Arizona Wine Growers Association was formed in 1981 to help advocate for grape growers and wineries around the state to be able to open tasting rooms and sell their wines directly to customers. In 1984, Sonoita, Arizona became the first federally recognized American Viticulture Area in the southwest and the state continued to make its mark on the wine industry.
The Arizona Vineyard Survey of 2013, conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture, reported average overall yield for Arizona vineyards was 1.8 tons per acre, gross harvest was 1,370 tons, and statewide production value totaled $2.2 million. At that time some of the most popular varieties being planted and produced included Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, Zinfandel, and Merlot. Syrah, Mourvèdre and Sangiovese.
Though some may be skeptical about the wine produced here, the soil and climate throughout Arizona actually makes for ideal grape growing. Some regions can even be compared to France’s Rhone Valley, a highly well-respected wine region of the world. Arizona is home to both some extremely popular and also some “best kept secret” wineries. And Sphinx Date Co. is proud to carry wine varieties from both categories! Carlson Creek Wines, for example, produces wine from grapes grown on the company’s vineyard spanning 280 lush acres outside Willcox in southeastern Arizona while Alcantara Vineyards makes wine on its property nestled within the heart of Verde Valley in Cottonwood.
Wine aficionados that love to shop and support locals should sip into Arizona’s rich wine history! With such a wide variety of vineyards, tasting rooms and individual bottles, there is no shortage of Arizona wine education that can be absorbed… one taste at a time! Click here to view a selection of Arizona wines available at Sphinx Date Co.