Wine was first produced in Arizona in the 1700's by Spanish Missionaries. Modern wine making started in 1973 in the Sonoita area in the Southern end of the state. The high desert climate of Arizona has been likened to the high altitude climate of the Mendoza Valley in Argentina. The diurnal shift of hot days and cool nights ensures ripeness and acidity in the grapes; this gives the wines a longer growing period allowing for more complex and rich flavors. Arizona wines have been highly regarded by Robert Parker, the Wine Spectator and have even been served numerous times at the White House.
Arizona
The Willcox region of Arizona is located in Southern Arizona next to the Sonoita AVA. The elevation of these vineyards varies from 3800ft to almost 6000ft creating a diurnal shift similar to Mendoza in Argentina. An up and coming region in Arizona this area now has almost as many wineries as its larger neighbor the Sonoita AVA. The high desert allows for sunny days to ripen the grapes, and cooler temperatures at night which allows the grapes to retain acidity and maintain balanced flavors.
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Arizona Stronghold/Caduceus
Arizona Stronghold Vineyards is founded by Eric Glomski (Owner/Director of Winemaking at Page Springs Cellars and previously Winemaker at David Bruce Winery), and Maynard Keenan (Owner of Caduceus Cellars and singer for the band TOOL)
The Dos Cabezas Vineyard near Willcox, Arizona has been replanted with Rhone varieties and some Tempranillo and Sangiovese to produce top notch, high quality wines.
The first two releases from 2008 are the Nachise: A Grenache based Rhone blend, and Mangus: A Sangiovese based Super Tuscan style wine.
The Caduceus wines of Maynard Keenan are produced in either Arizona or California dependent on the label.
For tasting notes and technical information on Arizona Stronghold Vineyards please see:
www.arizonastrongholdvineyards.com
For tasting notes and technical information on Caduceus please see: