Regional
Arizona Vintners Lead, Lag California
Most Californians would be surprised to hear that Franciscan missionaries planted vineyards in Arizona nearly 100 years earlier than the Spanish padres planted winegrapes in their wine-loving home state. By 1900, Arizona was home to numerous vineyards, as well as a significant commercial wine business. But that all ended with Prohibition, and it wasn't until 1973 that Arizona's first modern experimental vineyard was planted.
According to Rod Keeling, president of the Arizona Wine Growers Association (AWGA), there are now 18 or 19 bonded wineries in the state, as well as about 30 growers (20 of them AWGA members). The state's planted vineyards cover 220 acres, and that number is growing rapidly.
This boom in wine is not surprising, for although outsiders tend to think of Phoenix and its hot climate, the state has many higher-altitude areas with warm and sunny days and cool nights--ideal conditions for growing grapes.
These conditions are also ideal for humans, and in many areas, vineyards and retirement and resort homes complement each other while they compete for land and water.
The state's winegrapes are primarily grown southeast of Tucson in two areas: Santa Cruz County, near Sonoita and Cochise County, near Wilcox. Both lie above 4,200 feet, with Sonoita above 5,000. Unlike the desert of the southwestern part of the state, these regions are characterized by grassy expanses speckled with oaks, eucalyptus and gum trees. The climate brings to mind proven warm winegrowing areas such as Ribera Del Duero, Spain; Southeastern Australia, Southern France and Paso Robles, Calif., which have warm rather than hot days, and cool nights. Still, rainfall in Santa Cruz and Cochise counties is limited, and all vines must be irrigated.
One of the consultants to Arizona growers is Dr. Mike Kilby, a retired professor at the University of Arizona. He notes that the land in Cochise in particular is excellent for vineyards, and there are many new plantings going in. This part of Arizona is not heavily populated, though it lies only about an hour and a half from Tucson and half an hour from the Mexican border. "It's in the middle of nowhere," Kilby admits.
In Sedona, by contrast, tourism encourages wineries as well as vineyards. Kilby says land in rural Cochise County might cost only $1,500 to $5,000 per acre, while an acre of land in Sedona costs $80,000.
Winegrapes also are grown in the popular Sedona resort area at a slightly lower altitude. Here, the same desire for the wine country lifestyle is leading to the development of vineyard communities, rather than golf courses, in a manner already seen in Livermore, San Martin, Paso Robles and Temecula, Calif.
Kilby says Bordeaux varieties are most popular, but he's seen great interest in Syrah and other Rhône varieties, and Sangiovese does well. One undesirable phenomenon grapes must face is the "monsoons" during the summer ripening season, when it's not unusual to get 2 inches of rain within a day or so.
He says Texas root-rot can also be a problem, as can Pierce's disease, but there's no phylloxera at this point.
The largest winery in Arizona is Kokopelli, with locations in Chandler and Wilcox. The winery's emphasis seems to be on hospitality as much as wine, however, and the state's serious winemakers tend to discount it.
Perhaps the state's most respected winemaker is Kent Callaghan (with the "g" pronounced). His parents planted grapes in 1991 after his father took a course in winemaking and asked Kent to help with the process. Callaghan has 20 acres growing on a 50-acre site at 4,800 ft. near Sonoita, and expects to plant a few more acres.
He started with Bordeaux varieties, and found that Petite Verdot does surprisingly well. Callaghan has added Mourvèdre, Syrah, Tempranillo and other reds, as well as Viognier and Riesling, though he says Malvasia Bianca does especially well among the whites. He adds that Zinfandel also excels, though he found that it took some time to learn how to grow it properly. The only real problem he's found has been Syrah on 110R, as in Paso Robles, and he has returned to using 1103 rootstock.
Callaghan says the area is within 50 degree-days of Paso Robles, and temperatures peak fairly early in the growing season. This year, he says 12 days reached 103ºF in May, June and July, but cloud cover after that kept temperatures lower. He finds he doesn't usually have to worry about insects, though he does use sprays for powdery mildew.
Callaghan makes about 2,000 cases in his small winery, selling 85% of the wine onsite. He predicts that water and development will eventually determine the size of the wine business in Arizona. "It's beautiful country, and not far from Tucson." He believes the area can produce wine competitive with the best, but admits it will take time for the industry to mature.
Another long-time (for Arizona) grower is Al Buhl of Dos Cabezas Vineyard, located in the Wilcox area of Cochise County, in southeastern Arizona. He started the winery with Kent Callaghan, who later went his own way.
Dos Cabezas has 60 acres planted of the usual Rhônes, Sangiovese and some Cabernet, plus Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Malvasia Bianca. Buhl plans to plant 20 acres more in Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Grenache. He will make about 4,000 cases this year, and hopes eventually to reach 5,000, selling grapes to other wineries, including some in Texas.
He doesn't have a formal tasting room, but will do tastings at the winery. Buhl sells his wines through restaurants, the Sunset wine club and retailers like Costco and Cost Plus World Markets.
Jon Marcus once worked with Callaghan, whom he calls the "wine guru of Arizona." Marcus owns Echo Canyon Winery in Sedona, a small winery and vineyard that produces 1,500-2,000 cases each year, although alkali soils make it challenging.
He notes that a developer is attempting to create wine estates in the area, and he may get involved as the winemaker.
Marcus planted 18 acres at a new vineyard on 80 acres he bought near Wilcox. Though fairly serious about the wine in Sedona, he admits he's seeking tourists at Wilcox, calling the vineyard "Crop Circle Vineyard and Winery," planting the vines in a circular pattern and setting up a tasting room off the Interstate to attract visitors with billboards, T-shirts and under-$20 wines.
He is also planning to farm biodynamically, use solar energy and biodiesel and otherwise respect the environment. The vineyard is planted in an old lakebed, which Marcus say s is much easier to farm than his property on a hillside in the Sedona area.
Marcus finds the major problem the summer rains cause--besides mildew--is that they encourage leafhoppers. "With 90º and rain, it's a hatchery for bugs."
The most interesting development of late in Arizona has been the decision by Oregon's Dick Erath to establish what will be the state's largest vineyard--and eventually winery--in the state. Though his decision is based partly on a personal desire to escape from Oregon's wet weather, local growers consider the move a significant endorsement on the part of a nationally respected winemaker.
Erath bought a home near Tucson in 1991 "to get away from the Oregon winter," and planted grapes in his backyard in 1995.
Last year, he bought 200 acres and planted 12 in February, near Wilcox at 4,300 ft. altitude, next to Dos Cabezas vineyard. He says the vineyard receives 4,000 degree-days, definitely on the warm side. Erath believes the secret to producing good fruit is managing irrigation; he has plenty of water from existing wells.
Erath has focused on Mediterranean red varieties, which he believes made their best wines in their home regions, including Syrah, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Grenache and Mourvèdre. He has also planted Touriga Nacional, Cunoise and Negro Amaro. Erath initially plans to ship grapes to his winery in Oregon in refrigerated containers to see if the site can produce world-class wine.
He says, "Arizona reminds me of Oregon 30 years ago, when I was starting out undercapitalized and inexperienced. It's good to start this without those concerns."
Arizona seems poised for significant growth in wine, but it also seems to be at a crossroad: quality wine or tourism? Rod Keeling believes the right direction is high-end, serious wine. "Our future is quality wine, not the tourist track (embraced by) many new winemaking parts of the United States."
Plenty of others seem to agree.
According to Rod Keeling, president of the Arizona Wine Growers Association (AWGA), there are now 18 or 19 bonded wineries in the state, as well as about 30 growers (20 of them AWGA members). The state's planted vineyards cover 220 acres, and that number is growing rapidly.
This boom in wine is not surprising, for although outsiders tend to think of Phoenix and its hot climate, the state has many higher-altitude areas with warm and sunny days and cool nights--ideal conditions for growing grapes.
These conditions are also ideal for humans, and in many areas, vineyards and retirement and resort homes complement each other while they compete for land and water.
The state's winegrapes are primarily grown southeast of Tucson in two areas: Santa Cruz County, near Sonoita and Cochise County, near Wilcox. Both lie above 4,200 feet, with Sonoita above 5,000. Unlike the desert of the southwestern part of the state, these regions are characterized by grassy expanses speckled with oaks, eucalyptus and gum trees. The climate brings to mind proven warm winegrowing areas such as Ribera Del Duero, Spain; Southeastern Australia, Southern France and Paso Robles, Calif., which have warm rather than hot days, and cool nights. Still, rainfall in Santa Cruz and Cochise counties is limited, and all vines must be irrigated.
One of the consultants to Arizona growers is Dr. Mike Kilby, a retired professor at the University of Arizona. He notes that the land in Cochise in particular is excellent for vineyards, and there are many new plantings going in. This part of Arizona is not heavily populated, though it lies only about an hour and a half from Tucson and half an hour from the Mexican border. "It's in the middle of nowhere," Kilby admits.
In Sedona, by contrast, tourism encourages wineries as well as vineyards. Kilby says land in rural Cochise County might cost only $1,500 to $5,000 per acre, while an acre of land in Sedona costs $80,000.
Winegrapes also are grown in the popular Sedona resort area at a slightly lower altitude. Here, the same desire for the wine country lifestyle is leading to the development of vineyard communities, rather than golf courses, in a manner already seen in Livermore, San Martin, Paso Robles and Temecula, Calif.
Kilby says Bordeaux varieties are most popular, but he's seen great interest in Syrah and other Rhône varieties, and Sangiovese does well. One undesirable phenomenon grapes must face is the "monsoons" during the summer ripening season, when it's not unusual to get 2 inches of rain within a day or so.
He says Texas root-rot can also be a problem, as can Pierce's disease, but there's no phylloxera at this point.
The largest winery in Arizona is Kokopelli, with locations in Chandler and Wilcox. The winery's emphasis seems to be on hospitality as much as wine, however, and the state's serious winemakers tend to discount it.
Perhaps the state's most respected winemaker is Kent Callaghan (with the "g" pronounced). His parents planted grapes in 1991 after his father took a course in winemaking and asked Kent to help with the process. Callaghan has 20 acres growing on a 50-acre site at 4,800 ft. near Sonoita, and expects to plant a few more acres.
He started with Bordeaux varieties, and found that Petite Verdot does surprisingly well. Callaghan has added Mourvèdre, Syrah, Tempranillo and other reds, as well as Viognier and Riesling, though he says Malvasia Bianca does especially well among the whites. He adds that Zinfandel also excels, though he found that it took some time to learn how to grow it properly. The only real problem he's found has been Syrah on 110R, as in Paso Robles, and he has returned to using 1103 rootstock.
Callaghan says the area is within 50 degree-days of Paso Robles, and temperatures peak fairly early in the growing season. This year, he says 12 days reached 103ºF in May, June and July, but cloud cover after that kept temperatures lower. He finds he doesn't usually have to worry about insects, though he does use sprays for powdery mildew.
Callaghan makes about 2,000 cases in his small winery, selling 85% of the wine onsite. He predicts that water and development will eventually determine the size of the wine business in Arizona. "It's beautiful country, and not far from Tucson." He believes the area can produce wine competitive with the best, but admits it will take time for the industry to mature.
Another long-time (for Arizona) grower is Al Buhl of Dos Cabezas Vineyard, located in the Wilcox area of Cochise County, in southeastern Arizona. He started the winery with Kent Callaghan, who later went his own way.
Dos Cabezas has 60 acres planted of the usual Rhônes, Sangiovese and some Cabernet, plus Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Malvasia Bianca. Buhl plans to plant 20 acres more in Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Grenache. He will make about 4,000 cases this year, and hopes eventually to reach 5,000, selling grapes to other wineries, including some in Texas.
He doesn't have a formal tasting room, but will do tastings at the winery. Buhl sells his wines through restaurants, the Sunset wine club and retailers like Costco and Cost Plus World Markets.
Jon Marcus once worked with Callaghan, whom he calls the "wine guru of Arizona." Marcus owns Echo Canyon Winery in Sedona, a small winery and vineyard that produces 1,500-2,000 cases each year, although alkali soils make it challenging.
He notes that a developer is attempting to create wine estates in the area, and he may get involved as the winemaker.
Marcus planted 18 acres at a new vineyard on 80 acres he bought near Wilcox. Though fairly serious about the wine in Sedona, he admits he's seeking tourists at Wilcox, calling the vineyard "Crop Circle Vineyard and Winery," planting the vines in a circular pattern and setting up a tasting room off the Interstate to attract visitors with billboards, T-shirts and under-$20 wines.
He is also planning to farm biodynamically, use solar energy and biodiesel and otherwise respect the environment. The vineyard is planted in an old lakebed, which Marcus say s is much easier to farm than his property on a hillside in the Sedona area.
Marcus finds the major problem the summer rains cause--besides mildew--is that they encourage leafhoppers. "With 90º and rain, it's a hatchery for bugs."
The most interesting development of late in Arizona has been the decision by Oregon's Dick Erath to establish what will be the state's largest vineyard--and eventually winery--in the state. Though his decision is based partly on a personal desire to escape from Oregon's wet weather, local growers consider the move a significant endorsement on the part of a nationally respected winemaker.
Erath bought a home near Tucson in 1991 "to get away from the Oregon winter," and planted grapes in his backyard in 1995.
Last year, he bought 200 acres and planted 12 in February, near Wilcox at 4,300 ft. altitude, next to Dos Cabezas vineyard. He says the vineyard receives 4,000 degree-days, definitely on the warm side. Erath believes the secret to producing good fruit is managing irrigation; he has plenty of water from existing wells.
Erath has focused on Mediterranean red varieties, which he believes made their best wines in their home regions, including Syrah, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Grenache and Mourvèdre. He has also planted Touriga Nacional, Cunoise and Negro Amaro. Erath initially plans to ship grapes to his winery in Oregon in refrigerated containers to see if the site can produce world-class wine.
He says, "Arizona reminds me of Oregon 30 years ago, when I was starting out undercapitalized and inexperienced. It's good to start this without those concerns."
Arizona seems poised for significant growth in wine, but it also seems to be at a crossroad: quality wine or tourism? Rod Keeling believes the right direction is high-end, serious wine. "Our future is quality wine, not the tourist track (embraced by) many new winemaking parts of the United States."
Plenty of others seem to agree.
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