KERIDWEN CORNELIUS 2023-10-19 03:50:56
Thanks to curated tours, imbibers can sip and swirl safely as they visit a flight of wineries by bus, boat, Jeep or train. In 2021, Central Arizona’s Verde Valley became an American Viticultural Area, giving Arizona its third distinctive wine country. If you’re staying in the Scottsdale area and would like to daytrip to this lush riparian region, the AZ Wine Wagon whisks guests to three Verde Valley area wineries, including Cove Mesa Tasting Room, a premium winery focused on small-production wines. Travelers overnighting in Sedona, Cottonwood or Page Springs can opt for the Arizona Wine Crawler. This hop-on-hop-off service whistle-stops between more than 10 wineries in sylvan Page Springs, pastel-painted Old Town Cottonwood and historic Clarkdale. Outdoorsy oenophiles can splash out on Verde Adventures’ Water to Wine Tour, a kayaking trip on the Verde River to Alcantara Vineyards’ Tuscan villa-inspired tasting room. Or journey to the river and Alcantara in a 4x4 on A Day in the West’s Jeep Tour and Wine Tasting. For even more horsepower, ride the Verde Canyon Railroad’s Grape Train Escape, departing from Clarkdale once monthly from May to September. Passengers can sip local wines while chugging through the Verde Canyon as it turns golden at sunset. An entirely different terroir awaits in Southern Arizona, where you can immerse yourself in the chardonnay-colored grasslands of Sonoita and the Wild West flavor of Willcox. Arizona Winery Tours ushers guests from Tucson to three wineries and a restaurant in either Sonoita or Willcox. At Rune Wines, score a seat under a sunshade and drink in sweeping prairie views while sipping wild-yeast-fermented syrah. And don’t miss Los Milics Vineyards from Pavle Milic, whose wine program at Scottsdale restaurant FnB was nominated for a James Beard Award. MORE WAYS TO EXPERIENCE WINE COUNTRY STOMP GRAPES In Sonoita, take part in the wine-making process with grape stomping during HarvestFest in July at Sonoita Vineyards and at The Great Crush Festival in September. MASSAGE AND MERLOT Page Springs Cellars offers massages in the vineyard year-round (weather permitting), as well as a couple’s massage package that also includes food and wine. WILDLIFE AND WINE The hills surrounding Keeling Schaefer Vineyards in Willcox is a birder’s paradise. In winter, witness the migration of sandhill cranes in the area before stopping at the tasting room for a glass of wine.
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