Arizona Wine Country, is it really a thing?

A holiday trip to see old friends in Phoenix turned into a desert hiking adventure and wine tasting, who knew?

We spent our first night in Sky Ranch Lodge, a quaint hilltop lodge overlooking Sedona, Arizona and the red sandstone bluffs of the Schnebly Hills formation. We arrived at night after a long drive from Los Angeles. The nightime decorations were in full swing so finding the check-in area was easy. After a quick stroll in the midnight air we were off to get some shut eye.

Come sunup we were amazed by the view outside our hillside cottage. We could have sat all day on our back deck, drinking in the beautiful surroundings.

But we had to get a move on as we wanted time to check out the Sedona area and then head to Phoenix for the night. We had a quick bite to eat at a local cafe and then set off for a hike to explore the nearby sights. Thankfully the trailhead was a short drive from the cafe. After so much time in the car the day before, a quick hike seemed like a great idea.

The scenery ended up being pretty amazing, with the statuesque rock formations and orangish red soil. It was really beautiful. We would hike and stop and take in the beauty. And the other hikers were super friendly. One even stopped us and asked, what has been the best part of our day? We smiled and said, THIS, pointing to the incredible red-rock buttes. The views of Sedona really cleansed our souls.

On our way to Phoenix later in the day we were excited to see a few wineries not far from our route so we made a slight detour to Verde Valley Wine Country in Cornville, Arizona to check them out. We’d heard about winemaking in Arizona and wanted to give it a swirl! We’re glad we did.

Oak Creek Vineyards and Winery

Oak Creek Vineyards and Winery is located near some amazing hiking so you could easily spend a day hiking and then pop by Oak Creek and other vineyards in the area for some tastings. The tasting room is quaint with a long bar and featured the requisite wine paraphernalia for sale. Most seating is outside on a plethora of tables of different sizes in a charming stone and gravel semi-covered courtyard. The wine was served either by the glass or flights. Steve: I decided on a glass of the house bubbly to soothe my parched palate. It was certainly drinkable, a touch sweet for my liking but pretty solid.

Jane chose a flight of a Sauvignon Blanc and several reds for her samples and I happily stole a few sips to see what they were like. The Sauvignon Blanc, was oddly sweet, not at all what I would expect, with no grapefruit or grassy notes. It was also very round, lacking a nice mouthwatering acidity that you often find in a crisp Sauv Blanc. It struck me as kind of an odd presentation of the varietal.

All the reds were very light bodied. Even the Sangiovese and Malbec seemed unusually light, a bit heavier than a big Rose, with a noticeable sweetness. It seems to me that perhaps the high temperatures in this part of Arizona may not be conducive to producing the style of wine to which we have become accustomed to in Southern California. It could also be chalked up to the winemakers preferred style of wine as well.

Jane here, and I agree with Steve’s assessment. The setting was really relaxing and the wine was interesting but overall very light. I think it’s great for something different to do in the Sedona area but it’s hard to compete with wine produced outside of Arizona.

Javalina Leap Vineyard and Winery

Javalina is right next door to Oak Creek. It has a really welcoming tasting room with a double-sided long bar in the middle of the room. It oozed western charm with all manner of signs and wine-related products lining the walls. The server was super nice and engaging and gave us good insight into their grape-growing and overall wine production. We were really impressed by their passion for wine-making.

We shared a tasting flight of a white and five reds.

2022 Riesling. Steve: I was excited to try this since I really love a good Riesling from Alsace. It is described as dry but I found it entirely too sweet with little character other than a hint of petrol on the nose. Jane: I love that they are trying to do a Riesling as this varietal is one my favorite for white wines. I wasn’t a huge fan of this Riesling though. It was a bit too sweet for me. In general, I think the Arizona climate is probably better-suited for red wines.

2021 Sangiovese. Steve: Extremely light in color and body for the varietal, it reminds me of a Rose. Almost no detectible nose as well. I can honestly say I have never tasted a Sangio that was this light. Jane: I agree, this wine was a bit too light for me. I appreciate they are trying to do a Sangio, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Although it probably goes down really well after a long hike nearby!

2020 Rockslide Cabernet blend, consists of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 20% Petit Sirah. Steve: I found this to be a really solid Bordeaux blend, with an appealing subtle dryness on the palate. Jane: I enjoyed this wine. I could taste something really special here. I would have bought a bottle but the downside is that Javalina’s wines are pricey overall.

2020 Red Canyon Cuvee, 50% Merlot, 25% Barbera and 25% Petite Sirah. Steve: This is the best glass so far. It’s still very light like its companions but has a pleasing complexity. Jane: I’m always a fan of a good cuvee and this one went down really smoothly. I would recommend this cuvee if you wanted to try Arizona wine.

2020 Estate Zinfandel, an estate bottling. Steve: With a touch of tannin and dryness along with the now predictable light body, this is an interesting Zin. Jane: This is a very light Zin. It’s tasty and again would probably go down really well after a long hike.

2020 Syrah, Steve: this is an odd one to me. It has little mouthfeel and is extremely dry and almost no detectible nose. Jane: I would have thought Syrah would do well in the Arizona hot climate but this was not my favorite of the day. The blends were the stand outs to me.

Overall, Arizona Wine Country is definitely a thing and a fun experience. It’s something different to do in the area and a great excuse to quench your thirst after hiking. And it’s always good to support wine entrepreneurs. It’s not an easy business. We applaud those who are passionate about it!

Next time, we’ll have to try the larger Arizona wine country in the southern part of Arizona. This, however, was a nice peek at what Arizona Wine Country has to offer and we’re excited for its future!