DISCOVER AZ WINES
BY PEGGY FIANDACA Owner, Lawrence Dunham Vineyards President, AZ Wine Growers Association
Wine grapes are grown in at least eight of Arizona’s 15 counties and there are wineries located in even more. Did you know there are wineries in Downtown Scottsdale and Tempe? You might also be surprised to know that there are wineries in Williams, Florence, Young, Tombstone and Yuma, to mention just some of the surprising locations for wineries.
Carole and John Kennelly, Grand Canyon Winery
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In Arizona, wineries operate under a Domestic Farm Winery license that is issued and regulated by the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control. You don’t have to grow wine grapes to be a domestic farm winery. These wineries may purchase grapes from in-state or out-of-state producers. Su Vino Winery (www. suvinowineryaz.com) in Downtown Scottsdale is a family-owned and operated winery in the Arts District. The winery was founded in Grapevine, Texas. What is unique about this award-winning winery is that it produces unique blends of wine or you can have wine made specifically tailored to your palate. If you choose this approach, you can participate in the winemaking process by bottling and corking your wine and placing your own personalized label. It makes a great holiday or wedding gift. Traveling up to the Grand Canyon, don’t miss Grand Canyon Winery (http:// t h e g r a n d c a n y o n w i n e r y. c o m ) . Siblings Carole and John Kennelly have collaborated with awardwinning winemaker Eric Glomski to produce handcrafted wines that pair well with foods. The tasting room and gift boutique is located in the heart of historic Downtown
Williams and is open every day. The tasting room also pours wines from other Arizona wineries. If you can’t get to one of the great Arizona wineries around the state, The Festival at the Farm is the place to meet grape farmers, wine producers and try dozens of Arizona wines close to home. The Governor proclaims Arizona Wine Week the week leading up to November 16 when wineries from around the state will be pouring their wines at the fifth annual festival. The picturesque setting of Phoenix’s historic The Farm at South Mountain (www. thefarmatsouthmountain.com) provides a beautiful backdrop to enjoy music, a boxed lunch under the pecan trees, workshops, specialty local products, silent/ live auction and, of course, great Arizona wine. The evening before (November 15) winemakers and wine aficionados gather to celebrate Arizona wines, and awards for the winning wines from the annual competition are announced. Enjoy passed and stationed hors d’ouevres at Quiessence Restaurant paired with the award-winning wines. The cost is $75 for each event and includes food, wine tastings and entertainment. Purchase tickets at www.azwinefestivalatthefarm.com.