Wineries and vineyards in Arizona? Absolutely! The Verde Valley (Arizona wine country in the Sedona, Cottonwood red rock region) is not only one of the most beautiful regions of Arizona, it is an exceptional place to grow grapes and make delicious Arizona wine. This year the local vineyards produced a record harvest. Eric Glomski, Page Springs Cellars Owner & Winemaker says, "This last year was one of those rare vintages where everything was perfect: no rain, perfect temperatures, and no late season frost. The harvest was not only bountiful, but the character of the young wines indicates this year's grapes will produce one of the finest vintages ever." Page Springs Cellars is one of four wineries with tasting rooms looking out on vineyards that are on the Verde Valley Wine Trail. The wine trail connects the dots between the communities of Cottonwood, Sedona, Camp Verde, and Jerome. The surroundings are rich red rock formations, desert foliage, lush canyon greenery, and the flowing water of the Verde River, Oak Creek, and Page Springs. Nestled here are four wineries: Alcantara Vineyards, Page Springs Cellars, Oak Creek Vineyards, & Javelina Leap Vineyards and two tasting rooms: Caduceus Cellars and the Jerome Winery. The wineries and area activities can be found on the Verde Valley Wine Trail website. It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of travel and leisure is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about travel and leisure.
"We have visitors who love to come to the winery to enjoy a picnic on our lawn overlooking the vineyards, and sample the wine tastings" says Barbara Predmore, Owner of Alcantara Vineyards. "Alcantara, like the other Verde Valley wineries, are family farms in the best tradition of American agriculture. Our wineries connect consumers directly with winemakers and their staff who share a very personal passion for their unique jobs of hand-crafting wine...what could be more fun?" The Wine Trail vineyards and wineries have matured over the past 9 years. Rod Snapp, Javelina Leap Winemaker, says "Surprisingly, Arizona's sunshine, heat, and the unique rocky soils of the Verde Valley are an excellent environment for growing grapes. The soils and stressful growing conditions force the vines to struggle to survive which causes the vines to put their energy into developing less abundant but higher quality, more intensely flavored fruit - just the characteristics the winemaker wants to craft great wine." The Verde Valley, Arizona's wine country, is under-discovered but the people who have been to the region and tasted the wine it produces attest to its excellence - quite a few wines have won national awards for their quality. The wineries' offerings include Syrah, Petite Sirah, Viognier, Rousanne, Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, just to name a few. Every winery has its own unique personality and distinct wines for visitors to discover at each stop along the Wine Trail. Every Tasting Room has a sampling menu that changes throughout the year as wines reach the proper age after maturing in barrels in the wineries' aging rooms. All of the Tasting Room menus can be viewed on the Wine Trail website. For details on Arizona's Verde Valley Wine Trail visit http://www.vvwinetrail.com.
"We have visitors who love to come to the winery to enjoy a picnic on our lawn overlooking the vineyards, and sample the wine tastings" says Barbara Predmore, Owner of Alcantara Vineyards. "Alcantara, like the other Verde Valley wineries, are family farms in the best tradition of American agriculture. Our wineries connect consumers directly with winemakers and their staff who share a very personal passion for their unique jobs of hand-crafting wine...what could be more fun?" The Wine Trail vineyards and wineries have matured over the past 9 years. Rod Snapp, Javelina Leap Winemaker, says "Surprisingly, Arizona's sunshine, heat, and the unique rocky soils of the Verde Valley are an excellent environment for growing grapes. The soils and stressful growing conditions force the vines to struggle to survive which causes the vines to put their energy into developing less abundant but higher quality, more intensely flavored fruit - just the characteristics the winemaker wants to craft great wine." The Verde Valley, Arizona's wine country, is under-discovered but the people who have been to the region and tasted the wine it produces attest to its excellence - quite a few wines have won national awards for their quality. The wineries' offerings include Syrah, Petite Sirah, Viognier, Rousanne, Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, just to name a few. Every winery has its own unique personality and distinct wines for visitors to discover at each stop along the Wine Trail. Every Tasting Room has a sampling menu that changes throughout the year as wines reach the proper age after maturing in barrels in the wineries' aging rooms. All of the Tasting Room menus can be viewed on the Wine Trail website. For details on Arizona's Verde Valley Wine Trail visit http://www.vvwinetrail.com.
