Wine Tasting in Arizona

Third Article in The Wine Guy Series

By: Tom Woodruff
Published February 2, 2010

Wine tasting in Arizona?  That’s a bit of a reach for me!

Since moving to Arizona, I've heard a lot of chatter about Arizona wines. I admit to being somewhat prejudice, having lived in California for so many years. As far as I am concerned, Arizona is desert, scorpions, cacti, loads of sand with no beaches, and, of course, heat. Yes, lots of heat! But wine making, I don't think so. Yet, the chatter continues. So it seemed to me that the only way to come to terms with this "chatter" was to do some exploring. I decided this would make a great weekender for Linda and me.

So, we booked a room in Sedona. But, before leaving, I got in touch with some local friends who personally know the winemaker at Javelina Leap Winery.

"Could you get me an introduction?" I asked.

Even better than making an introduction, they had the winemaker give me a call.  During this call, he told me there were only four wineries in his area that I should visit. So, we mapped out our trip and on a Friday morning headed north to Cornville, just south of Sedona.

And here is my report.

Oak Creek Vineyards
1555 N Page Springs Road
Cornville, AZ 86325
www.oakcreekvineyards.net
Tasting hours: Daily 11am to 5pm

This was our starting point. The tasting room was open and inviting. It was the largest of those we visited. A great gift shop and a friendly tasting room staff were added bonuses.  Oak Creek Vineyards offers a $5.00 tasting, which lets you pick four wines from their list.

2007 Chardonnay:  Buttery, with a hint of pears and citrus, and a tart but balanced finish. Very light oak. Overall a pleasant wine, but still needs some work.
Price per bottle: $22.

2008 Viognier:  Had a nice level of creaminess with hints of melon and honeysuckle. I thought the fruit level was good, not overdone and finished with a good balance of acid to fruit.
Per bottle: $26

2006 Zinfandel Reserve: Very light with hints of pepper, almonds, figs and cinnamon.
Per Bottle:  $28

2007 Merlot:  Dark fruit flavors of black cherry and plums. Low tannins and smooth.
Per Bottle:  $26

Reading through their tasting notes, I found this interesting description of their white wines:   "We produce crisp whites in stainless steel vats, with a pinch of oak." I was pretty sure I knew what "a pinch of oak" meant, but wanted to hear it from the tasting room employee.” It's kinda like a large tea bag," she told me, "except filled with oak chips.  The bag is dipped into the vat of fermenting wine to give it an oaky taste."

So, why would a winery use this method instead of putting the wine into oak barrels? Cost, is the overwhelming reason. New French oak barrels, the favorite of most winemakers, cost about $1,200 each and are usually used three to five times before being replaced. While the winery saves money, they must accept the down side, which is that the flavor extracted from wood chips fades rather quickly and, some critics say, the wine is one dimensional. The flavor from barrel aging stays with the wine and helps the wine age longer. But, though I hate to admit it, with the prices of French and American Oak barrels continuing to rise, we may see more wineries using this method.  I would be very surprised, however, to hear that the better wineries are switching to chips.

Page Springs Cellars
1500 Page Springs Road
Cornville, AZ 86325
www.pagespringscellars.com
Tasting hours: Daily 11am to 6pm

Next, we visited this eclectic, but small tasting room of Page Springs Cellars, managed by Corey Turnbull, who is very knowledgeable and friendly. They sell a small selection of food items as well as winery souvenirs. Their emphasis is on Rhone style wines. They offer a flight of 5 wines for $10 with a souvenir wine glass.

2008 Arizona Stronghold Vineyard – Chardonnay: Neutral oak, tastes of tropical fruit. Very soft, yet retains its freshness and acidity.
Per bottle: $35.

2008 Vino Del Barrio Blanca: Floral nose with tastes of citrus and pineapple. Very dry and crisp.
Per bottle: $15.

2008 Central Coast Pinot Noir:  Made from California grapes (Central Coast), the wine is light with tastes of strawberries and raspberries. Very drinkable.
Per bottle:  $30.

2007 El Serrano: Very deep purple in color, it is a blend of Mourvedre, Syrah and Cabernet. They call this their "Flagship" wine. Tastes of black cherries, cassis and white pepper. Also very drinkable.
Per bottle:  $30.

2008 Petite Syrah - Paso Robles: Rich and silky, with tastes of figs and black plums, and a nose of violets and olives.
Per bottle:  $40.

Here’s a bit of trivia about one of the owners. His name is Maynard Keenan, and not only is he part owner of the winery, but he is also a member of the rock band, Door. He’s very serious about wine and has a 7,000 bottle cellar. Way to go, Maynard.

Javelina Leap Vineyard and Winery
1565 Page Springs Road
Cornville, AZ 86325
www.javelinaleapwinery.com
Tasting hours: Daily 11 to 5

We had the great pleasure of meeting and spending some time with the owner and winemaker, Rod Snapp, and his artist wife and assistant winemaker, Cynthia, along with their giant, 5-year-old Mastiff, Vineyard, or "Vinny" for short. Rod has been a resident of Arizona for over 30 years. He likes to tell the story of when he was 12 years old riding his bike through a vineyard in Livermore, California and saying to himself, "I will own a winery someday." Eleven years later, his dream came true.

Rod shared a taste of his 2008 Cabernet sauvignon from barrel. This was a dark, inky purple in color with a nose of black cherries and lavender and a hint of chocolate and coffee on the finish. I must say I was impressed. Unfortunately, he has only 1 barrel of this wine, which will yield fewer than 300 bottles. (59 Gallons)  The winery offers a tasting of 4 wines for $8, plus $2 if you would like to keep the glass.
   
2008 Sauvignon Blanc: The wine comes from the Santa Barbara area and is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Very light straw in color with a floral nose along with pear and grapefruit characteristics. Very dry with a crisp, clean finish.
Per bottle: $22.

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