Happy Wine Wednesday, my dear readers! As you know, it is my favorite day of the week! Feel free to pour yourself a glass of rich red wine, preferably from Arizona, as you read this post. I just opened up a bottle of Caduceus Cellars Marzo, a blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Cabernet; think Super Tuscan. This wine may sound like a pivot from what I normally drink, as you know I unapologetically enjoy Old World wines, but trust me, this wine has the gritty terroir and punchy personality of some of its best Italian cousins, with the refined backbone of a rich gentleman’s Cabernet.

I spent my own version of Dry January in the desert. As I celebrated the new year sitting outside on a patio overlooking Camelback Mountain, I counted all of my blessings for the past year and made my goals for the new year. I honored the Spanish tradition of eating twelve grapes, one wish for each month of the year. One of my goals is to constantly write on this blog and talk about wine. I love wine, and I want to share my knowledge with you so you can go out and try new wines with confidence. Wine should be accessible and fun, not a complex equation to solve. Life is hard enough, and our wine shouldn’t be.

So let’s talk about Arizona wine. Arizona is collectively part of the Southwest and much like the other states, grapes were planted during the Spanish missions in the sixteenth century. The oldest Arizona vineyard on record was planted in 1703 by a Jesuit missionary around the Tucson area. So wine is not necessarily new in Arizona, but for the sake of quality, let’s skip a few centuries. The state’s first winery, Vina Sonoita, was opened in 1979 by Dr. Gordon Dutt, who was a scientist at the University of Arizona. In 1984, the first Arizona AVA, Sonoita, was established compared to their neighbor California, which had 44 AVAs. Today, Arizona has three recognized AVAs: Sonoita, Wilcox, and Verde Valley. Arizona has a unique diurnal temperature shift, and this allows the grapes to cool down after a long day in the sun. There are a variety of grapes planted, and in the early 2000s, Arizona saw its largest growth of production. Caduceus Cellars, which is my glass, opened in 2004 in Jerome, Arizona. I have visited their tasting room more times than I would like to admit. It is a really fun experience, and the wines are solid, highlighting Italian varietals. They even make a Vermentino; see, I told you…..not too far off from what I normally drink. I highly recommend a trip north to Jerome and if you don’t feel like traveling you can go to their website and order directly from the winery (depending on your state).

Until next Wine Wednesday….enjoy your glass of wine!