This post is sponsored by Arizona Stronghold Vineyards (ASV). As always, all opinions are my own.
Did you know that Arizona wine country exists and that there are vineyards in Arizona that you can visit? Did you know that there are tastings rooms where you can try wine that is made exclusively from Arizona grown grapes? I had no idea any of this existed until Arizona Stronghold Vineyards invited me to check out their tasting room in Cottonwood, Arizona. After experiencing a wine tasting, I can wholeheartedly say that a wine tasting at Arizona Stronghold Vineyards needs to be on your bucket list.
Check out everything I learned and let me know if you’re convinced to take a trip because I know I will definitely be back!
Arizona Stronghold Vineyards has been around since 2007 which makes it the oldest vineyard in Arizona. Their vineyard Bonita Springs Vineyard is located in southeastern Arizona near the “Cochise Stronghold”, an area within the Coronado National Forest that is named after the mighty Apache chieftain, Cochise. Arizona Stronghold’s name is derived from Cochise Stronghold and pays homage to the original inhabitants of Arizona. I visited the tasting room in Cottonwood, Arizona but if you are not up for a roadtrip, you can check out their tasting room in Scottsdale.
At the Bonita Springs Vineyard in Willcox, ASV grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Malvasia Bianco, Malbec, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Semmion, Pinot Noir, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Cab Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Trebbiano, Marsanne, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Muscat, and Norton grapes.
As someone who cares about the environment I love seeing local grapes being used in my home state and once I tried the wine, I was even more proud because it was delicious! When you walk into ASV’s tasting room in Cottonwood, Arizona you have the option to do your tasting inside or outside in their lovely patio.
The tasting room in Cottonwood has the cutest patio for wine tastings and it’s perfect for dates, girls trips, or just something fun to do with friends and/or family.
For the wine tastings, you have different options depending on if you like red or white wines and the staff is very knowledgeable and can navigate you through the experience. You can also add a cheese plate, meat and cheese plate, and/or a chocolate plate to your pairings.
We had the cheese plate and it was excellent, I particularly liked the goat cheese! I would highly recommend that you add a plate to your wine tasting as it really completes the whole experience.
Below are the wines I tried:
They were all so delicious but my personal favorites were the 2018 Syrah, 2018 Sangiovese, Mangus, and Bayshawn so of course I had to buy some bottles!
You can buy their wines at their tasting rooms in Scottsdale, Cottonwood, or at a Total Wine near you.
I’m so proud to live in Arizona for many reasons but now as a wine lover, I am even more proud due to the fact that today there are over 100 wineries and Arizona now has three AVAs (American Viticultural Areas). ASV has their vineyard in the Willcox AVA.
ASV also has a wine club with different options depending on your taste and budget. You can see all of the details here.
ASV has various events throughout the year including The Arizona Wine Garden Party at Singh Meadows coming up on February 25th and 26th. All of the details for the Garden party and upcoming events can be found here.
A huge thank you to Arizona Stronghold Vineyards for hosting me, I had the best time drinking amazing wine and cannot wait to return. I hope this post inspires you to go taste some authentic Arizona wine at the Arizona Stronghold Vineyards tasting rooms in Scottsdale and Cottonwood. Check out their website for additional information.
Thank you all for reading, and stay enthusiastic!
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-Maira