What are two things that you never think would go together that do so perfectly in AZ? The answer: desert and vino.
Yes, Arizona has a wine country, mostly the south-eastern corner of the state. Patagonia is the wine capital of the state, but the area with the most wineries is a small town a few miles north, Sonoita. Boasting over nine wineries in its vicinity, Sonoita is the kind of place where there are only two great restaurants (one being a saloon joint called the Stake Out, the other Italian) and two gas stations, one at each end of the main road. The entire area is made up of nine streets (two of which are major highways), but the rolling hills and snow-capped mountains offer one of the most scenic drives in the entire state.
The center of Sonoita is only an hour and fifteen minutes south of Tucson and makes a wonderful day trip. Our first stop was the fairly new winery, Kief-Joshua. It is a small, family owned vineyard set on 20 acres of land. Their tasting room and shop are set in the first floor of their house, making it the perfect setting for a family buisness. The owner, Kief Manning, has a degree from the University of Melbourne in Viticulture and Enology (yes, that is an actual degree). He personally runs the tasting room, which is open every day except for Christmas. However, it is not just people who love this vineyard retreat set in the middle of nowhere. Petey, a local roadrunner, is a daily guest, followed Kief around the property as he does his work. This little friend has even made a point of greeting guests and he is a charming bird to be sure.
Our second vineyard that we stopped at was The Village of Elgin (named for the local area, which is Elgin). It is also called Four Monkeys Winery, but it goes by either name, if not both. Although the interior setting of the tasting room is not as romantic, it shows all of the different kinds of wine that Four Monkeys offers. Each wine is divided into three catagories: White, Rose, and Red. The names differ based on where the grapes could be from, the names of saints, or even the niece of the owner. Online ordering is possible for they sell their wines in local liquor stores across Arizona.
However, one of the greatest parts about our day trip was not just the wine, but the food. At Kief-Joshua, we picked up a jar of their Chardonay Artichoke Salsa. One bite leaves a burn in your mouth that won't even go away with a glass of milk. Viaggio Italiano, the local Italian restaurant, has views of mountains to dazzle anyone and the food is as authentic as it is delicious. On the walls hang retro Italian posters from various operas such as La Boheme, mixed in with a signed photo of Pavarotti and framed copies of the recipies that the owner's grandmother used for her Italian cuisine (which are now offered as meals on the menu).
If one is spending a week in Arizona and doesn't want a traditional touristy look at the state, the Sonoita-Elgin Wine Country is the place to be.
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