Many people head north to enjoy the vast spaces and beautiful outdoor landscapes we are privy to in northern Az. Hiking, rafting, biking… you name it, this is an outdoorsmen’s paradise. However there is a little known trail that is worth the trip. Leave your hiking boots at home, you won’t need them on this trail. Oddly enough I have lived in Arizona my entire life and had no idea it was home to several amazing wineries. The warm, dry climate, sunny skies, sandy soil and almost no chance of frost make it an ideal harvesting ground for several varieties of grapes. Right in the heart of the Verde Valley, surrounded by desert landscapes, you will find an oasis of green grape vines. Let’s hit the trail.
First stop, Alcantara. This is located between Cottonwood and Camp Verde at the convergence of the Verde River and Oak Creek. If you didn’t know it was there, you wouldn’t believe it. The trip down the dirt road is surrounded by dry brush with brown landscapes as far as the eye can see. Then you arrive to fields of grape vines, a beautiful home, and a green grassy yard.
For $10 you get to taste 5 varieties of your choosing and you get to keep the glass. We spent most of our time out on the patio under the misting system with green as far as the eye could see. My favorite wine, the sangiovese. You can also purchase a bottle or by the glass.
For those that are still interested in a little adventure, you should look into the Water to Wine Tour. You hop on a kayak in Sedona and cruise down the river towards Alcantara. When you arrive you head up to the house, bathing suit and all, and taste wine. Fun and relaxing, this is definitely on my To Do List.
Pretty incredible. They have several outdoor tables so you can enjoy the green grass and grape vines. On the weekends they offer cheese platters and other food pairing. They also offer vineyard tours if you are interested in learning more about the grape growing process. Tours are offered on Friday or Saturday at 11:30am. They are open 7 days a week, excluding a few holidays, from 11am-5pm. You only need to make a reservation if you want to go on a vineyard tour as part of a large group. Alcantara has big plans for the future which include a Bed and Breakfast, restaurant and even lots that people can build homes on and use the current tasting house as a club house for parties or other events.
Next Stop, Page Springs. The Page Springs winery is off of Page Springs road on the far west end of Sedona. (Between Cottonwood and Sedona.) Along the way you will also pass by Oak Creek Vineyards and Javelina Leap. I didn’t make it to those two this trip, but hopefully next time! Page Springs is much bigger and offers several varieties of wine. Their vineyards consist mainly of grapes from the Southern Rhone region of Italy. Due to the relatively recent development of all the wineries in Arizona, they often have to get grapes from other sources in order to produce wine. Page Springs has reached a point where the majority of their wine can be produced from their Arizona grown grapes and they have been able to reduce the amount of grapes they acquired from other sources. Some of their varieties are still mixed with California grapes and due to the wonderful flavor and quality it produces, they don’t plan to change that any time soon.
Page Springs is open Monday-Thursday 11am-6pm and Friday-Saturday 11am-9pm. Page Springs has created groups of tastings that they felt go best together so instead of choosing 5 random varieties, you select one of the tasting groups. The cost is also $10 and includes a souvenir glass. They also have a pretty extensive menu available so you can enjoy dinner along with your wine.
My review: I preferred both the wine and the atmosphere at Alcantara. The fact that the tasting room was essentially in a kitchen, made me feel like I was at home. It was serene and relaxing. The service was excellent and the lady helping us was incredibly knowledgeable about all things wine. She told us little known wine facts (to novices anyway) like the taste of the wine can be affected by the age of the vine. Zinfandel for example generally has a peppery, more noticeable finish however grapes from a new vine have a much more mild flavor. Page Springs had more of a commercial feel and was much more similar to going to a restaurant or bar. At Alcantara we had a server who came and brought us each tasting as we finished the last. At Page Springs you had to head back to the bar to get your next variety. Not a major deal but if you are out to relax and enjoy, this is a hindrance. However if you are interested in going to multiple vineyards at once, Page Springs makes the most sense as the two other vineyards are less than a mile away. The fact that you can also order a meal is nice as well so that you can make a full outing of the experience. Either way you can’t go wrong. Depending on what you are trying to achieve, both vineyards are worth visiting. I plan to go back and hit the trail more often.
