2011 Festival at the Farm: Arizona's best wine showcase

I had an amazing opportunity to partake in one of Arizona's best wine festivals this past Saturday, on November 19th.  I attended the Festival at the Farm put on by the Arizona Wine Growers Association.  It is in it's third year of existence, and held at the beautiful Farm at South Mountain.  This is the biggest event the Association hosts, and most likely the best to represent what Arizona wine is all about.

According to the AWGA website, Arizona now has 45 licenced wineries ranging from Northern Arizona to deep Southeastern Arizona, with about 20 more in development.  This is also the event where the wineries offer their best red, white, rose', and dessert wines to be judged and awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals.  Participants at the event were also encouraged to vote on the peoples choice awards.

I received the chance to arrive about an hour before the event officially started, as a member of the media community (super cool).  I tasted the various wine offerings and talked to all the winemakers before the crowds arrived. 

This was my first year attending the event, and I was thrilled to be there and taste my way through the great wine state of Arizona.  The event was very well run, and the location was perfect along with the weather. 

Rant Alert:  I only have one complaint, the awards.  In my opinion, to have an event hosted by the AWGA, emphasis on the word wine growers, any wine that was made from outside fruit should not be qualified to compete.  If the Arizona Winemakers Association co-hosted the event then yes, outside and in-state fruit could both count toward the awards.  So needless to say, I was a little annoyed by some of the winners this year, and by some of the people who did not win.  I firmly believe that if Arizona wants to be taken seriously as a wine making region we need to step away from the California labels.  Or if you do make your wine from California (or anywhere else)  please, please do not label it as Arizona wine or mislead saying you have Arizona wine when in fact you do not.  There is no shame in using California or New Mexican or even Mexican fruit if you are honest about what you are doing.  According to the website there are two categories for awards, Wine Grower's cup and winemakers Medal, the first being only AZ fruit and the second only made in AZ.  I believe the second category should be null and void.  When one of the best rose's I have ever tasted did not win gold, I personally felt a little robbed, but what are you going to do, after all, wine is highly subjective, and these awards once again proved that.  One persons Don Perignon is another's Boones' Farm.  Here is the link to the full list of winners and also a list of the judges and their personal favorites.

Now that my rant is over, on to the good stuff, the wine!  Of the 22 different wineries represented I tasted all but five, namely because two made stuff with California fruit, and the other three I just ran out of time.  I was very impressed with some of the newest wineries and those I have not yet visited.  At one point, I sat next to a couple from California, and they were impressed with Arizona wine and trying to decide who they would like to buy from and how to get it all back to California.  Very cool!  Most Californians snub their noses at Arizona wine, so it was nice to finally hear the reverse.

Speaking of California, I had a very unique tasting experience at the Gallifant Cellars table.  This is a new winery located in Willcox however, Eric Glomski makes the wine.  My goal was to only taste wine made with local fruit, so if a table had a wine made with exclusively outside fruit I passed, except for at Gallifant.  Irlyn, the winery owner, was pouring me the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and was gushing about how good it was, and how much more she, her husband, and Glomski enjoy it over the 2008.  However, most of the customers prefer the 2008, which was made from Paso Robles grapes.  So this had be curious.  After tasting the 2009 made with AZ grapes, I decided to do a side by side comparison of the same varietal, but different region.  And not surprisingly I also preferred the 2009.  Now, you may say I am bias, however not true, Cab is after all my favorite red wine.  No, I enjoyed the 2009 more because it was different, a unique terrior driven experience.  I have tasted a million California Cabs at various price points, and while they for the most part have all been tasty, they are predicable.  Now taste an Arizona Cab and it is a whole new experience with the same grape.  It has that lovely smokey, granite like Arizona twist that I enjoy.  While it may not be for everyone, I enjoy the uniqueness in wine, something out of the ordinary, something that wakes up your palate and screams hello, and that is what I so often experience with Arizona wine.

My first stop of the day was to Sand-Reckoner naturally, to let them know my extreme displeasure over them not winning the gold for their beautiful rose'.  They are such a sweet couple, they laughed and said thank you a half a dozen times.  Then I purchased a couple bottles of the wonderful juice and I plan on serving it at our family Thanksgiving table.  And I am happy to report, they are not ripping up that special nebbiolo vines plot, thankfully!  However, the next vintage will be slightly different,  just a little more syrah, and sangiovese in the blend but still nebbiolo based.

Next table over was Lawrence Dunham Vineyards also down in Willcox, and let me say, they are now on my top five list of special Arizona wineries.  They use neutral oak in all the Sky Island wines and French oak on the rest.  They make the wines from all Arizona fruit and most from their vineyards.  Really good freaking wine, lip smacking, in your face, drink me now, and I will stain your teeth purple kinda wines.  The Sky Island wines are a little softer and more fruit forward, ie: more palate friendly.  But I liked the big guns, the 2009 Grenache, and 2009 Petite Sirah, both amazing and heavy hitters, singing all the right notes.  I am planning on visiting this winery in the Spring, and am super excited.  Curt Dunham the co-owner (along with Peggy Fiandeca, the current AWGA president) is the winemaker and doing an amazing job.  Cool side note, Peggy was one of the first subscribers to my blog!

Next of course was my already top five favorites, Keeling-Schaefer, Callaghan, and Lightening Ridge.  It was nice to talk and taste wine with each of them again.  And Cecilia Keeling, Rod Keeling's daughter, I have been following her on twitter for a while now, she was at her dads table.  It was wonderful to meet and talk with her.  It was like we were old friends, we just hit it off and talked for a long time about Arizona wine and various random topics.  I also enjoyed walking around and tasting the newest wines at the wineries I have already visited.  I happily tasted some the wineries that are still on my list such as Pillsbury, and Page Springs Cellars as well.

So who are my favorites you might be asking.  That is so hard for me to narrow down, as I was surprised how many wineries are making some really excellent juice, and each table had something I enjoyed.  So I will go with the new surprises, from wineries I have not yet visited, followed by my top five from already visited wineries.  And these will be in no particular order:

1. Lawrence Dunham 2009 Petite Sirah
2. Burning Tree 2009 Lotus
3. Pillsbury Wine Co., Shiraz Private Reserve, 2010
4. Sierra Bonita 2009 Syrah
5.  Lawrence Dunham 2009 Grenache


1.  Sand-Reckoner 2010 Rose'
2. Keeling-Schaefer Vineyards 2008 Shafer Boys Mourvedre
3. Arizona Stronghold 2010 Tazi
4. Callaghan Vineyards 2009 Padres
5. Lightning Ridge Cellars 2009 Estate Mourvedre


So there you have it folks.  I am once again very impressed with how far Arizona wine has come since my first visit in the early 2000's.  This wine industry will only continue to get better as the winemakers are learning more and more about how to thrive in this unique environment and produce some truly world-class wine.  I am so happy to be a small part of it.  The future is a little uncertain, as this year's harvest was once again affected by the dreaded weather, however the old pros's at this will no doubt rebound and find a way to as Tim Gunn of Project Runways says, "Make it Work."  I look forward to next year's event to once again taste my way through the state.


Thank you and enjoy.  Drink Local.