Road Trippin' to Granite Creek Vineyards

On of the unique things about Arizona wine touring, is you walk into the tasting room, and you are greeted with a friendly smile by the owner/winemaker of the winery. Granite Creek is no exception. It was my first winery stop on my tour of Arizona wines and wineries. I visited this winery back in 2004, the first year it opened as a full winery, and at that time they mostly served other AZ wines. Now seven years later they are a full fledged winery with vines and bottling on site serving up a variety of organic and sulfite free wine. Most of the grapes are now sourced from Arizona, right out of their vineyards behind the tasting room which is great news.

This year marks the 100th year anniversary for the Historic farm that the winery now sits on. Due to that historic occasion the winery has numerous events planned to celebrate the century mark. Most notably they are partnering with a very talented chef to cater on site coming in April. Block Six Catering will provide on-site wine friendly light fare dinning Thursday through Sunday. Chef/Owner Chris Bamberg graduated with Honors from Arizona Culinary Institute in Scottsdale and quickly worked his way through the finest restaurants in Arizona including Binkely's in Cave Creek and L'Auberge in Sedona. Featuring local meats and produce, Block Six Catering utilizes the award winning wine made on site in many dishes. In addition, Chino Valley Farms will be setting up a farmers market across the street to sell their produce. They are the premier produce farm for the entire state.

Granite Creek is set apart from most other wines in Arizona and the US because it is organic and sulfite free. They were the first farm to be certified in Arizona as organic in 1974 however they have always been an organic farm since the Holt family purchased the plot. They believe in the local grown and the organic lifestyle and wanted to continue that practice with their wines. They have two certificates, one for the vineyards and one for the winery, which puts then in an elite group. Only 10 other wineries have this distinction. "We get a lot of people who come here just because they are sulfite sensitive and they are so happy to find us, and then pleased to also know we are 100% organic. They love wine but are sensitive to preservatives and sulfites so to them we are a welcome delight." says owner Robin Holt.

The winery is not only unique because of the organic wine but also because of the friendly visitors who hang out daily by the vines. Yes peacocks! Those beautiful birds can be seen everyday just lounging, waiting for someone to drop some food as they hang out by the vines. "We don't keep them, they keep us. They just showed up one day and never left. You can almost get close enough to pet them. They are kind of like beggars waiting for free food," tells Robin. How many wineries have there own wild birds that just "hang out?"

And hang out is just want you would want to do when the weather is good, or when you want to escape the Valley of the Sun in the summer. It is just 10 minutes west of Prescott, and Prescott is just about an hour and a half drive from Phoenix. They have live music every Saturday and like I said earlier they will some have food on site. You can sit by the vines which are now Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Zinfandel, Temparanillo, and Malbec, and enjoy a nice relaxed day. For more information on all Granite Creek has to offer please check out their website.

Now on to my tasting notes:

(full disclosure: I received all the samples for free)

I will include the winery notes first in quotes followed by my own.

Sauvignon Blanc new release $28.00: "Traditionally planted in a cool weather coastal climate. This delicious wine was produced from grapes grown in the renowned soils of Napa Valley. A wonderful classic varietal that is light, semi-dry, and served chilled."
Floral and citrus nose with a light grassy background. The taste was crisp with a slight pear background. Very light on the tongue, and round at the end. This was the only wine with all CA grapes.

Chenin Blanc new release $28.00 : "Bright and crisp, the Chenin Blanc has a delightful light acidity; and mandarin orange and peach flavors"
The nose was floral again, more like roses, and very fresh with a slight peach undertone. The taste was light on the tongue, very slight sweetness at the forefront. It was very fresh and fun, with the peach and mineral playing out at the end. My favorite, because it had real Chenin character, and you could taste the fruit. Also it did not have a yucky bean smelling nose and aftertaste that I get so often tasting Arizona white wines. A little pricey but remember you are supporting a small winery that does not have the money or manpower to be put into mass production. Quality buy and I will use this one in my 1 bottle/2 meal series.

Cabernet Sauvignon $33.00: "Aromas suggestive of plums and dark cherries, this wine is redolent with rich, dark fruit flavors of blackberries, black currants, truffles, and oak."
The fruit pops out on the nose, and it has what I call the "Arizona red wine smell." I cannot place what the smell is because I only get it when I have an AZ red wine. The taste had a nice grip of tannins, very easy to drink, light and a little tight because it needed to open up more, but it is an easy Cab, more for a beginning wine drinker or for someone who does not want something too heavy.

Red Zinfandel $30.00: "Exhibiting bold fruit flavors and the perfect balance between sweet and spice, our Zinfandel is an exquisite compliment to a home cooked or holiday meal. The Rich vanilla, cream, and smoke flavors draw from months of aging in dark toast French and American Oak barrels."
On the nose again the AZ red wine smell, smoke jumps out, and no big fruit, just a slight strawberry. The tannins really gripped my tongue on this one, yet it feels light on the tongue. Very interesting wine, with a smoking undertone. Not a typical Red Zin, tasted more like a blend of Zinfandel and Syrah. A fun wine if you want to try a new taste, but don't expect a big fruit forward jam like wine that you may be used to from California Zins.

They also have a Moscato D' Asti from Piedmont Italy to serve because they like to have a sweet wine at the tasting room and currently do not have any from their grapes.

Granite Creek currently ships to 18 other states, again please click on their website for more information. If you live in Arizona the tasting room is open Thursday through Sunday from 1-5 currently, but once the catering begins they will start opening at 11 am.

So if you are planning a road trip soon, please put Granite Creek on your list of worthy adventures.

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