Sonoita Vineyards Tasting Room is located in Elgin, AZ and is the oldest commercial Vineyard in Arizona. They started in 1974 and opened in 1983, and the vineyard now contains over 30 acres of vines. Since that time they have consistently created award winning wines. They are a multi-faceted venue, and can handle everything from small private events to craft fairs.
They are tucked back off of Elgin Canelo Rd but you can tell it is the vineyard as you get closer. This property is unbelievable. Not only is it gorgeous but it is sprawling. The tasting room is large with plenty of parking. A very large bar area for tasting and some outdoor seating as well. Because of the location of this vineyard it is very easy to get lost on a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Let the breeze take you away while you enjoy your glass of wine or tasting.
The vineyard was started by Dr. Gordon Dutt who was also the first winemaker. He was a soil scientist who scoured Arizona to find the right soil conditions to grow grapes. What he found in Sonoita he likened to Burgundy France. The current winemaker, Lori Reynolds, is the granddaughter of Dr Dutt.
At this point, we needed a little something to nosh, so we ordered one of their premade cheese/meat/cracker trays. One thing everyone should be aware of is, is that there is NO food in this area. Most of the vineyards offer some form of charcuterie to nosh on, but no meals.
We had done some research ahead of time and were prepared for this, packeingcheese, meats and crackers just in case. We just decided that buying something at this point would make it easier. Almost all of the vineyards offer a nice seating area to enjoy a picnic lunch if you chose to.
If you bring in a glass your tasting is $10 if you want to buy the glass they offer with their tasting it is $15. I don’t recall how many you get for that, but Cindy (pretty sure that was her name), let us taste all of the reds. We tasted the Buddy D’s ZinGiove, 2013 SyrahAZ, 2014 MeCasah, 2016 Estate Mission and the Tigers Treat, which is a port.
My fav was Buddy D’s ZinGiove which is a Zinfandel Sangiovese blend. It had a nice color and was on the bolder side for what is usually a lighter red. She snuck the Tiger’s Treat in before I knew it was a port and oh my wine lovers, I almost died. I cannot stand port, but I did not spit it out, I rinsed it with water and then she gave me a little more of the Buddy’s. I was ok after that. But good golly, you cannot just sneak that on someone.
We purchased a couple bottles of the ZinGiove and as we were headed out she mentioned that they have a venue area upstairs with an incredible view. So we climbed up, I got a great video and some nice pictures. Note, they do have a handicap elevator if needed. I could see having a nice little event up there...well if it wasn’t three and a half hours away.
Sonoita Vineyards is a must see. Not just for the historical reasons or the venue, but for the wines and the full experience of the oldest vineyard in Arizona. Don’t miss this vineyard or you will be missing out!
If you have not already, check out yesterday's feature on Village of Elgin Winery, or check out all of our Sippin' September features here.
Living, loving, drinking, and traveling through life.
— Derek & Taunya
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