I am really excited because our feature today is one of our favorite wineries in Arizona, Carlson Creek Vineyards. Carlson was the second winery in Arizona where we became members, and we buy a lot of their wine. Especially when they are close to running out one of our favorites, in that situation we’ll often buy a case (or more). They are located at the edge of the Scottsdale Art District, and it’s actually a good location. It’s usually pretty easy to find parking close on the street, no need to worry if you can’t, the city garage is only a block and a half away.
The first time we went into the tasting room we met Wendy. She is the tasting room manager, and we hit it off instantly. I truly believe she is the reason the tasting room is so successful and their wine club has grown as much as it has. The second time we came in it wasn’t Wendy, but Rebecca who is no longer there. Since those first two experiences were so good, and the wine was phenomenal so we became members that same day.
One of my favorite memories actually occurred the same day. We were hanging out with Rebecca, basking in our new membership having seen no other customers since we arrived. She got a call and looked a little anxious after hanging up. It turned out there was a large tour group coming in. We chatted a bit more, then noticed outside a large motor coach had pulled up. It had stopped in the street because there is literally no parking in the Arts District for a vehicle that size and twenty people disembarked.
The tasting room was instantly slammed and Rebecca was handling it really well. So after a bit we were ready to go, and because we were new members by a mere hour they did not have our card on file yet. I could not get to the register area because of all the people, so I decided to have a little fun at Taunya’s coaxing. I basically went through the crowd, talking to each cluster asking them things like “are you having a good time”, “how is the wine”, stuff like
I get within a few steps the register and start talking to the last cluster of people, and after asking my questions a gentleman asks “Do you work for the winery?” I just smile and say, “Actually no, I am just trying to get to the register there.” Then everyone laughed. I love this story because it gives you a good feeling for the tasting room environment. We have met many great people here, and quite a few who have become great friends.
Carlson is truly a family business. The name of their signature blend, “Rule of Three”, comes from the three Carlson siblings, Robert, John and Karen. John studied viticulture at UC Davis, and Karen designed the logo and still handles the companies legal needs as far as we know. You will see Robert quite often in the tasting room or during winery events. We’ve gotten to know him a bit over the years, and his dedication to making Carlson the best is quite evident. Carlson Creek has expanded over the years, and they now have tasting rooms in Scottsdale, Cottonwood and Wilcox.
We absolutely love the tasting room here. It’s really quite large, with several couches, and a couple of chairs and high tables and a very large bar area. There is a decent sized room in the rear that they use for events, and for overflow. They have a few permanent art pieces, however they do change out the art every month to feature a different local artist. It truly is a great space. They also use very sturdy and high quality stemmed glassware as well. You get to take one home with your tasting, we still have the original two we got years ago.
One of the things that makes Carlson Creek so great for us is that they have not produced any red wine that we have tried and not liked. We have our favorites of course, but honestly those favorites change continuously. One of the cool things about their wines is most of the reds continue to evolve in the bottle. You can taste a wine, then try the same vintage six months later and see a noticeable difference. Spoiler alert, they get better with age. 🙂
Like most Arizona wineries, their wines are meant to be enjoyed within a few years of bottling. The one exception is actually called Exception. This little bit of euphoria in a magnum bottle was a blend the brothers did for their sister Karen’s wedding, and is their only wine sealed with wax for long term storage. We were lucky enough to attend an intimate event where a few wine club members got the chance to wax the last few cases. This process is fascinating, and seems as though it would be easy, however it is truly an art form. It was honestly a one of a kind experience. We have had the opportunity to try the Exception twice at different wine club events, and it is so, so good. Just don’t have a heart attack when you see the price…
So what are our favorites? The first is their 2015 Malbec, which is one of, if not the best one in the state. Their 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon was also outstanding, as was their 2014 Syrah. All of these are, unfortunately, no longer for sale and our personal library is running low as we are down to just a few bottles of each. They did just release their new Malbec a few weeks ago, and although it is still a bit young I can already tell it will be great in a few months. All of the reds on their current menu are good, so you can’t go wrong with any of them.
So there you have it folks, Carlson Creek in a nutshell. If we are in Scottsdale and could only visit one tasting room, this is one I would choose. We rarely go into Scottsdale without stopping in for a glass or two. Plus if you go on a Saturday, there is a good chance you might see us there! Stay thirsty my friends, and live life, love live, drink live, and travel for life.
If you have not already, check out yesterday's feature on Aridus, or check out all of our Sippin' September features here.
Living, loving, drinking, and traveling through life.
— Derek
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