For today’s Sippin` September feature we have Clear Creek Vineyard and Winery.  This is a great little winery of Highway 260, near Clear Creek just to the east of Camp Verde.

The vineyard is a bit of a trek compared to some of the others.  It is about 6 miles outside of Camp Verde. All of there grapes come from the 7 acre vineyard located behind the tasting room.  The vines are grown under shade cloth, and irrigated via canal and pond fed from Clear Creek.

One of the cool things about Sippin` September is that we are trying some new places we have never been to before.  I think the only reason this was our first time at Clear Creek is that is not really on the way to Cottonwood, so it’s a bit out of our way. I’m really glad we added this stop to our journey.

The tasting room is small, but cozy.  There is room for about six or seven people without having to squeeze in.  There are also a few tables and chairs around the room. They really try to make your tasting an experience, which I like.  They make it personable, and intimate so you don’t feel like you are just another body. The tasting room is closed Monday and Tuesday, but opens a bit earlier than most at 11am.  The do have cheese platters available as well, but you have to order ahead.

The label for the vineyard is Rio Claro, which makes sense if you know your Spanish.  I really like the label too, is a rough map with the approximate vineyard location marked with a heart. They are a smaller winery, so they only have a few wines on their tasting menu.

I don’t normally drink whites. But I do on occasion try a viognier if available.  Theirs was actually pretty good. Clear Creek ages their wine for quite a while. The latest red vintage on the tasting menu was 2014 Malbec.  I really like all the wines, but we really liked the 2012 Terciopelo Red Blend. Terciopelo is Spanish for velvet, and it really fits this Cab Sauv, Malbec, Petite Sirah blend. The wines are really good, and the price point is excellent.

We met the owner and winemaker Ignacio Mesa during our visit.  He was really nice, and genuinely wanted to know our opinion on the wines we tried. He didn’t know we were bloggers at the time, so I get the impression he does that with any Joe or Jane that comes in.

Clear Creeks offers a vineyard tour on Saturdays at 10am.  Interestingly enough, they also have a wine party bus that you can rent by the hour.  The tour, party bus, and cheese platters require a reservation, but they make it easy to book via their website.

So there you go, a quick rundown of Clear Creek Vineyard.  Great wines, at an even greater value! We will be back to do the vineyard tour, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, stop in and say Hi to Ignacio and crew!

f you have not already, check out yesterday's feature on Burning Tree Cellars, or check out all of our Sippin' September features here.

Living, loving, drinking, and traveling through life.

— Derek

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