Arizona wine maker – Maynard James Keenan
Caduceus Cellars wine maker Maynard James Keenan and vineyard manager Chris Turner speak about Arizona terrior at the 2013 Arizona Wine Grower’s Asscociation “Festival on the Farm”
Northern Arizona’s Stage Stop Vineyards is set to release their 2011 vintage this week with a first ever wine tasting at the owner’s house this coming Thursday night.
Stage Stop Vineyards 2011 Red Barn Red
The release party is a private-invite only event hosted by Cullum homes and limited to 100 guests who will be joining vineyard owners Melinda, Earl Petznick and their wine maker Eric Glomski. The cuisine is being catered by Mark Tarbell.
Eric Glomski is the owner and wine maker of award winning Page Springs Cellars. He was brought in to make this extremely limited 2011 release of Stage Stop Vineyards Estate Grown “Red Barn Red”. Only 99 cases of this 75% Shiraz, 25% Mourvedre were produced. Both the ’09 and ’10 vintages are already sold out.
Stage Stop Vineyards is located about 10 miles from Sedona right next to Oak Creek in Northern Arizona’s Verde Valley. Owners Melinda and Earl Petznick purchased the historic Dancing Apache ranch back in 2002 and began planting in 2006. The Dancing Apache ranch dates back to the 1800’s and some of the original buildings still remain including the name sake Red Barn, an old school house and a Stage Coach respite house.
Stage Stop Vineyards website
Page Springs Cellars Website
Darin Evans
Darin was pouring his award winning wines at the 2012 Arizona Wine Grower’s Association “Festival on the Farm at South Mountain” on November 17th. I presumed because Darin is relatively young that he was new to the wine business, but as you’ll find out in this interview, I was wrong!
Eric Glomski, Page Springs Cellars and Arizona Stronghold Cellars
The Jefferson Cup wine competition held this past November was a major achievement in Arizona Wine. The Jefferson Cup is an invitation only wine competition held in Kansas City. The wines were judged by some of the industries most well known Master Sommeliers and Masters of Wine from across the country, 13 in all. There are no Gold or Silver medals awarded.
Over 630 wines from all of America’s wine regions were selected to compete with just under 300 being awarded “Medals of American Merit”
52 wines won “Medals of American Excellence” and only 22 wines won Jefferson Cups.
In an Amazing feat for Arizona wine and for any winemaker, Eric Glomski (winemaker for Page Springs Cellars and Arizona Stronghold) took home 3 Medals of Merit, 2 Medals of Excellence and 2 out of only 22 Jefferson Cups awarded.
Here is an interview with Eric Glomski just after the awards were announced:
A List of Eric Glomski’s award winning wines:
Page Springs Cellars:
El Serrano 2010, Red Blend, Cochise County | Jefferson Cup
Mourvedre Colibri Vineyards 2010, Cochise County|Jefferson Cup
La Serrana 2010, White Blend, Cochise County | Medal of Excellence
Landscape Page Springs Estate Vineyard 2010, Red Blend, Yavapai County ………Medal of Excellence
Petite Sirah “Page Springs Estate Vineyard” 2010 Yavapai County | Medal of Merit
Pinot Noir “Bonita Springs”, 2010, Graham County | Medal of Merit
Arizona Stronghold Vineyards: Cabernet Sauvignon “Dala” 2009, Cochise County, Arizona | Medal of Merit
For a complete list of Jefferson Cup Competition award winners click HERE
Flip cam interviews from the 3rd annual Arizona Wine Growers Association Festival on the Farm
Cellar Dwellers:
Callaghan Vineyards:
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November 21, 2010 Phoenix, Arizona
2011 Arizona Wine Growers awards banquet at Quiessence
This past weekend the Arizona Wine Grower’s Association celebrated its 3rd annual awards banquet and festival.
The awards banquet was held at the AAA Four Diamond award winning Quiessence restaurant. The cozy little farm house is nestled in the back end of the 10 acre urban Farm at South Mountain. Executive Chef and owner Gregory La Prad created a stunning 5 course meal paired with the Gold medal winning wine in each category. Guests paid $125 each to dine with the Arizona Republic Wine Competition winners. The intimate evening was the culmination of 12 months of difficult work for the wine growers and makers, but made all the worthwhile by mixing with their biggest fans. I was lucky enough to be invited thanks to Chris Fiscus at Moses Anshell, Patti King at the AZWGA and Peggy Fiandaca president of the AZWGA.
Watch this 2 minute video featuring scenes from the banquet:
The Scottsdale Culinary Festival featured a special event called Cooks & Corks. Guests paid $65 a ticket to be wined and dined inside the Scottsdale Center for the Performing arts. Within this special event was an even more exclusive Arizona Wine Seminar. Seating was limited to just 65 guests who were treated to a run down on the Arizona wine industry featuring guests speakers, Pavle Milic, Todd Bostock and Kent Callaghan. Bellow you will find 3 videos of the seminar.
Devoured (www.phxart.org/devoured). Independently edible award-winning culinary event, a showcase of Arizona’s finest local restaurants, chefs, wineries and industry purveyors in a distinctly Phoenix setting. Hosted by Phoenix Art Museum, benefiting Local First Arizona and Phoenix Art Museum, and produced by R Entertainment Co.
WHERE
Phoenix Art Museum (1625 N. Central Ave) Central Avenue and McDowell Rd.
Dorrance Sculpture Garden and Great Hall
WHEN
Friday Saturday & Sunday, March 11, 12 & 13
Fri., March 11, Devoured *Palette to Palate, 7:30pm (limited to 250 guests)
New this year at Devoured. Phoenix Art Museum Great Hall
An adventurous pairing of artists & chefs – developed by Local First Arizona & the Men’s Arts Council of Phoenix Art Museum. Integrating harmonious styles of food & art – and exploring the results! Featuring St. Francis Chef Aaron Chamberlin & painter James Angel; Petite Maison Chef James Porter & painter Randy Slack; Caffé Boa Chef Payton Curry & painter Geoffrey Gersten; Barrio Café Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza & painter Lalo Cota
*heavy hors d’oeuvres & Arizona wines
Sat. & Sun., March 12 & 13, Devoured Culinary Classic, 11am-4pm
A grand tour of Arizona’s finest culinary talents & pioneering winemakers…Taste, discover & meet them – up close & personal.
TICKETS
Devoured, a grand culinary experience…at a remarkable value
Tickets & Information at www.PhxArt.org/Devoured
Tickets via www.ProTix.com or call 1.866.977.6849
Daily Tickets. $59 through March 11; $69 at the door.
Two-day Tickets. $90 in advance through March 11. $118 at the door.
Weekend Pass. (3days). $118 through March 11
Museum Members. 2-days $90. Members call 602.257.2124
HIGHLIGHTS
SubZero/Wolf Ferguson’s Chef Demonstration Stage
Saturday
11:30 – Jacques Qualin, J&G Steakhouse
12:30 – Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Café
1:30 – Anthony Dias Blue – James Beard Award winner & among world’s leading wine experts…Mr. Blue talk Arizona Wine scene
2:30 – Julia Baker, Julia Baker Confections
3:30 – Aaron May, Vitamin T
Sunday
11:30 – Payton Curry, Guerrilla Gourmet
12:30 – Bernie Kantak, Citizen Public House, with mixologist Richie Moe
1:30 – Matt Smith, Boa Bistro/Caffé Boa, with Empty Glass Wines
2:30 – Justin Beckett, Beckett’s Table
*each chef’s dish featured with a suggested wine pairing
AJ’S Fine Foods Dessert Lounge. A new feature inside Phoenix Art Museum’s Great Hall featuring AJ’s bakery specialties; Urban Cookies, Delicious Dishes and Espressions Coffee Roastery.
Musical Entertainment
Saturday
11:00am – What Laura Says
1:30pm – Hot Birds and the Chili Sauce
Sunday
11:00am – Steve Ansel & The Jackson Street Band
12:15pm – Roger Clyne (& promoting his new tequila, Mexican Moonshine)
1:30pm – Calumet
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
In its debut year, Devoured was named 2010 Critic’s Choice for culinary events by The Arizona Republic. Additionally…
Here is a quick 5 minute video with Peggy Fiandaca, the new President of the Arizona Wine Grower’s Association (2011). Peggy brings many unique and valuable skill sets to the table and in this interview she explains a few of them.
Lawrence Dunham Vineyards WEBSITE
Partners for Strategic Action WEBSITE
I took a little tour of Curt Dunham’s personal wine cellar at his home in Fountain Hills, Arizona.
Lawrence Dunham Vineyards WEBSITE
Weekly Wine Journal 