Local Wineries/ Tasting Rooms

The best way to come back from vacation is to ease into life with a couple relaxing home day trips or weekend getaways. Immediately following my vacation to the Caribbean, I visited my dear friend in Phoenix and she took me to a couple of local tasting rooms. I finally made my way home to find my husband had scheduled a couple visits to local wineries in our part of the country.
There are so many great things about visiting tasting rooms. The opportunity to sample local wines seems obvious. There is also the opportunity to meet people that know the area and can tell you about the wines, and the history of the area as well. These experts are well versed, not only in the vineyards, but in travel and other extensions which flow from the intertwined experiences; Wine Art Music Life.
It is a great way to meet other wine connoisseurs and share experiences with local people that have the same interests.

We drove a scenic 90 minutes out of the Phoenix area to visit tasting rooms in neighboring cities Cottonwood, and Jerome, AZ. I will say the cactus trees which lined parts of the highway were breathtaking and worth the trip itself. If you have not been out of the Phoenix metro area, take the time to treat yourself to breathtaking views and possibly one of the best road trips I have ever experienced. Fairly quickly, we found ourselves at The Pillsbury Wine Company/ Tasting Room in Cottonwood, AZ. It was a short 15-20 minute drive to Jerome where we found a few more local tasting rooms including The Echo Canyon Winery/ Tasting Room.

Both locations greeted us with genuinely nice hosts. Knowledgeable, not only of the wines, but also of the area and of other wineries and activities. It was a joy to speak to both these young men as they shared our day, asked about our wine preferences and helped us choose great wines to sample and to order. The gentleman at the Pillsbury Tasting room actually had a handy atlas which he used with regularity and with ease as we spoke of different wine regions, as well as places we have traveled and are looking forward to tasting wines in the future. The wines we tasted were subtle and light -- a great way to start our Arizona wine tour.

The Echo Canyon Tasting room was a bit more social, with a more, bar-like structure. The young man who guided our tasting knew a lot about the area and shared stories as he poured and engaged all the patrons simultaneously. I am akin to reds, but found myself trying a few new whites simply to enhance my vino vocabulary and to get out of my self-imposed rut. Both tasting rooms offered the opportunity to do this with no regrets. Both places were inviting and provided a lovely afternoon experience along with wonderful wines to sample.

In Virginia, where I have recently moved - the town of Middleburg, VA is littered with wineries and tasting rooms - we visited Stone Tower Estate winery, and Greenhill winery & vineyards. Middleburg Virginia is like stepping back in time to old plantations and white gloved service. The estates are vast and vibrant with history.

Greenhill Winery Tasting Room

 
The area is green and lush, and the vineyards are reminiscent of the vineyards in Napa Valley.
We chose a beautiful day to sit outside and enjoy a couple glasses of wine after our tastings, and I will say, I did not realize how much charm Virginia had until that day. the sun, the horses, the wineries. I'll say, the experience transcended all modern day technologies and will take you right back to the 1900's when you could just picture the horse drawn carriages and the country club boys headed to the golf courses. It was a very upscale feel at every winery we attended.**

Greenhill winery was on beautiful grounds and had very light wines. I enjoyed them all, but could do with or without them in my life. There was nothing that stood out about any of them. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly, ad when we went to visit the members only clubhouse, the climate was inviting and the grounds were lush and spacious. It was nice to see the horses about the grounds which added an air of luxury and familial connection.

Stone Tower Winery had a more open feel - wood and barns, and acres and acres of grapevines and landscape. The wines were rich and full bodied and I could only think how centuries would pass and people will still be drinking these wines. A tradition is being built here and I was happy to be a part of it, and I can't wait to share this experience with everyone who comes to visit this region. I felt something very Napa about this experience and the wine was tremendously impressive, much like the grounds and the conglomerate. The attention to detail which has gone into the design of the grounds and the tasting room itself is well thought out and brilliantly executed.

Both wineries had a solid selection of offerings, yet I was super- pleased to get the opportunity to try the offerings at Stone Tower which, hands down, were some of the best wines I had tasted since I had been to Napa. The bar has been set Virginia.

Cheers!

**Note we did pass a vineyard called Quatros Gumbah's which had busloads of people in the parking lot and looked like a scene of the infamous Animal House Frat party. So, I am certain there is something for everyone.