Searching the southeast on approach to Tucson International the sky is a gauzy gray, Southwest 737 buffeted by winds of 50 mph-plus. Arizona is burning, and the heavens have turned up the heat. This Cheapflights reporter is on his way to see family, kick back for a while and explore.
My son Nick and his wife, Ashley, greet me at the airport. The trunk is full, but I make space for my bag. The Monument Fire is so bad that they feared their home in Sierra Vista might be overrun. They packed some essentials and a few precious keepsakes, just in case. In the back seat are their two cats, Doc and Sprite. They’re weathering the dislocation well enough.
We head east on I-10, and then south, gradually climbing the 5,000-foot-high plateau upon which this tortured piece of Arizona rests. We all hold our breath, hoping the road won’t be closed, that the fire will have abated as the evening comes and the winds die down. Cresting a hill, we exhale. The smoke plume is just that, a plume. Two hours earlier it was a pillar.
Time to relax – at least until the winds come again.
The following morning it’s off to the wine country. Although there are other wine regions around, the Sonoita/Elgin salient in the southeastern part of the state lays claim to being the only recognized American Viticulture Area in Arizona.
Ten wineries are arrayed in the undulating hills near Sonoita. At Ashley’s suggestion, our first stop is Kief-Joshua Vineyards at 370 Elgin Road. This is the off-season, and the temperature hovers just below 100. A dozen people are in the Italian Gothic tasting room. The fires haven’t hit the wine region, but everyone is aware of just how fast that can change.
What we all need is a change of attitude. A tasting does the trick. Ashley is the designated driver, confining herself to just a few sips, but Nick and I are not so constrained. I immediately fall in love with a 2009 Cephus, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot blanc. It’s aromatic, and eminently drinkable, with nice notes of vanilla and oak. On the opposite end of the spectrum is a 2009 Tempranillo, a smoky red that’s redolent of cedar, caraway and oak.
With brighter outlooks, we head to the region’s original winery, Sonoita Vineyards, at 290 Elgin-Canelo Road. Right outside, a benignly massive striped creature called Tiger greets us. A rescue, the dog nuzzles Nick, who gives him a long scritch. The fire seems farther away than ever.
Sonoita Vineyards is the product of Dr. Gordon Dutt, who planted Arizona’s first commercial vineyards here in 1979. The first harvest yielded 300 gallons. Now, more than 10,000 gallons per year flow from this 25-acre enclave. 90 percent of it is sold right at the winery.
Peach Sparkles is the tasting’s runaway winner, an off-dry sparkling wine concocted from Colombard with a touch of peach extract. The creation recently copped a Gold Medal in the Arizona Republic Wine Competition.
We’re reluctant to leave, but the wind’s really whipping up and we’ve got to monitor the fire back near Sierra Vista. We need to be ready to evacuate if necessary.
Back to the real world. But we’re armed with a couple of bottles to ward off whatever might await.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: 666ismoney)
