COVID-19: We have temporarily canceled all of our tours awaiting a vaccine which will make us all safer. We may schedule a private tour from time to time provided it is a walking tour or separate vehicles. You can still purchase our Self Guided Walking Tour here.
First stop: Callaghan Vineyards. Lisa Callaghan (right) poured the wine and described the characteristics of each. Here the group received their wine glasses that they would take with them to the other wineries.
On a pleasant Sunday in July, our group of 5 intrepid adventurers set out from Tucson about 10 AM. An hour later, we were at Callaghan Vineyards in Elgin. Here we met Lisa Callaghan who manages the tasting room. On this occasion, she offered any 5 wines for tasting out of a total of twelve available.
Second stop: Ranch Rossa Vineyards. Chris Hamilton is the owner/winemaker. Breanna (left) is tasting room manager. Ms. Karen (second from left) helped me guide this tour. Also, since I was driving and therefore not drinking, she did the tasting for us and chose which wines to buy for our table. On this occasion, Breanna had 9 wines to sample. She also led a tour of the warehouse where she showed us the wine-making process.
Third stop: The Cafe in Sonoita. Chef Adam Puckle prepared a fine lunch for our tour group. All the tastings and lunch with wine or beer are included in the tour price.
Fourth stop: Dos Cabezas Wineworks. Karen, our hostess, (second from right) works the tasting room where our group sampled 10 different wines. Most Dos Cabezas grapes come from their Willcox vineyards.
Fifth and last stop: Charron Vineyards on Hwy 83 about 6 miles south of I-10. Susan & Milton are the vintners here. They have a lovely deck overlooking their vines. Everyone agreed that this was the perfect place to end our wine tasting tour. Here our group shared a “Picnic Basket” of cold cuts, cheeses, and crackers. Charron had 12 different wines. Our group sampled any six. After the tastings, several enjoyed a glass of their favorite wine.
Mike (pictured here) played host to a praying mantis, which he eventually and very carefully relocated to a nearby plant.
By the end of our Sonoita Wine Tasting Tour, we had many bottles of wine that the group purchased along the way. We were back to our starting point in Tucson by a little after 5pm. In total, our group had sampled 30 different wines. It had been a good day. Check out our weekly newsletter for the schedule of upcoming tours, such as our Ghost Town Tour, Willcox Wine Tour and Tucson History & Libation Walking Tour. Book a Winetasting Tour Questions? email info@southernarizonaguide.com
