Southern Arizona has two main areas for growing wine grapes: Willcox about an hour’s drive east of Tucson and Sonoita/Elgin less than an hour’s drive to the southeast. However, when people talk about Southern Arizona Wine Country, they’re usually referring to Sonoita and Elgin. Willcox wines are usually referred to as, well … “Willcox Wines” or “Willcox Wineries”.
Back in 2002, there were only 2 wineries in Sonoita and Elgin and frankly we were disappointed in the quality. Returning in 2011, the quality had generally improved, but not enough to justify the prices.
Kief Joshua Vineyards with Whetstone Mountains in background.
More recently, (Summer 2014) there are now 12 wineries and the quality has much improved. So much so that we brought home a couple of cases. The wineries in the area offer substantial variety and many are very good indeed! Read More
Dining at Kief-Joshua Vineyards
On weekends at Kief-Joshua Vineyards, they have a cook and you can order breakfast or lunch. We were able to enjoy a very good white wine paired with omelets.
They serve Mexican cuisine on Saturdays, 12-4 and Sundays (including breakfast dishes), 11-2.
Most people who come to this region, including myself, are most familiar with California wines. Sonoita and Elgin wines don’t taste like California wines. The growing conditions, particularly the soil, are different than Napa-Sonoma and so they taste different. That’s neither good nor bad, just different.
I see no point in prejudicing you, and spoiling a really good time. I have my Baja Arizona favorites, but the adventure for you is tasting them and judging for yourself. If you go, I think you will have a terrific day trip.
Don’t Drive. Take A Tour!
One other tip. There are good reasons not to drive your car to our Wine Country for a day of tasting. You will have to severely restrict your alcohol intake. But if you take a tour, you can enjoy the company of happy people with similar interests and you can enjoy a great many more tastings.
Sally, she of Sonoita, and I exchange emails frequently. Last month, she sent me some photos of Los Milics Vineyards and they seemed so unusual, I we wanted to visit the place. So we arranged to meet Sally, and her husband, Bryce, there later in the month. I had made …Continue reading
The dozen or so wineries in the little communities of Sonoita & Elgin are about an hour southeast of Tucson via scenic Hwy. 83. The terrain here is very different from Tucson. No saguaros, but miles of rolling hills, tall grass & cattle herds and if you look closely you …Continue reading
This is a very pleasant day trip from Tucson to the Wine Country of Sonoita & Elgin. When touring, we try not to back track and the route I suggest here takes you back through Box Canyon to Madera Canyon for a picnic, before heading back to Tucson via I-19 north of Green Valley.
We set out last weekend headed for Pearce, Arizona, an all but Ghost Town in Cochise County. Pearce was the site of the Commonwealth Mine, a gold mine. Now it is part of the flourishing wine business in Cochise County. We had recently become aware of a new winery in …Continue reading
If you are visiting Tucson and have some time on your hands to venture beyond Tucson, we have some suggestions for visiting Southeast Arizona. If you only have a couple of days, please see our previous article: Tucson Trip Planner. Tombstone. Only an hour’s drive from Tucson, “The Town Too …Continue reading
Southern Arizona’s wine industry is thriving due to the 16th century Jesuit missionaries who first planted vines here. Some of the original Spanish vines are currently being propagated through the efforts of the staff and volunteers at Mission Gardens, located at the base of “A” Mountain, the site of Tucson’s …Continue reading
Our perfect 3-Day Road Trip started in Tucson and headed east to (A) Willcox. From there we continued on I-10 over the AZ-New Mexico border to NM Hwy 80. Then south to Rodeo, NM where we visited the Chiricahua Desert Museum. Leaving Rodeo, we continued south on 80 to (B) …Continue reading
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 …Continue reading
Jim Gressinger, publisher of Southern Arizona Guide, will lead 3 guided tours this month. Bisbee Overnight Tour: Thursday May 21st and Friday May 22nd. On our way to historic Bisbee, we’ll check out a couple of interesting ghost towns. On Thursday PM, we’ll take a guided tour of Old Town …Continue reading
Tucson History & Libation Walking Tour Schedule ALL OUR TOURS ARE CURRENTLY by PRIVATE CHARTER ONLY All Dates, Times, Routes, & Rates are Subject To Change. Learn more about our Wine Tasting Tour here. Learn more about our History & Libation Tour here. Currently our other tours, such as our …Continue reading
Southern Arizona has two main areas for growing wine grapes: Willcox about an hour’s drive east of Tucson and Sonoita/Elgin less than an hour’s drive to the southeast. However, when people talk about Southern Arizona Wine Country, they’re usually referring to Sonoita and Elgin. Willcox wines are usually referred to as, well … “Willcox Wines” or “Willcox Wineries”.
