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Old 10-26-2016, 08:41 AM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
19,359 posts, read 27,567,150 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gemstone1 View Post
"Arizona? Somebody is pulling your leg"..... and I thought you knew AZ...

Wineries in AZ

VA is also dotted with wineries

Regards
Gemstone1
All 50 states have wineries (yes, including alaska). That doesn't mean they are attractive or fun places to visit, nor does it mean the wine is good.

I lived in the Phoenix area for 25+ years and visited the wine country in Sonoita as well as most of the wineries up in northern AZ. The most memorable thing we saw or drank in Sonoita were the dead grape vines burnt from the heat. I don't rememver ever getting a good bottle of red wine at ANY of the AZ wineries, and I'm clearly not a wine snob (I drink two buck chuck regularly and almost never pay over $20 a bottle).

There are dozens of reasons to visit AZ and hundreds of wonderful things to do and see. Wineries just aren't one of them.
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Old 10-26-2016, 09:21 AM
 
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JK - the industry is maturing out here and there have been major improvements over the past 10 years. Still not a great quantity of quality, but definitely can take a few on while visiting some other stuff
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Old 10-26-2016, 12:26 PM
 
3,570 posts, read 2,500,847 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by busydesk View Post
In a previous thread there was talk about wine tasting opportunities outside of California. I have a good bit of experience with Oregon and Washington already so I am not so focused on travelling there; but I always like to hear about good wine, wherever it comes from.

I'd like to keep the discussion about domestic wines, but any region is great. Recent articles in the wine publications have piqued my interest in Texas and Michigan in particular, though in the previous thread Arizona and New York were also mentioned with high regard.

I do enjoy attending festivals and events that are wine-centered, so please do include information about any of those that you particularly like.
Thanks
People have already pointed out the better US wine regions. How about non-Napa/Sonoma California? Mendocino County & the Central Coast have many good wineries without the crush of tourists in Napa & Sonoma.
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Old 10-27-2016, 05:41 PM
 
Location: The South, by the grace of God
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that's a fair jump I guess- Amador County is also getting good marks- ok, so where would you go ?
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Old 10-27-2016, 05:46 PM
 
Location: The South, by the grace of God
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OH!! I forgot to say that one of the things I find fun is to attend wine-related festivals, so if anyone has been to or knows of some good ones I'd like to hear of them. the big "celebrity-studded" events like the ones in South Florida and Aspen aren't as appealing to me as something like the Charleston Food and Wine event or the Asheville Wine and jazz one.
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Old 10-27-2016, 08:04 PM
 
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Honestly, I would avoid wine tasting in Texas. There are some OK wines (and a lot of bad wine) there but hardly worth traveling for. You would be disappointed.

The Baja California wine regions are starting to produce some very respectable wines. They've also developed a unique local cuisine.

If you like big Zinfandels, try Amador County in California and the whole Sierra Foothills region.

Enjoy whatever you decide.
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Old 10-28-2016, 01:26 AM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
19,359 posts, read 27,567,150 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Finger Laker View Post
JK - the industry is maturing out here and there have been major improvements over the past 10 years. Still not a great quantity of quality, but definitely can take a few on while visiting some other stuff
Good to know! As we visit phoenix every year, are there any near Phoenix that are worth a visit?
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Old 10-31-2016, 02:32 PM
 
Location: SW OK (AZ Native)
24,167 posts, read 13,014,616 times
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For AZ (and these are my sister's recommendations, she's an assistant winemaker in California, not mine) there's Wilhelm, Rancho Rossa, and Coronado in Southern AZ, Caduceus in the Jerome area. Maturing wines, getting away from sweet stuff.

There are still a lot of very good places in Texas (was at one yesterday in Grapevine, Bingham Vineyards) but regrettably they are becoming commercialized. You have to sort out the wine made for non-drinkers (for tourism) from the wine made for the drinker (for art). Bar-Z and Pheasant Ridge (Lubbock), Inwood Estates, Umbra, Delaney and Bingham (Grapevine/DFW), Arche', Blue Ostrich, Brushy Creek (north of Dallas), and in the exploding (unfortunately) Hill Country there's Texas Hills, William and Chris, Pedernales, Spicewood, and Perissos, to name a few. Trouble with the latter region is it's become the haven of young 20-somethings and hipsters in limos and tour busses looking for moscato. It's not as consistent as the Santa Rita Hills (was there and Paso Robles last week) or Napa or Sonoma, which means for every 90-point+ wine there's probably a half dozen plonks. (Bear in mind that in the past three years two Grand Champions at Pac Rim/SDWF have been from Texas, an albarino from McPherson and a Roussanne from Arche'.)

Enough of TX... an unmentioned place my wife and I were at last year is Colorado, specifically the area around Grand Junction and Palisade. High and dry climate, very good reds often poured by the winemaker for free. The good old days. Added bonus: Not expensive compared to CA. Pic taken last year.


Last edited by SluggoF16; 10-31-2016 at 02:47 PM..
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Old 10-31-2016, 02:46 PM
 
Location: SW OK (AZ Native)
24,167 posts, read 13,014,616 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheCityTheBridge View Post
People have already pointed out the better US wine regions. How about non-Napa/Sonoma California? Mendocino County & the Central Coast have many good wineries without the crush of tourists in Napa & Sonoma.
My wife and I spent last week in Paso Robles and the Santa Barbara area. I like Rhone varietals (Paso has lots of them) and Burgundies (Santa Rita Hills near Lompoc has loads) but I found most of the wineries were unnecessarily proud of their wines... one in particular, on the west end of HWY 46, was touted as the best pinot noir in the world, everyone loves it. I guess if you're a chain smoker. It tasted the way an ashtray smells. And was "on sale" for $60. The real problem is the tastings... $10-15 each. At least the pours were adequate and they allow sharing so it's possible to enjoy without intoxication. (Been to a place outside of Austin, Dripping Springs area, that doesn't allow sharing, totally irresponsible IMO.) "But this is Central California, our wines are the best in the world." They'd be really world-class if they were priced appropriately, but in several cases they were paying for enormous tasting rooms serving up pinot and chardonnay and syrah with a heaping helping of attitude. Off the main highway things improve; at two wineries the man and the woman who made the wine were pouring it. At $20-30 a bottle.

For a change, try Temecula (where my sister works) before it too gets too big and commercial, it has the benefit of being near San Diego.
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Old 10-31-2016, 03:56 PM
 
3,570 posts, read 2,500,847 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SluggoF16 View Post
My wife and I spent last week in Paso Robles and the Santa Barbara area. I like Rhone varietals (Paso has lots of them) and Burgundies (Santa Rita Hills near Lompoc has loads) but I found most of the wineries were unnecessarily proud of their wines... one in particular, on the west end of HWY 46, was touted as the best pinot noir in the world, everyone loves it. I guess if you're a chain smoker. It tasted the way an ashtray smells. And was "on sale" for $60. The real problem is the tastings... $10-15 each. At least the pours were adequate and they allow sharing so it's possible to enjoy without intoxication. (Been to a place outside of Austin, Dripping Springs area, that doesn't allow sharing, totally irresponsible IMO.) "But this is Central California, our wines are the best in the world." They'd be really world-class if they were priced appropriately, but in several cases they were paying for enormous tasting rooms serving up pinot and chardonnay and syrah with a heaping helping of attitude. Off the main highway things improve; at two wineries the man and the woman who made the wine were pouring it. At $20-30 a bottle.

For a change, try Temecula (where my sister works) before it too gets too big and commercial, it has the benefit of being near San Diego.
When I visited Paso Robles, I found tastings were typically $5-10 & waived with a purchase. Most wines were in the $12-$30 range, and were of good quality. I've been to a lot of tasting rooms, and I've never seen one that doesn't allow sharing a tasting--I would find that experience very strange. In any event, if intoxication is a concern, you can always spit.

I visited Rotta, Oso Libre, Lincourt, and Buttonwood. I also, occasionally, buy Central Coast wines from my local wine shops.

The Central Coast doesn't produce the array of world-class, high-end wines that you find in Northern California--there are only a few places in the world, almost all of them in France, that do--but it produces very good wines at much lower price points.
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