For all the wine, pecan and antique lovers that are going to be in Sedona over the Valentine’s Day weekend, (February 17th – 19th) the 12th Annual Pecan, Wine and Antique Festival is the place to be. Enjoy three fun fill days of a variety of tasty Pecan dishes, glorious Verde Valley Wines, wonderful historical Antiques, and Arizona Artisans! I attended this event last year and would recommend it to anyone that is in the area! The admission is only $12.50 and includes your entrance fee, tasting coupons and a commemorative wine glass. The Festival takes place on Main Street in downtown Camp Verde (Get Directions).

The Festival features a variety of Northern Arizona Wineries including:

• Pillsbury Wine Co.
• Arizona Stronghold Vineyards
• Oak Creek Vineyards and Winery

 For more information visit Pecan, Wine and Antique Festival.

Looking for some more family fun attractions in the Verde Valley Area?

• Verde Canyon Railroad
  Chocolate Lovers Train – 2/14 – 2/19
• Balzin’ M Ranch
  “You’ll be Wild about our West”
• Out of Africa Wildlife Park
  “CALL US WILD. CALL US CRAZY. Just don’t call us a zoo.”

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Do you love wine, Cajun food, Bluegrass and fun? If you answered yes, then come to Sedona this weekend and attend the Arizona Stronghold event “JAMbalaya” taking place on November 20th.

Join Arizona Stronghold at Old Town Center for the Arts located at 5th Street & Main in Cottonwood for this one of a kind event. The Bluegrass Band Muskellunge, will be there to get your feet tapping, as you enjoy some wonderful Arizona wine and Cajun food. For those of you out there that have yet to experience Arizona wine, now is your chance to see what everyone has been talking about!

Ticket Price includes admission, a glass of wine and food! Tickets for this event will be $25 for Arizona Stronghold and Page Springs Cellars Wine Club Members & $35 for the general public. To purchase tickets or for more information please visit Arizona Stronghold.

Looking for Sedona lodging?

• Casa Sedona Bed & Breakfast Inn
  “An Invitation to Indulge”
• Wildflower Inn
  “Offering you the comfort and convenience you deserve”
• Best Western Arroyo Roble Hotel & Creekside Villas
  Awarded “Best of the Best in Customer Care”

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The Verde Valley Wine Trail allows you to experience an overwhelmingly beautiful area that spans Sedona, Cottonwood, Camp Verde, Jerome, Cornville and Clarkdale. There are four wineries featured on this wine trail: Alcantara Vineyards, Page Springs Cellars, Oak Creek Vineyards, & Javelina Leap Vineyards, as well as 4 tasting rooms: Caduceus Cellars, Jerome Winery, Arizona Stronghold Vineyards, and Pillsbury Wine Company.

This trail offers you a chance to visit these wineries and tasting rooms which will give you a comprehensive overall look at wine making in Northern Arizona. To learn more about the wines of Northern Arizona or more about the trail, visit Verde Valley Wine Trail.

Keep in mind that there are many tastings along the trail so drink responsibly and make sure to have a designated driver. If you would prefer a guided tour of the wineries in Sedona-Verde Valley check out the following Sedona tour companies that offer wine tours.

• Sedona Adventure Tours
  “Water to Wine”
• A Day in the West
  Jeep/Winery Combination Tour
• Sedona Wine Country Tours
  Vineyards of the Verde Valley Tour
• Red Rock Jeep
  Jeep Tours & Wine Tasting

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Once again Verde Valley winemakers and growers are in the spotlight for their talent, and their ability to produce some of the most robust flavorful wines. Steve Ayers of the Bugle writes “Fortunately for the Verde Valley, it not only has great growing conditions, it also has some excellent winemakers. That fact was proven time and again Sunday when the Arizona Wine Growers Association gathered for their largest event ever in Phoenix”.

Verde Valley winemakers won nine out of the 14 Gold medals awarded. Of these winemaker Eric Glomski, who owns Page Spring Cellars and oversees wine making at Arizona Stronghold (Camp Verde), Caduceus Cellars (Jerome) and Pillsbury (Cochise County), walked away responsible for 7 of the 14 Gold medals.  Glomski was not the only Verde Valley winemaker to do well. In fact we have many winemakers to celebrate including;

Alcantara Vineyard owners Bob and Barbara Predmore

• Two Gold medals for their 2006 Petit Sirah
• Bronze medal their 2007 Merlot
• Bronze medal for their Confluence

Javelina Leap winemaker Rod Snapp

• Gold for his 2008 Sirah
• Silver for his 2008 Cabernet Franc.

Looking for a great Sedona tour of Verde Valley wineries?

• Red Rock Jeep Tours 
  Jeep Tours & Wine Tasting
• Sedona Adventure Tours 
  Water to Wine Tour
• Sedona Hiking Adventures
  Northern Arizona Wine Country Tour

*To read Steve Ayers article “Verde Valley wines shine at statewide competition” and for more information on the wineries and awards visit The Bugle.

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Verde Valley’s elevation, between 4,000 and 5,000 feet, creates a perfect atmosphere to thicken the grape skin, in turn adding more flavor to the wine. At the center of the Verde Valley is the town of Cottonwood. Cottonwood has branded their wineries as the Verde Valley Wine Trail. Tours of these vineyards have become very popular and are being included in offerings of some of the area’s best tour companies, including Sedona Adventure Tours and Sedona Tour and Guide Services.In Sedona, where jeep tours are practically a rite of passage, Red Rock Jeep Tours offer “Jeep Tour & Wine Tasting”.

There are numerous wineries in Northern Arizona that hold special events and wine tastings, here are a few of our favorites:

• Oak Creek Vineyards and Winery: Located on Page Springs Road, close to Sedona and across from Oak Creek.  Their tasting room is open seven days a week between 11:00 – 5:00pm. Make sure to check out their holiday cream sherry.
• Alcantara Vineyards: One of the largest vineyards in Central and Northern Arizona with over 13,000 vines and 12 different varietals.  The Verde River surrounds this vineyard making a great place to picnic. Winery tours are available Fridays and Saturdays at 11:30am.
• Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery : located in the small historic valley of Page Springs, only minutes away from Sedona. Their tasting room is open daily from 11:00am-5:00pm and is located on the slopes of a volcanic mountain overlooking Oak Creek.

Have you experienced Verde Valley win yet? We would like to know what you think. Just click on the comments and let us know what you think.

• To read more of Terry Teng’s Article on wine in Sedona visit:                  The News Tribune

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