After six years of study, The U.S. Treasury Department has named Arizona’s Verde Valley an American Viticultural Area (AVA), elevating the Valley’s $56 million wine industry to the same status as Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley and other well-known wine-producing regions. According to the Treasury Department’s Tax and Trade Bureau, an AVA is a grape-growing region with geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from surrounding areas and affect how grapes are grown. Labeling local wines … [Read more...] about Verde Valley Wines Receive ‘American Viticultural Area’ Status
Willcox
Seasonal Sipping
Winter fog hovers over the deck outside. A fire is lit and stacked logs crackle and pop as the hostess puts out a cheese, fruit and cracker tray on a side table. Four wine glasses stand ready to receive intoxicating treats from the bottle she presents. The hostess turns the distinctive gold label so her guests can read, “Carlson Creek, 2018 Rule of Three, Red Blend, Arizona,” a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes that defines the style of Cotes du Rhone wine. Her hospitality sets … [Read more...] about Seasonal Sipping
Local Economy Boosted by Wine
A proven marketing model is helping the Verde Valley ride out the economic tide on a wave of wine. “We have seen the sales of wine at local vineyards double over previous years’ sales,” said Lana Tolleson, president/CEO of the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce. “No other business has achieved that kind of success.” “In a troubled economy, consumers start looking closer to home for their products. We see [the wine industry] as a magnet,” said Tom … [Read more...] about Local Economy Boosted by Wine
