Arizona is an amazingly diverse state filled with fantastic vistas, lush golf courses, luxury resorts, and of course, The Grand Canyon. One well kept secret, for now, is the fact that Arizona is also an ideal place to grow grapes for the production of wine. There are several areas of the state where vineyards and wineries are thriving, but our favorite is in Willcox Arizona. The Sulfur Springs Valley in the southeast part of Arizona is most conducive to growing wine grapes and Willcox is located in the center. The elevation is perfect at 4300’ to 4500’ and vineyard conducive conditions (soils, temperatures, and climate) are extremely similar to that of the Rhone Valley in France. Those in the know believe it is destined to become the Napa Valley of Arizona.
There are currently 10 Vineyards and Wineries in the Willcox area:
Arizona Stronghold Vineyards
Colibri Vineyards
Coronado Vineyards
Crop Circle Vineyards
Fort Bowie Vineyards
Keeling Schaefer Vineyards
Pillsbury Wine Company
Bonita Springs Vineyards/Kokopelli Winery
Dragoon Mountain Vineyards/Jerome Winery
Sweet Sunrise Vineyards
There are 7 planned Vineyards:
Ash Creek Vineyards
Broken Glass Vineyards & Winery Estates
Golden Rule Vineyards
Erath Vineyards
Lawrence Dunham Vineyards
Odyssey Cellars
Semblante Bodega
If you’ve ever thought about getting into the wine business, looking for a new hobby, or just want to escape the rat race, then now is the time to pick up a quality Vineyard property. An acre of Vineyard land in California will cost you up to $150,000.00, but in Willcox, an acre of equal quality land for vineyards can be yours for $5,000 – $10,000.00 an acre. To make wine growing desirable, the state of Arizona has passed a law that enables you to bottle, market and sell your wine without requiring you to have a liquor license or go through a distributor. Just think how fun it would be to send your friends and family a bottle of your own wine, not to mention potentially earning a living doing it!!! After all, the demand for good wine will always be brisk.
Cheers!