Verde Valley Wine is about the local wine makers here in Sedona, Cottonwood, Cornville and which is considered the Verde Valley area.
Plus, I have been asking wine makers to do a pie and wine tasting – there is cheese and wine, why not pie and wine? The event will cover, “How to select a wine to complement your favorite Sedona Pie.” Hopefully, this will be announced shortly.
Here’s some information about the history of wine:
The first winemaker in Sedona and the Verde Valley is believed to have been Heinrich (Henry) Schuerman, a German-born baker who, in 1884, settled an old debt of $500 by taking ownership of 160 acres of farmland on Oak Creek. There was a crude irrigation ditch on site built by American Indians, and the couple expanded the ditch to irrigate an orchard and vineyard.
The orchard and vineyard flourished. Henry sold peaches, apples and wine to Flagstaff logging camps and Jerome miners until the Prohibition. (In 1920 a constitutional amendment outlawed the manufacture, transport and sale of alcoholic beverages.) At first, Henry refused to believe that the venerable tradition of winemaking could be illegal, and he ignored the new law. He was arrested and sent to jail in Prescott, but friends and neighbors demanded—and won—a pardon by the Governor of Arizona.
Although Schuerman’s Ranch has lain fallow for many years, it is going back to its roots. The new community of Bella Terra on Oak Creek is being built on the site. Bella Terra will incorporate orchards and vineyards amidst the land’s rolling topography, which will be part of the community’s Agriculturally Enriched Landscaping program. Residents will be encouraged to harvest gapes, make wines and produce jams, jellies and pies. “From planting to harvesting, the Bella Terra community will be carrying on the agricultural traditions of yesteryear,” says developer Mike Zito.
I encourage you to check out some of the local wineries while you are here in Arizona.
Alcantara Vineyard and Winery
7500 E Alcantara Way,
Verde Valley, AZ 86325
(between Cottonwood and Camp Verde)
(928) 649-8463. Wine tasting daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tours on Friday and Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
Echo Canyon Vineyard and Winery
(928) 634-6122
No tours or tastings on site, join them at Art of Wine at the Shops at Hyatt Pinion Pointe in Sedona , Arizona
Javelina Leap Vineyard and Winery
1565 Page Springs Rd,
Cornville , AZ 86325
(928) 274-0394 Wine tastings Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Jerome Winery
403 Clark St. ,
Jerome , AZ 86331
(928) 639-9067
Tastings on patio; small food menu also available
. Open every day from noon.
Sunday through Thursday, winery closes at 6 p.m.
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m, except first Saturday of the month when it stays open until 9 p.m. for Jerome’s Art Walk.
Oak Creek Vineyards and Winery
1555 N. Page Springs Rd
Cornville, AZ 86325
(928) 649-0290 Tours and tastings daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Page Springs Cellars
1500 N. Page Springs Rd.
Cornville , AZ 86325
(928) 639-3004
Wine tastings daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.