Page 38 - May 2017 Edition

The Mogollon Rim is, for me, the defining feature of Arizona. The massive edifice ex- tends for 200 miles, bisecting the state. Just as in Zane Grey’s time, this region is a fron- tier landscape of lost ocean beds, rich valleys, ancient feuds, and towering forests. This may seem like an unlikely region for wine, but you would be wrong. Bruzzi Vineyard in Young, and Trident Winery in Pine both demonstrate that wine is part of any proper frontier. The two wineries are only an hour and a half drive apart, an easy trek through one of the most magnificent parts of the state.
My first stop was Bruzzi Vineyard. This vineyard is unique in the state, as it is thus far the only vineyard exclusively devoted to higher-elevation hybrid varietals. The owner, James Bruzzi, started the vineyard as a hobby, but quickly turned it into an obsession. After try- ing to grow Cabernet Sauvignon first, and then Marquette, with both varietals failing, James stumbled across a perfect fit. His vineyard is the first site in Arizona to grow Vidal Blanc, a varietal known for extreme hardiness in the face of late frosts and cold weather.
Both of these are the major challenges of growing in the center of fertile Pleasant Valley. The vineyard is small when compared to the vineyards of Willcox, but as one of the only vine- yards in Gila County, it holds the seeds of promise for the future. (The only other I am aware of in the region is a small, private vineyard on top of the rim growing Sauvignon Blanc: yet more proof of concept for this idea being a new wine region as a whole.)
This spring, Mr. Bruzzi plans on expanding his vineyard by planting 50 Baco Noir vines, a cold-weather-adapted red varietal normally associated with the Niagara Escarpment region of Canada and New York State. There are plans to plant Seyval Blanc on site as well, and the vintner also plants several rows of crops such as pumpkins, beans, squash, and several rows of raspberries and blackberries, the latter of which he is considering making fruit wines from in the future. The growing season here starts later, and harvest is finished up by mid-October most years, though last year, harvest was the day before Thanksgiving. Unlike in Willcox or the Verde Valley, these vines will quietly sleep until mid-April. The harvest yield is about 11⁄2 tons per acre.
Mr. Bruzzi’s wines are currently made at the Arizona Stronghold facility in Camp Verde, and he plans on continuing this relationship with Arizona Stronghold indefinitely, and pro- fusely thanks both Corey Turnbull and Eric Glomski for coming to his aid with his first har- vest in 2015. I did get a sneak peek of the 2016 vintage that will be poured exclusively at the Bruzzi Vineyard tasting room; it was bright and crisp, with sharp apple notes. Slightly sweet, it struck me as a great white wine for hot summer days. The tasting room is open on Saturdays and Sundays, starting at noon. The tasting room sells other wines from Stronghold and Page Springs, and is honestly the only place I’ve ever seen the Provisioner Label wines at their proper $10 price tag.
My second stop of the day, Trident Winery, lair of renegade winemaker Ray Stephens, has been in downtown Pine for a while, but no trip to the Rim country is complete without a visit. Currently, along with a few wines sourced from grapes grown by Chiricahua Ranch Cellars, he also makes the only commercially-made fruit wines in the state, as well as a cou- ple of meads. (In the past, he’s even made a pyment — a honey wine — from our native spe- cies of grape, Vitus arizonica.) Among the two most exciting wines I tasted this time around were his locally sourced Prickly Pear wine, and my perennial favorite from Mr. Stephens, the Ocotillo wine. He also currently has in the tasting room a wine sourced from locally grown apples, which is a delightful treat. I obtained a sneak peek of two of the wines coming out later this year: a chewy, tannin-filled Petit Sirah, and a Chardonnay made as an amber wine.
I’ve talked a lot about Trident in a past wine review, so I won’t say much more here, but there’s some big plans for the winery in the works that I have been sworn to secrecy on. Suf- fice to say, Mr. Stephens is a delightful renegade who is also bent on doing his own thing: yet another example of the true frontier spirit of the Mogollon Rim.
Both tasting rooms are open on Saturday and Sunday, so make a day-trip out of your ad-
venture. THAT Brewery in Pine makes for a great place to stop for lunch in between locations. If you want to spend more time, the Mogollon Rim is a fantastic spot for camping, so you can use one of the many campgrounds in this region as a base for your adventure.
WINE OF THE MONTH:
May’s Wine of the Month is the 2014 Aglianco from Passion Cellars. Aglianico is prob- ably the best grape you’ve never heard of. This particular grape from southern Italy has been utilized commercially longer than any other grape. Back in the time of the Roman Empire, vintages made from this grape became the world’s first Grand-Cru style wines. Pulling out an Amphora of Falernian from the 125 BC vintage at a symposium back then would have caused the same reaction as opening a bottle of 1945 Chateau Pétrus at a party now.
Today, Aglianico promises to be one of Arizona’s best super-tannic varietals. The best way I can describe this decadent red wine is as follows: imagine a mint-and-plum dark chocolate truffle with a coating of powdered espresso. Now imagine biting into it, and experiencing it exploding in your mouth. With its firm, tannic backbone, this is also a wine which should cel- lar well long-term, for upwards of 20 years ... but why wait? It has a pretty steep price tag at $49, but is worth every single penny. It’s one of the best Arizona red wines I’ve tasted this year.
MAY WINE EVENTS:
The second annual Verde Valley Wine Festival will be taking place on the weekend of May 13-14, from 1-5PM. Tickets at the door will cost $45, and there is a VIP Option which costs $125 per ticket. Last year’s festival was, from all accounts, a resounding success, so be sure to check it out.
On May 20 and 21, the nationally-renowned Spring Willcox Wine Festival will be taking place at the historic Railroad Park in downtown Willcox. Admission is free, tasting glasses and tickets will be $20-$25. Over 60 wines from 16 different Arizona wineries will be represented.
A new winery has opened up in Old Town Cottonwood. Winery 101, which was previ- ously located in Peoria, Arizona, has just opened up their tasting room next door to Arizona Stronghold. Gavin Gallifant, the winemaker, has on offering a whole host of wines to suit any palate. Yes, there’s even a semi-sweet flight of Arizona reds, whites, and rose. I personally recommend the George’s Tribute Cabernet Sauvignon, or the Sangiovese.
Down in Sonoita, Deep Sky Winery has opened up their long-awaited tasting room, lo- cated on Elgin Road, not far from Flying Leap and Callaghan Vineyards. It will be open week- ends. They are known for producing one of the best Malbec vintages in the state.
IN THE VINES:
As I’ve mentioned before, May is typically when we get the last frost of the year in most of Arizona’s growing regions. When one of these frosts occur, there are a number of ways to deal with it. One way is the burn bucket: fill a steel drum with wood and detritus from pruning, and set it ablaze.
A second way, used by some vineyards, is to spray an innocuous set of chemicals that, when mixed, create an exothermic reaction that lasts for upwards of 8 hours, and spray this directly on the buds. (These chemicals are harmless to people.)
Bigger vineyards, such as Al Buhl Memorial Vineyard, or Granite Creek Vineyard, actually have fans that turn on at certain temperature triggers. The idea is to disrupt the arrival of cold air, either with heat from flames, or to disrupt the thermal inversion itself.
This is also the time of year when the grapes flower. These flowers, which eventually be- come the grapes that go into the wine, are pollinated by the wind, and bees. High winds can be a threat to the grapes as the canopy matures, and these delicate blossoms and growing leaves can be damaged by flying debris.
After all, as Princess Irulan states in Dune: “Beginnings are such delicate times.”
38 • MAY 2017 | the NOISE arts & news | www.thenoise.us