PHOENIX — Vino enthusiasts, get your palates ready for an immersive wine-tasting experience. The Arizona Wine Festival is taking off in Downtown Phoenix, luring in wine aficionados from across the state to sample local varietals and enjoy some of the finest arts and crafts the region has to offer. The action unrolls over the weekend of January 27 and 28, promising a spirited mix of entertainment and education.
"There's 20 wineries, there's [about] 70 art and craft vendors, four food trucks with a lot of other tasting opportunities and food,” Rod Keeling, owner of Keeling Schaefer Vineyards, told ABC15. Notably, the wineries hail predominantly from the Wilcox region, known as the heartland of Arizona's burgeoning wine scene.
For those looking to deepen their oenophilic knowledge, the festival offers an intriguing riedel glass-tasting program. Rod Keeling explained to ABC15, “You'll learn about how the shape of your wine glass can benefit the taste, and the enjoyment of the wine.” It's an opportunity for attendees to get nose-deep into the science of sipping and savoring.
The festival also satisfies the ears with its musical lineup. Saturday brings an array from Posterchild to Azz Izz, delivering an auditory backdrop as diverse as the wine selection. The crescendo continues into Sunday with performers like Brian Chartrand and Sandra Bassett Band, as listed by Eventbrite. Tickets come at a presale boon for early birds, $35 for Saturday's splendor and $30 for Sunday, climbing to $45 and $40 at the gate, respectively.
Providing a sip of community spirit, the festival backs Horse's Help, a charity leveraging the therapeutic power of horses to enrich the lives of special needs and at-risk communities. This commemoration of Arizona's viticulture success comes with a strict no-alcohol-from-outside policy, but designated drivers and non-drinkers can revel in the festival gratis, one per group, as reported by Eventbrite.
The City of Willcox shines as a nucleus for this event, leveraging its historic and economic fabric to underpin the festival's allure. Established over a century ago as a railroad terminus, the city has evolved into an agrarian cornerstone supporting not just vineyards but also farms, orchards, and ranches. It's a celebration of the region's history, and its growing future, embracing the goblet as much as the grain.
