Rancho Castillo Winery, a new small-batch label from winemaker Brett Wagner, has quietly slipped its first bottles into the Sonoita scene from a family property in town. The debut lineup leans dark and muscular: a tannat as the anchor, a Graciano-dominant field blend, a Chenin Blanc-Chardonnay, and a purposefully deep-colored rosé. For now, the wines are available through private barrel tastings by appointment, with a public tasting room still several months away.
Local roots and the first drop
Wagner named the project after his father-in-law’s 26-acre parcel and even put the house on the label art, according to PHOENIX magazine. The piece notes that Rancho Castillo’s first release clocks in at five wines, possibly six, and lists the winery address at 9 Curly Horse Rd. in Sonoita, along with a contact phone number and Wagner’s Instagram handle. PHOENIX magazine also points out that while the tasting room comes later, the wine is ready to drink right now.
Wines and where they come from
To build his program, Wagner leaned on local, high-elevation fruit. His Blaufränkisch comes out of High Lonesome Vineyard in McNeal, a site that lists Lemberger (another name for Blaufränkisch) and tannat among its plantings on the High Lonesome Vineyard website. Those varieties line up neatly with the darker, tannin-forward style Wagner is chasing with Rancho Castillo.
Tastings, bookings and what comes next
Private barrel tastings are already bookable through Rancho Castillo’s Facebook page, and Wagner has started getting bottles into customers’ hands, as reported by PHOENIX magazine. Wagner unpacked the launch and his appointment-only tasting format on Pavle Milic's podcast, which also backs up an early July release and the plan to open a public tasting room later this summer. For now, updates and booking links are set to roll out on the winery’s social channels.
What this means for Sonoita wine country
Rancho Castillo joins a tight cluster of small producers in the Sonoita-Elgin AVA, where high elevations and mineral-rich soils are known for turning out intensely flavored, well-structured wines. Both Visit Arizona and the Arizona Wine Growers Association highlight the area’s high-elevation terroir and its status as Arizona’s first AVA, context that helps explain why growers here so often favor bold, structured varietals.
Wagner’s winding route into wine — roughly a decade in law enforcement and behavioral health, followed by hands-on work at Flying Leap and other local operations, then launching a construction company to bankroll his winery dream — reflects the DIY streak behind many new Arizona labels, as detailed by Patagonia Regional Times. For now, wine buyers and fans can track Rancho Castillo on Facebook for booking links and release news while the tasting room plans get hammered out.
