A monthly look at Arizona wine with Valley dining impresario Pavle Milic.
Writing what could be the final chapter in the “Making of a Winery” series comes with a bit of melancholy, but also a sense of accomplishment. This chapter is likely the last because, starting this July, Los Milics Vineyards will be cutting the proverbial red ribbon on the project’s final stage – the lodging component.
To put the entire arc in context: My family moved to Sonoita-Elgin in December 2018 to begin planning the winery and start planting. We completed the winery at the beginning of 2021 and started pouring our wines under the shade of the crush pad. The tasting room, designed by Chen + Suchart Studio, debuted in January 2023.
We are elated to have partnered with ZenniHome, headquartered in Page, Arizona, on the site of the now-closed Navajo Generating Station. ZenniHome employs about 200 Indigenous people who formerly worked at the plant. They have repurposed steel from the plant to use in manufacturing homes. We are their first client to use these dwellings for hospitality. A few months ago, we received nine one-bedroom suites, which were placed around the upper eastern blocks, giving our guests front-row seats to our vineyard with the majestic backdrop of the Mustang Mountains. Guests can book casitas from Thursday through Monday year-round ($360 to $430/night).
My business partner, Mo Garfinkle, and I reflect on how fulfilling it is to showcase the state’s agricultural landscape through the lens of food and wine, architecture with local firm Chen + Suchart Studio, and the work of Indigenous people with ZenniHome. It’s central casting material for an all-Arizona wine novella. And we eagerly await our audience.
Los Milics Vineyards
423 Upper Elgin Rd, Elgin
520-277-7115, losmilicsvineyards.com
