Embarking on his 30th year as an Arizona winemaker, Todd Bostock of Dos Cabezas WineWorks considered his options for commemorating the milestone. The one he settled on: Going single. Single varietal, that is. Known for his Garnacha-Syrah “Pink” and other admired blends, Bostock – who operates the seminal Sonoita winery with his wife, Kelly – typically crowd-sources Dos Cabezas wines from the 30-odd varietals grown on their two vineyards. Single-varietal bottlings “are not something we’re known for,” he concedes. The grape he singled out: Malvasia Bianca, the exuberant Mediterranean white that thrives in Arizona’s high-desert terroir. “It’s one of the favorite snacks in the vineyard,” Bostock says, citing the grape’s “overtly delicious [notes of] ripe peach and stone fruit” and “lychee juiciness.” His challenge: taming all that tropical hubba-hubba into a structured wine worthy of your dinner table.
Bostock and his crew picked the vintage in August 2024 during a warm, dry summer, “so no problem with ripeness, and lots of [yield],” he says. “Because we like the skin contribution, we stepped on it in whole clusters and let it soak overnight.”
The winemaker pressed the clusters the next day and let the juice ferment in neutral barrels and concrete eggs for about a month before adding CO₂ to arrest fermentation.
Bostock let the wine rest in concrete until July 2025, allowing it to “open up… from the skin contact and stems, which give it grip and structure and make it salivatory and savory.” It also allowed hints of citrus peel and mint to emerge before bottling.
The end result: a bouncy yet centered wine with flavors that are wonderful but less opulent than the Malvasia norm. “[Pairing it] with tacos al pastor, with the onion and pineapple, would be pretty delicious… or some citrus and pistachios,” Bostock says.
The winemaker recommends buying two bottles: “One to pop now and see what it’s like… the other to taste it in two years.” Just like saving a piece of wedding cake.
Beer of the Month
Formation Brewing Western Winds
West Coast IPA/7% ABV/70 IBU
“The Great IPA Correction” is a supposed 2026 beer trend that intrigues us – a holy, purifying jihad against high-ABV hazies and stunt beers, and a return to clearer, bitter, moderate West Coast styles. “Make IPA Great Again,” if you will. Frankly, we’re not sure we want to surrender our 10-percent mango juicers, but if we did, this dry shiver of an IPA from Downtown newcomer Formation would certainly fit the bill, loaded with pine-y bite and nostalgic whiffs of grapefruit. It’s an IPA reset for your mouth, and New England is not invited. formationbrewing.com
