Temporarily closing FnB, the little gin joint I help run in Scottsdale, due to COVID-19 was challenging and sad. In stark contrast, my other life in Baja Arizona has never been busier. The vineyards don’t stop growing at Los Milics, our nascent winery in Sonoita, so my wife and I have been hard at work. For the last couple of months, we’ve been finalizing trellis architecture. In 2019, we finally put our own vines in...
People are being asked to forego non-essentials – including visits to wine-tasting rooms. This hurts the bottom line for Arizona wine growers, but it’s not nearly as painful as the mass closures of restaurants, hotels and wine shops, where they do the bulk of their sales. Many hope to pick up the slack through wine clubs and direct-mail services. Some wineries have gone digital, connecting with their customer base via services like Zoom. Kent Callaghan...
One of my favorite rituals every morning before heading to work is doing The New York Times mini crossword puzzle, which always puts my brain in the right place. One recent clue read: Ancient alcoholic beverage enjoying a 21st-century resurgence. The answer came to me quickly: “mead” – probably because I drive by a meadery every day on Highway 82 in Sonoita. Traditionally made from honey, water and yeast, mead is considered the oldest beverage...
I finally got around to visiting Old Town Scottsdale’s latest Arizona wine-tasting room: Maynard James Keenan’s Merkin Vineyards, which opened last year. It was something of a nostalgic homecoming for me, because the space served as the first home of my restaurant, FnB. And, yes, I like what they’ve done with the place. Just like Keenan’s Caduceus tasting room in Jerome, MV is posh and welcoming. General manager James Cunningham walked me through the offerings:...
In an effort to celebrate a year passed, and to possibly introduce you to a wine you haven’t tried yet, I reached out to fellow colleagues in the wine industry to ask them what wines they thought to be memorable in 2019. I’ll start off by telling you my pick: Petit Manseng. Originally from the southwest of France, the Jurançon to be exact, the white varietal held natural appeal to Kent Callaghan of Callaghan Vineyards,...
Driving down Lower Elgin Road in Sonoita the other day, I noticed Autumn Sage Vineyards for the first time, despite passing it frequently. For some reason, the sign and white picket fence lining the hilly vineyard finally arrested my attention. It’s always exciting to write about a new vineyard, especially when it’s in my neighborhood. Autumn Sage is the brainchild of Steve Basila, who got to know our state intimately via his 40-year career as...
I first met Brooke Lowry Ide of fledgling winery Vino Bandito Vineyards after a long day this past harvest. A former corporate marketing pro with three new plots in Sonoita-Elgin, Ide told me how she’d just processed four tons of Graciano – by herself. Wow. I needed to know more. One thing is certain: She has a pioneering spirit. Why did you get into the wine industry? Desk life was wearing on me, and I...
It is no secret that at FnB we showcase Arizona’s agricultural bounty. Over the years, my business partner, James Beard Award-winning chef Charleen Badman, has continued to cement relationships with Arizona’s farmers so we can showcase what our state has to offer. We chose to also showcase Arizona wine. One question out-of-towners ask is how we can grow grapes in the desert where it’s so hot and dry. The answer is elevation, which tempers our...
A monthly look at Arizona wine with Valley dining impresario Pavle Milic.
A monthly look at Arizona wine with Valley dining impresario Pavle Milic.
A monthly look at Arizona wine with Valley dining impresario Pavle Milic.
Vietnamese cuisine is once again surging in the Valley.
We picked out a few fantastic oddities dreamt up by little Rituals co-owners Aaron DeFeo and Ross Simon.
A monthly look at Arizona wine with Valley dining impresario Pavle Milic.
A monthly look at Arizona wine with Valley dining impresario Pavle Milic.