“You are going wine tasting in Scottsdale?” my neighbor asked me – with a puzzled look on her face – when I told her about my upcoming trip to Scottsdale, Arizona. “Where?”
To be honest, I never heard about it either until I planned my press trip there. When I first heard about the Scottsdale wine trail, I was a bit skeptical and even a bit snobby. After all, we in San Diego are blessed with a few really good wine regions like Temecula and Guadalupe Valley that are much, much closer. Arizona wine… would it be worth the trip?
I have to say, my trip to Scottsdale gave me an admiration for Arizona wines. The winemakers of Arizona work under extremely harsh conditions. Growing wine in a desert ain’t easy, that is for sure! But these vintners use innovation, playfulness, and hard work to create some exceptional wines. They lean into what the environment gives them, experiment, and make it into something truly special.
Scottsdale Wine Trail
You might be asking yourself right now: But Maria, I’ve been to Phoenix/Scottsdale many times and have never seen vineyards and wineries there. Where are the wineries in Scottsdale? And you are not wrong. There are no wineries in Scottsdale.
Most of Arizona wineries are in the corner of southeastern Arizona, about 2.5-3 hours from Scottsdale and literally in the middle of nowhere. And as stunning as the Sonoran Desert is, not many tourists and wine lovers are willing to drive 5-6 hours round trip for a little wine tasting.
The solution: Bring the tasting rooms of the best Arizona wineries to a place that is walkable and loved by tourists and locals alike: Old Town Scottsdale
And that is how the Scottsdale Wine Trail was born. It now consists of 7 tasting rooms and has become a major attraction that has turned Scottsdale into a wine-tasting destination. What’s not to love? Shop, sip some wine, stroll, sip some more, grab a bite, and then do more sipping. That is pretty much what I did for a big part of my trip to Scottsdale. I can highly recommend it!
Scottsdale Wine Trail Map (Click here to open on Google Maps)
Scottsdale Wine Trail Passport
Want to save money on your Scottsdale wine tour? Then buy the Scottsdale Wine Trail Passport at each of the participating wineries. It costs $5, but you will receive $2 off each tasting of the official Scottsdale Wine Trail tasting rooms. You don’t have to visit all wineries in a day or two. Take your time and enjoy the experience. And it makes for a cute little souvenir, don’t you think?
Wine Tasting Scottsdale
The Wine Collective
Address: 4020 N Scottsdale Rd suite 104, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone: (480) 912-1746
Website
The Wine Collective is NOT a winery tasting room but a wine bar, wine shop, and tasting room specializing in Arizona wines. If you have only time to visit one place, I recommend you come here. I have never been to a wine shop where the owner and staff have so much passion and knowledge about their product.
The wine-tasting and delicious charcuterie board at the Wine Collective were a delight. I decided on a “Trust Me” flight, kind of like a bartender’s choice. Owner Zoya, who started the Wine Collective in 2022, asked me a few questions about my general wine preferences and then curated the perfect symphony of samples for me.
Not only did I get to enjoy some tasty wines, but I also learned a lot about the three Arizona AVAs, Sonoita AVA, Verde Valley AVA, and Willcox AVA. Most wineries on the Scottsdale Wine Trail are growing their grapes in the Willcox AVA (74% of all wine grapes produced in Arizona are grown in the Willcox AVA). The AVA is often compared to the Mendoza region of Argentina due to its high elevation, arid climate, and high minerality due to the volcanic soil.
The region is known for its bold reds, including Cab, Syrah, Petit Syrah, Tempranillo, Grenache, Mourvedre, Malbec, and Sangiovese, but also some tasty whites, mainly Viognier, Chenin Blanc, and Malvasia Bianca.
A big thank you to Zoya for sharing her passion and knowledge about Arizona wine with me. If you want to learn more about Arizona wines, add the Wine Collective to your Scottsdale itinerary!
Merkin Vineyards
Address: 7133 E Stetson Dr Suite 105, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone: (480) 912-1027
Website
Owned by Maynard James Keenan, frontman of the band “Tool” and his wife Jen, Merkin Vineyards wants to share a 100% Arizona wine experience. They have several tasting rooms in Arizona, and I got to try their Scottsdale tasting room and restaurant in the heart of Old Town.
Not only are all their wines estate wines, but they also source their restaurant food from their own farm and local producers. I had their charcuterie board, and it was heavenly. Soooo delicious!
I tried several of their wines and was impressed by their innovativeness. Their Iberian wine flight, consisting of “The Diddler”, “Pink Jane”, and “Tarzan” was fantastic. I especially liked the Pink Jane, a very light-colored rosé with a refreshing, fruity (but not sweet) and crisp flavor profile, a bit of minerality that reminded me of the rosés of the Rhône Valley.
What I really liked about Merkin is that they are playful and don’t cater to preconceived notions of how a certain wine should taste like, just because it has been marketed like that to the US consumer. No, not all rosés and rieslings are sweet. You definitely feel a bit of the f*ck the establishment rockstar attitude with Merkin Vineyards, and I love that.
Carlson Creek Vineyards
Address: 4142 N Marshall Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone: (480) 947-0636
Website
Carlson Creek Vineyards is also an excellent winery in Scottsdale. A little off the main drag in Old Town Scottsdale, I recommend making it a point to visit here. I tasted over nine wines and was surprised by the high quality of each and every one of them. Many winemakers only focus on their most iconic wines and the other ones fall to the wayside (and you can taste it). Not so at Carlson Creek. Each wine was well crafted with care, love, and a sprinkle of rebelliousness.
The biggest surprise was their dry Muscat. Most Muscato is finished semi-sweet or sweet, so this was a refreshing surprise on this hot Arizona spring day. Another fantastic one was their Cab, which had well-balanced acidity and tannins. I bought a bottle of each to bring home and share with Greg.
LDV Winery
Address: 7134 E Stetson Dr B110, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone: (480) 664-4822
Website
Located just across the street from Merkin Vineyards tasting room, adding LDV Winery to your Scottsdale wine-tasting itinerary is easy and convenient. The vineyards of LDV Winery sit at 5000 feet above sea level, surrounded by the 10000 feet high peaks of the volcanic Chiricahua Mountains on the border between the US and Mexico. The high elevation leads to drastic temperature changes from daytime to nighttime, which leads to harder skins, smaller grapes, and tasty wine.
What makes LDV Winery stand out is that all their wines are unfiltered and vegan, making them the most “natural” option on the list. One of the must-try wines on their list is the bronze medal award-winning wine “The Signature” Petit Syrah. Aged 36 months in American new oak barrels and is everything a full-bodied red wine should be. If you are nice to your pourer, you might even get a small piece of dark chocolate to pair it with the wine.
My personal favorite was the “regular” Petit Syrah, which had a bit of a toasty, almost smokey flavor that would have paired fantastically with some BBQ or grilled veggies.
Unfortunately, I did not get to try the next three wineries on this list, but I still wanted to share some of my research and interesting info I have collected about them to help you plan your Scottsdale wine tour.
Passion Cellars – Salvatore Vineyards
Address: 7064 E 5th Ave, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone: (480) 423-2901
Website
This Willcox winery started in 2013 from a passion for Arizona viticulture and history dating back to when Spanish monks planted the first grapevines in what is now known as Arizona in the mid-16th century.
They focus on light, crisp, minerally white wines, including their double-gold-winning Chardonnay and gold-winning Malvasia Bianca and consistently high-rated Hell’s Half Acre blend. But don’t discard their reds, either. Their Passion Eidolon blends 50% Sangiovese with 30% Graziano and 20% Aglianico for a spiced berry-flavored savory red with low tannins. Another fun one is their Day Tripper blend, which blends eight grape varietals.
Aridus Wine Company
Address: 7173 E Main St, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone: (520) 954-2676
Website
Based in a (formerly) abandoned apple warehouse, this family-owned winery uses a mix of estate-grown grapes and grapes from Arizona, New Mexico, and California to craft their wines. Their tasting room is located right off of Main Street in Old Town Scottsdale, surrounded by shops, art galleries, and restaurants.
Their citrus-y Sauvignon Blanc with hints of tropical fruits convinces with a solid 4.1 rating on Vivino at less than $13/bottle. If you are a red wine lovers, add the Cab Frank to your list. Described as “smooth as a baby’s bottom”, the medium-bodied wine hits you with strong chocolate, plum, and cedar notes. Sounds absolutely divine to me and I can’t wait to get my hands on a bottle (or 2)
Arizona Stronghold Vineyards
Address: 4225 N Marshall Way Suite #2, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone: (480) 779-1600
Website
This family-owned winery is currently the largest winery in Arizona. Arizona Stronghold Vineyards (ASV) grows a lot of varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Malvasia Bianco, Malbec, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Semmion, Pinot Noir, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Cab Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Trebbiano, Marsanne, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Muscat, and Norton. You can enjoy some of them at their outdoor patio at the Scottsdale tasting room.
Their Bayshan Syrah/Petit Syrah blend is a crowd-pleaser that is bold, fruit-forward, and with balanced tannins, and finishes with a bit of spice. Yum!
I went to Arizona not knowing what to expect from their wines. Maybe even a little snobbish. But the Arizona winemakers made it easy for me to fall in love and respect them for their innovativeness, playfulness, and rebelliousness. They are not weight down by expectations and traditions, so they have the freedom to try new things. Not all of it works out, and that is ok. They just try something else next time. And to that, I raise my glass! Cheers!
Maria joined a Press Trip sponsored by Experience Scottsdale to spend a few days exploring Scottsdale to write this article. This invitation did not influence her opinion and review of the tours, hotels, and places mentioned in this article.
Last Updated on June 15, 2023 by Maria Haase
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