Sonoita Vineyards

This was delicious!!:) Serve cold and enjoy.

A Happy Customer

Have you ever gone wine tasting? Wish you could?  If you live in Tucson or the surrounding areas, there is a place that is not so far away....Sonoita.  The drive was beautiful and so was the weather.  As you are driving higher into the hills, the cactus gives way to grass, rolling hills, and vineyards!

Right now in winter, everything for as far as the eye can see is the color yellow.  When summer arrives, this region receives 16 inches of rain.  That is more rain than Tucson gets in one year!! At about an hour and a half drive, you will see the dramatic changes in plant life.

Personally I prefer the red wines over the white ones.  That day we sampled some very nice wines from our area.  One of the wineries, from 13 or so, was terrible.  Remember if you don't like the taste of the wine, dump it into the bucket below or spit it out.  Smell, swirl, and taste.....but take your time:)  We only made it to the 4th winery before calling it quits.  I was the designated driver and didn't get to sample the wine too much. Taste, spit, and either buy or not buy a bottle:)  That was my job.  That day we purchased several wonderful wines like champagne, merlot, and a dessert wine. Bring money.  The cost to taste is around 3-4 bucks a stop.  Bring your own wine glass to save even more money.

I don't know why but I thought these pics were cool but this was the only tree cholla cactus I saw around the area.

If you see this barn, you are driving in the right direction.  Usually people start with the Lightning Ridge Cellars and then go backwards to Sonoita Vineyards, Village of Elgin, etc.

I learned something new on this trip.....you can drink champagne with a hibiscus flower in syrup!!!  It was so good that we bought a container of them for when my sister visits from Wisconsin.  Serve champagne and then put the flower into the wine. Delicious!

It looks like this.  Try it!! 

My first wine tasting experience in Sonoma, CA. One thing I loved about being a "Californian" for a couple years was their appreciation of good wines....thanks to the nearby Napa Valley!

Here is a link to get started!!  http://www.sonoitavineyards.com/


It's a fun day.  If you'd like a tour, call in advance and your party must be 10 or more people.  Pace yourself or by the afternoon, your head will be spinning.  Make sure you have a designated driver.

Final thoughts about life on our way back to Tucson.  It was a fun day and reminded me that I need to take time from my busy schedule to do day trips like this more often....like I used to do in my twenties.  Sometimes we get so busy, we forget to take time with our loved ones to enjoy life's pleasures. If the twenties were about living and experimenting, and the thirties about security and stability, then I can only imagine what the forties will bring.....and I can't wait!