Tag: Arizona wine

Sips & Bites: News from the Phoenix restaurant community

Events & news about what’s going on around the Phoenix restaurant community, breweries, and wineries.

Summer Sunshine season menu at Over Easy

Now available at all 17 locations the bold and bright are available for dine-in, take-out or delivery, except alcohol.

  • Pork Belly Hash – Sweet potato, crispy pork belly, caramelized onion, poblano, cherry tomato, bell pepper, cotija cheese, baja sauce, cilantro, and two eggs any style
  • Brown Butter Beignets – Fresh berries, powdered sugar, house jam, and orange blossom honey
  • Sunny Side Spritz – A summer-perfect blend of Aperol, peach, lemon, sparkling wine, and a splash of soda. Light, citrusy, and just sweet enough — it’s brunch sunshine in a glass.

New 4-course Chef’s Menu at Rusconi’s American Kitchen

Chef Michael Rusconi is offering a new menu for $60++ per person with wine pairings for an additional $29. The dinner starts with the chef’s amuse bouche before serving….

  • First Course—Tomato and Burrata Salad with marinated cucumbers, shallots, arugula pesto and basil sorbet Optional wine pairing—Squealing Pig Sauvignon Blanc–Marlborough, New Zealand
  • Second Course—Pan-Seared Georges Bank Scallops with English pea risotto, edamame beans and ginger carrot jus Optional wine pairing—Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay–Russian River
  • Third Course—Pecan Wood Grilled Beef Tenderloin with potato puree, candied baby carrots and cabernet reduction Optional wine pairing—Browne Family Vineyards Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon–Columbia Valley
  • Fourth Course—Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding with caramel, chocolate and vanilla sauces
  • Optional wine pairing—Chef’s selected dessert wine

Reservations are suggested by heading to their website.

Local beer flights at GenuWine Arizona

Summertime sipping calls for cold beer and now at the Downtown Phoenix wine bar you can get 6 tastes of local draft beers for $15. Wine Club members can save 15% as well.

Christmas in July at Koibito Poke

Loyalty app users can save 20% off their entire order through Monday, July 14th when placing an order under the Rewards tab on the app. Order ahead or in-store for pick-up or delivery.

BOGO Tuesdays at Aridus Wine Company are back

Stock up at their Scottsdale or Willcox tasting room to get a bottle free when you purchase one at regular price. Only available on their 7 new releases, not available on clearance wines.

Strive Vineyards celebrates victory, resilience and wine

Desiree and Ryan Gerth started Strive Vineyards in 2014 in Kansas Settlement area of the Willcox Bench AVA of southern Arizona before the region received AVA (American Vitiulrural Area) status. Eleven years later the Scottsdale couple is still going strong producing higher elevation wines surrounded by the Chiricahua, Dos Cabezas and Dragon Mountains. The wineries motto “Embrace life’s challenges, Savor life’s victories,” is more of a story.

The couple met at the University of Wisconsin- Madison where Desiree was getting her degree in Psychology and Ryan a doctorate in Pharmacology. They them moved to Arizona, like many, for the weather and opportunity where Desiree would get her master’s in special education at ASU and would become a Special Ed teacher for eight years and Ryan would become and still is a pharmacist in Scottsdale.

After several wine tasting trips to Napa and around Arizona, they caught the wine-making bug and within weeks the couple was fermenting their first batch of wine in a spare bedroom with a wine-making kit from a local brew shop. Their hobby became their life when an experimental batch blew the doors of a closet door and spewed wine all over the room, it was at that moment they knew they were “all in” to make wine.

Buying land building Strive Vineyards

After they purchased the land for their dream vineyard and winery, they constructed everything themselves including solar panels, irrigation and trellis systems, fencing and more so they could run their winery off the grid and be sustainable. “We named it Strive because that’s exactly what we did,” says Desiree. “Just us, a few friends and family, and a lot of hard work. You need to do what you love, life’s too short not to.”

The winery is a labor of love built with grit and intention. Today Strive Vineyards is known as an award-winning grape grower with several accolades (2021 Cabernet Franc was a Best of Class finalist in 2025 AZ Republic Wine Competition) under their label. The tasting room they share with 2 other wineries offers a unique tasting experience in the newly renovated Willcox Commercial Building. Desiree runs the winery full time while Ryan continues his pharmacist job while overseeing vineyard operations.

Strive Vineyards is at 6217 Maranatha Way, Wilcox, Arizona 85643. 920-850-1075. For more information about their wines visit their website.

Sips & Bites: News from the Phoenix restaurant community

Events & news about what’s going on around the Phoenix restaurant community, breweries and wineries.

It’s A Wrap Month and more Summer Specials at Miracle Mile Deli

Summer is here and so are some deals at the Central Phoenix deli in June and July.

June is “It’s a Wrap Month” at Miracle Mile Deli. Choose from three mouthwatering wraps for just $15, served with a side and a crisp kosher dill pickle:

Honey Crispy Chicken Wrap – Crispy white meat chicken, romaine hearts, wonton noodle strips, shredded carrots, and red cabbage, tossed in our Asian honey sesame dressing, and wrapped in a spinach flour tortilla.

Chipotle Ranch Turkey Wrap – White meat turkey breast, fresh avocado, shredded asadero cheese, romaine hearts, tri-color tortilla strips, shredded carrots, and red cabbage tossed with our Chipotle Ranch dressing, and wrapped in a spinach flour tortilla.

Athena Chicken Wrap – Grilled white meat chicken breast, Feta cheese, romaine hearts, crispy onion strings, shredded carrots, and red cabbage tossed with our Greek Athena vinaigrette, wrapped in a spinach flour tortilla.

From June 1 to August 31, Miracle Mile’s popular Summer of Shakes & Floats returns! Cool off with a classic milkshake or ice cream float for just $6.

“Burger at The Bar” in June at Virtu Honest Craft

Every Wednesday in June, Chef Gio Osso creates a uniquely creative burger paired with hand cut fries and draft beer. Sounds good right, but there are some rules….Only 12 burgers made each week, Only at the bar, No splitting, No reservations and No exceptions. Each burger for the following week gets revealed the Friday before(today!!) at their website or on their social media.

DAOU Wine Dinner at Tommy V’s Urban Kitchen

The Downtown Scottsdale restaurant hosts a 5-course dinner paired with wines from the Paso Robles winery on Friday, June 20th at 6:00 p.m. The night starts with an Heirloom Tomato Salad before the pasta courses and the Filet Mignon entree, all paired with red, white & rose wines. Seats are $125++ per person and to see the full menu & reserve your seat head to their website or call 480-427-2264.

New Summer hours at LDV Winery’s tasting room

The Downtown Scottsdale tasting room that pours award-winning Arizona wines has new hours for the summer. They open 7 days a week at noon until 8:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday, until 9:00 p.m. Friday & Saturday and until 6:00 p.m. on Sunday’s. Happy Hour just got happier where you can get a glass of wine for $7.00 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. Monday – Friday. Also happening this summer……..

Date Night Fridays starting at 6:00 p.m. get two flights of wine & choice of a meat or cheese charcuterie board for $41.62. The price includes a free flight, 10% off the board, and an 18% gratuity.

Mid-Week Summer Sale- Every Tuesday and Wednesday get 50% off all bottles of wine to enjoy at the tasting room or take home and all boards are $5 off.

Local wineries to be featured at Verde Valley Wine Festival

Twenty local wineries will be pouring their wines in Downtown Cottonwood for the 7th Annual Verde Valley Wine Festival on the weekend of May 10th & 11th. Beer and wine will also be poured along with food trucks on-site with freshly made food for purchase. The City of Cottonwood and The Verde Valley Wine Consortium partner to bring the local wineries together to share the fruits of their labor.

The festival organizer, Paula Woolsey, said, “This event is the best way to celebrate Mother’s Day! It’s a wonderful opportunity for families to celebrate mothers while enjoying local wines and delicious food. The chance to meet the winemakers adds a personal touch, allowing attendees to learn more about their favorite wines directly from the source.”

Wineries including Cove Mesa Vineyard, Cella Winery and Grand Canyon Winery will be there along with Desert Diamond Distillery, Wild Tonic pouring non-alcoholic Kombucha & other beverages and The Belfry Brewery will be pouring beer. Campfire Grill, Craft Wood Fired Pizza and other food trucks will be serving up a variety of foods and several sweet treats will be available from Carolina’s Chocolate, Gia’s Toffee and Poppin in the Pines Kettle Corn and others. Live music, artists and other exhibitors will be on hand to entertain attendees.

Early Bird tickets are on sale starting at $20 with tickets at the door available starting at $25. 6 tasting tickets and a commemorative wine glass are included. Tickets for non-drinkers are $10, and all tickets can be purchased here with more information available at their website.

Willcox Wine Festival coming for 2 days in May

As festival season continues its march towards the quiet time of an Arizona summer one of the last festivals is on the calendar in May. The Willcox Wine Festival is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, May 17th & 18th with the bi-annual event hosting a Winemakers Dinner, Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. at the Willcox Community Center with the festival at 130 N. Railroad Ave.

The popular growing region of southeastern Arizona with its arid and Mediterranean like terroir and weather is known for growing Rhone varietals including Syrah, Grenache & Mourvedre and other varietals such as Malbec and Tempranillo. The region is home to many wineries and vineyards with 17 of them pouring their wines at the festival. Wineries scheduled to be pouring wine include Pillsbury Wine Co. Copper Horse Vineyard, Golden Rule Vineyards and others. A beer garden and food trucks will be on hand along with local artists, craft vendors and live music.

Tickets for the Willcox Wine Festival and Winemakers Dinner are on sale online for $35 on Saturday, $30 on Sunday, $15 for beer tasting and $75 for the Winemaker Dinner. Tickets will be available at the door for an additional $5-$10. All tickets for the festival include 10 tastings and a commemorative glass.

Sips & Bites: News from the Phoenix restaurant community

Events & news about what’s going on around the Phoenix restaurant community, breweries and wineries.

Final weeks at Pillsbury Wine Co. Cottonwood Tasting Room

April 13th is the last time at the popular watering hole in Central Arizona to taste the award-winning wines. Come grab some bottles, have some wines and hear stories of the good times had in Cottonwood. It’s open Wednesday – Sunday 12:00-7:00 p.m.

The fifth annual “Dollar for a Dozen” returns to Over Easy in April

The month-long fundraiser for Phoenix Children’s Hospital where guests at all 17 locations can donate $1. The restaurant will match by donating a dozen eggs to the United Food Bank for every dollar donated. Over $65,000 dollars have been raised for the cause since 2020.http://www.eatatovereasy.com/

Chateau Musar dinner at Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion

Seats are going quickly for the Wednesday, April 15th dinner that will feature wines from Lebanon’s Bekka Valley. The reception will start at 6:00 p.m. and guests will hear about the wines and pairings guided by the expertise of Marc Hochar, wine director Jodi Bronchtein and General Manager Wesam Kawa. Seats are $550++ per person and can be reserved here.

Spring ’25 Arizona Restaurant Week dates announced

The Arizona restaurant scene get its twice annual boost with ARW from Friday, May 16th – Sunday, May 25th. The 10-day event has restaurants around the state creating prie-fixe menus for $33, $44, or $55 and includes well over 100 restaurants participating with at least 8 first time restaurants. On May 1st the website start posting restaurant’s menus for the event and will update as more restaurants join.

Pie ciders and Guinness on tap at Cider Corps.

Newly added to the downtown Mesa’s cidery’s tap program include American Apple Pie, Blueberry, Mixed Berry and Cherry Pie. Guinness has been added to create Snakebites with their cider and other craft beers are now available including beers from Flagstaff’s Dark Star Brewing and Coronado Brewing beers from CA.

San Tan Art & Wine Festival is happening this weekend

Wine drinkers and art enthusiasts will be gathering this Friday and Saturday, March 29th & 30th to enjoy the fruits of others labor and passion at the San Tan Art & Wine Festival. The two-day festival at SanTan Village will include 8 of Arizona’s top wineries and over 60 artists with a wide range of artists from around the country and live music throughout the festival.

“SanTan Village is a unique and distinctive open-air center that makes it an ideal location for the San Tan Art & Wine Festival – especially this time of year,” said Mike Pigford, Event Organizer and Owner of Arizona Wine Events.
The festival is hosted by Arizona Wine Events, Vermillion Promotions and Willcox Wine Country. Admission is free with early bird wine drinking tickets available for between $15-$35 at http://www.willcoxwinecountry.org/ Tickets will be available at the door for $20-$45 and all purchases include 10 tickets and a commemorative wine glass.
The Arizona wineries that will be in attendance include:
1764 Vineyards
Birds & Barrel Vineyards
Bodega Pierce Wine
Carlson Creek Vineyard
DA Vine Vineyard
Omphalos Winery
Soaring Wines
Strive Vineyards

Wine festival coming to Cave Creek this weekend

The Stagecoach Village Fine Art & Wine Festival pulls into Cave Creek for 3 days this weekend starting tomorrow Friday, March 7th thru Sunday. More than 85 food trucks, artists and live entertainment start at 10 a.m. each day. For those looking to sample some of Arizona best wines you’ll have to wait until 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Stagecoach Fine Art & Wine Festival is hosted by Arizona Wine Events and Willcox Wine Country. Both are leading promoters of Arizona wines and showcasing them at local events.

“Cave Creek’s rugged terrain and beautiful scenery, along with its small-town feel, make it an ideal location for the Stagecoach Village Fine Art & Wine Festival,” said Mike Pigford, Event Organizer and Owner of Arizona Wine Events. “Attendees can stroll around and relax in the tranquil environment while enjoying the artwork, entertainment, food and an incredible selection of wines.”

Early bird tickets are available for wine & beer tastings from between $15-$35 and are available at the door for between 420-$45. 10 tastings tickets are included and for wine tastings guests get a commemorative glass. Information and tickets are available online. Stagecoach Village is at 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd. Cave Creek 85331.

Sips & Bites: News from the Phoenix restaurant community

Events & news about what’s going on around the Phoenix restaurant community, breweries and wineries.

Keeler’s Neighborhood Steakhouse to host Whitehall Lane wine dinner

The Carefree restaurant is hosting a 5-course pairing dinner next Wednesday, February 26th starting at 6 p.m. Each course will be paired with a red or white wine from the Napa Valley winery with a Stuffed Pork Tenderloin and Prime Baseball Cut Sirloin paired with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon as the main courses. Seats are $110++ and can be reserved by calling 602-374-4784.

Spanish wine tasting at GenuWine Arizona

The downtown Phoenix wine bar & retail shop will be pouring 3 Spanish wines next Thursday, February 27th between 6-8 p.m. The tasting is free for Wine Club members and $10 for non-members with all 3 wines will be 20% off bottles for everyone.

Queen Creek Olive Mill celebrates its 20th anniversary with limited edition olive oil

The locally owned olive mill is offering a special limited edition extra virgin olive oil. Made with 100% Arizona grown olives, the mid-harvest ripe olives offer a balance of fruitiness and pungency. The anniversary olive oil is available at the mill or online.

M Culinary Concepts donates of 30,000 lbs of food to Waste Not

The event & catering company donated unused food from the WM Phoenix Open to the local non-profit that collects unused food from restaurants, etc and donates it to other non-profits to help feed the hungry before it winds up in a landfill. YMCA Centers, Josie’s Closet, New Horizons Community Care and Native Health were a few of the over 30 non-profits that the food was redistributed too.

Pillsbury Wine Co. brings home medals

The Willcox winery with a tasting room in Cottonwood won 7 medals from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. They received Double Gold Medals for their Inappropriate 23 and Malvasia ‘Bonnie Lee’ 23 and five Silvers for our Chardonnay 23, Grenache 22, Mourvedre 22, Petite Sirah 22 and Symphony 23.

Cove Mesa Vineyard wins medals at prestigious wine competition

Arizona wineries came home with a bunch of medals from the Annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, 106 medals to be exact. Cove Mesa Vineyard brought home 31 of those medals including 6 gold and 19 silver, an impressive feat for a winery that produced its first wines in 2020.

The Verde Valley winery is owned by Emil and Cindy Molin where Emil is executive winemaker, and Cindy handles the business side of the business. The Molin’s aren’t new to the wine business as they were investors at Oregon’s Rex Hill Winery when they lived up that way before moving to the Verde Valley in 2015. The reason for the move was so Emil could attend Yavapai College earning an Associate Degree in Viticulture & Enology with Honors in 2016.

Today Cove Mesa Vineyards has 12,000 vines in two vineyards, Cove Mesa and Solair where they make European style red, white and rose wines. There are 8 planted varietals including Assyrtiko, Aglianico, Mourvèdre, Barbera, Teroldego, Graciano, Petit Manseng and Greco di Tufo. The Molin’s also source grapes from Southern Arizona’s Willcox region including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Sangiovese, Petit Sirah, Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Picpoul Blanc, Malvasia Bianca, Vermentino, and several Rose’ including a Double Gold Award Winner.

During a recent trip to Italy to meet with European winemakers, sommeliers and restaurateurs their wines were tasted blind and positive comments about their old world style wines were shared and many thought the wines were from France. In 2022 they opened a tasting room in Cornville to share their wines and it’s been voted Best Tasting Room in Verde Valley in the two years it’s been open.

To see the list of Cove Mesa Vineyard wines that brought home medals visit their website and to see the full list of winners from Arizona visit WillcoxWineCountry.org