News about places to eat & drink in Phoenix, Scottsdale and throughout Arizona
Add 1 more to your list Happy Hours to check out in Scottsdale especially if you’re a fan of Arizona wines. Lawrence Dunham Vineyards is now offering $2.00 off all glasses of wine Wed, Thurs and Fri’s from 4-6pm Wines are brought up weekly from the winery in southern Arizona and are often poured by winemaker Kurt Dunham.
The Wine Gallery is located 6951 E. 1st St. Scottsdale, AZ 85251 http://www.ldvwinery.com/faqs.html
Winemaker Curt Dunham of Arizona’s Lawrence Dunham Vineyards is proud to release 2 new wines as of late, 2013 Syrah and the premier vintage of the wineries 1st dessert wine, 2012 The Epilogue.
The 2013 Syrah is made from all estate grown grapes that are grown at 5,000 feet above sea level down in Cochise County. It’s a blend of 88% Syrah, 6% Petite Sirah & 6% Grenache. After fermentation the wine is aged for 30 months in American oak with the Syrah aged in mostly new oak and the Petite Sirah and Grenache aged in neutral oak. This wine will continue to evolve but currently shows great intensity. According to Kurt “This full-bodied wine is filled with aromas of coffee and berries that lead into multiple layers of dark fruit on the palette. It has a decadent, soft mouth feel that is luscious and sensual. Enjoy with grilled meat.”
With only 170 cases produced this wine won’t be around for long. $32 from the winery.
The 2nd release is the 1st dessert wine produced from LDV, The Epilogue made from 100% Petite Sirah. This sweet but not syrupy wine is a lesson in patience as Kurt waited 40 months to let 50% of the wine age in new American oak and the the other 50% age in neutral oak. As you can imagine he and his team are very excited to finally release it. Kurt’s take on his 1st dessert wine is that “The Epilogue exudes tobacco, toast, and berries in the nose that leads to a powerful rush of dark fruit on the palette. This fruit explosion is followed by a long, sweet, and savory caramel and spice note finish. Enjoy with chocolate, blueberries and cream, bleu cheese, or your favorite cigar.” Bottled in 375 ml bottles they’ve only produced 100 cases of this wine and sells for $24.
www.ldvwinery.com
Photos courtesy of Lawrence Dunham Vienyards
Curt Dunham, owner and winemaker at Lawrence Dunham Vineyards will be pairing his wines with the help of the chefs from Saffron JAKS at their wine gallery in Scottsdale on Monday May 16th at 6pm. The wines with a Mediterranean influence should be perfect for the 5 course dinner below.
Social Course –
Sabzy Khordan (Vegetable Crudo) – Fresh local vegetables, sheep’s milk feta, herbs, and warm Persian sourdough breach
Sparkling Wine
Second Course –
Roasted Red Pepper Coulis – Served with lebne rolled in herbs, Persian sourdough parmesan crisp, and roasted garlic oil
2012 R.E.D. (Rhone Red Blend)
Third Course –
Dolmeh Quiche – With seasoned local organic beef and rice stuffed grape leaves baked inside an herb quiche with Greek yogurt and dill salt
2012 Petite Sirah
Entrée –
Gormeh Sabzy – Braised Persian beef short ribs served with dill and fava bean basmati rice
2012 The Signature Petite Sirah
Dessert –
Prepared “Cold Stone” Style Vanilla Iced Cream – With Baklava Served in a Roasted Pistachio Waffle Cone Bowl
Persian Tea Service
Please pay in advance by registering online at:
http://ldvwinery.com/WinemakerDinner-OnlineReg.html
Or call for reservations at (480) 664.4822
48 Hour cancellation required
$95++ per person or $190++ per couple
LDV Winery Wine Gallery
6951 E. 1st St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
As the grapes in Arizona’s wine county begin to awaken from their winter slumber, Lawrence Dunham Vineyards is throwing a party. It has been 5 years since the vineyard planted its first wine grapes in the Chiricahua Mountain foothills in Cochise County.
“What a journey it has been from thinking about the next phase in our lives to ending up buying 40-acres to plant wine grapes and producing wines,” said Curt Dunham owner/winemaker at Lawrence Dunham Vineyards. The winery is getting ready for the annual planting season, with fingers crossed that the cold weather is done for another year.
The winery has become known for full-bodied Rhone varietal wines, particularly Petite Sirah. The vineyards’ 2009 Petite Sirah was awarded 88 points from Wine Spectator Magazine. “Plush, velvety,” and “solid range and character” were all descriptors used by James Molesworth to describe Lawrence Dunham Vineyards’ first vintage 2009 Petite Sirah made from 100% Arizona estate grown grapes. Mr. Molesworth evaluates wines from the Rhone Valley, Bordeaux, Loire Valley, and South Africa for the internationally-respected publication. Our winemaking process includes processing small batches of grapes, handled very gently, which we believe creates an extraordinary mouth-feel and well-balanced flavors,” said Dunham. “This was our first vintage and I was thrilled that my vision for this wine was interpreted and recognized by such a prestigious publication.” Help Lawrence Dunham Vineyards celebrate its first five years of the grape to glass journey.
Date: Saturday, April 13, 2013; 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
$8.00 (includes wine flights, birthday cake, discounts, & other celebratory activities)
Winery Location: Lawrence Dunham Vineyards
13922 S. Kuykendall Cutoff Rd.; Pearce, AZ
More Information: 602-999-5626; http://www.lawrencedunhamvineyards.com/
