ARIZONA STRONGHOLD VINEYARDS

THE OTHER 45

2009-02-13T08:15:00.000-08:00

“The other 46” is a term commonly associated with states not known for their wine production. California, Oregon, Washington and New York have established themselves as consistent producers of quality wines considered “world class”.

The wine industry is growing and wine is currently produced in all 50 states. This is an exciting time in many places, and in my opinion, none more-so than Arizona.

Having left the east coast, and the fifth largest wine producing state (Virginia), I was astounded by the quality of the wines being grown and made here in Arizona. From “new world” Zinfandels to classic Rhone style Syrahs and blends, Bordeaux like Cabs and Merlots to Sangioveses that rival those found anywhere, the potential this state offers is immense.

Arizona's microclimates are as diverse as it's population, and that's what makes this place so unique and exciting. We've barely begun to scratch the surface of vineyard and varietal exploration here, but the wines are already garnering the respect and attention of top critics; a fact reflected by recent scores and praises rarely seen in “the other 46”. Heading up that exploration is an enthusiastic, farsighted and overachieving team of professionals who are committed to making “the other 45” a reality.

Enjoy a bottle of your favorite Arizona wine tonight, or lay some down in the cellar, knowing that the wines are only going to get better.

Daniel Sweeney (ASV Production Manager)

INTRO SONG LYRICS

2009-01-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

The Indigo Children

EMP from the mother and son

Tore the digital down.

Dawn now the age of the innocent ones.

The Indigo Children

Analog time piece, sky wide

Synched to the ticker inside

Move with the rhythm of the moon and tide.

The Indigo Children

Sirius, Venus and the lunar child

Giggle and the flames grow higher.

Dance in a circle round a central fire.

The Indigo Children

Wine, song, food, and fire.

Clothes, shelter, and seed.

No more need for the old empire

(When the) indigo children (come.)

No more need for the old empire

(When the) indigo children (come.)

Wine, song, food, and fire.

Clothes, shelter, and seed.

No more need for the old empire

(When the) indigo children (come.)

No more need for the old empire

(When the) indigo children (come.)

FUTURE PLANS - On the road continued

2009-01-03T12:27:00.000-08:00

Here we are in the new year and Maynard and I are on the road already. We're currently in San Francisco enjoying a day of sun after a miserably cold and wet yesterday. Last night we signed bottles at a Whole Foods store in San Fran, today is Oakland and tomorrow is Cupertino.

People have been flying across the country to attend our bottle signing events and I have been receiving a lot of emails asking if we're going to venture into different parts of the country. There are dozens more Whole Foods Market's throughout North America, many of which sell wine. In 2009, we're going to try to hit as many as possible.

We currently have plans to be in Tucson next week and then Fresno, Petaluma an Sacramento at the end of February.

I am currently discussing events with the folks in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. We also have a call in to Washington and Oregon and the Midwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast are more distant targets.

So...if you would like us to come - please let the store manager at the Whole Foods Market near you know that you would like to see it happen!

Cheers!

Eric

SO MANY POSSIBILITIES...... by Tim White

2008-09-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

As I sit here thinking of updates to give everyone, tired, sore, scatterbrained and a bit crazy- it all seems to fade away as the smells of the fermenting grapes of our 2008 harvest permeate the air and I daydream about so many possibilities.

Today (Sept. 21st) marks the 1 year anniversary of my arrival in Arizona to join the PSC and ASV families - WOW how much has happened since then; the development and planning of a new label, driving ourselves mad building and blending 3 new wines, and then a 4 month race to design and retrofit a new fully functional winery before this harvest. I look around and sometimes can't believe we pulled it off so successfully. We've certainly had our share of challenges, everything from weather to equipment to logistics, but here we are right in the middle of harvest (60+ tons of amazing AZ fruit received) still going strong.

I get the excitement of a child thinking about all of these wines, how they will evolve, what they will be, and oh how incredible putting things together for the 2008 Tazi, Nachise, and Mangus blends. Yep, so many possibilities..........

ON THE ROAD by Eric Glomski

2008-09-16T23:04:00.000-07:00

Maynard and I have just wrapped up the first bottle signing event on our fall "tour". Whole Foods Markets is sponsoring us by hosting and marketing these events over the next few months.

It has been hard to get away for these couple days because so much is going on back at the wineries (Page Springs and AZ Stronghold). We have already brought in over 100 tons of grapes (primarily from our own vineyards in Arizona). In some ways, it has been a very difficult vintage: Our monsoon rains have lasted longer and have pounded us with more hail storms than any year I can recall (since the late 80's). This leads to damage in the vineyard and often breaks grape skins, which leaves them open to infection. Additionally, the rains themselves keep the environment moist thus creating ideal conditions for molds, mildews. fungus etc. Despite the fact that we have had challenges with all these things, we've continued to make great wines. Most notably, we have trained our grape pickers to identify borderline fruit, and have simply dropped it to the ground.

On a positive note, the TAZI, NACHISE and MANGUS are being received with rave reviews throughout the Southwest. Many of the top restaurants in Phoenix now carry it, and poeple in LA are going wild over the quality we're showing from Arizona.

Tomorrow we try our luck at Venice Beach for another bottle signing!

Nachise Blend Agreed Upon

2008-05-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

Just last week, late April, we nailed down our first Stronghold red wine - Nachise.

A Rhone style blend crafted from primarily Grenache and Syrah (with hints of Mourvedre and other tasty vittles), this wine should rock the Arizona wine scene. The wine is lush and spicy with all kinds of fruits and a little earthiness to boot.

Like all of our wines, we agreed upon this blend in a blind tasting that pitted several variations on a base them against one another. All the participants in this tasting voted for the wines without knowing what they were - and the blend we chose had nearly unanimous first place votes. While I maintain veto power, I rarely exercise it , believing strongly that our consensus based process makes better wine than dictatorship.

We will put the large scale blend together soon and we're shotting to bottle in July. Keep an eye out for it Sept 1!

Eric

INTRO MUSIC - E. Glomski

2008-03-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

So, what do you all think of our intro song? It's called "Momma Sed" and is one of the latest creations of Puscifer, Maynard's side project. I thought the change and growth themes were fitting for the transformation I see going on in the Arizona Wine Industry. Our Desert Wine landscape will look very different several years from now. Wine bars are popping up everywhere, vineyards are being planted, and I hear about new, exciting winery projects frequently. We're going to send our wines out for review by the Big Boys pretty soon (Spectator, Enthusiast etc.) - so get ready. It's time for Arizona. (p.s. If you think the Desert is strange place for grapes, think again. Where were the first grapes cultivated? The Middle East.)

Wake up son of mine
Momma got somethin' to tell you
Changes come
Life will have its way
With your pride, son
Take it like a man

Hang on son of mine
Storm's blowin' up your horizon
Changes come
Keep your dignity
Take the high road
Take it like a man

Listen up son of mine
Momma got something to tell you
All about growin' pains
Life will pound away
Where the light don't shine, son
Take it like a man

Suck it up son of mine
thunder's blowin' up your horizon
Changes come
Keep your dignity
Take the high road
Take it like a man

Mamma said...

"Like the rain,
Like a kidney stone,
It's just a broken heart, son.
This pain will pass away."

TAZI Comes into the WORLD by Eric G

2008-03-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

The smell of Malvasia and Riesling filled the room. Whirring generator. Whistling vacuum. Clanking bottles. Pounding Corks. Spinning foils. Auto lick labels. Sliding full bottles of the tastiest white wine. Stacking. Stacking.

We bottled TAZI today - our white blend of Arizona Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay and Malvasia Bianca. This was the first bottling for Arizona Stronghold Vineyards, and it was, frankly, a bitch of a day...

The glamorous foiled and embossed labels had a really hard time finding their way onto our bottles (the ones that did get on there looked sweet though!), we had problems with one of the vacuum solenoids on the corker (before a cork gets compressed and pushed into the neck of the bottle, a vacuum sucks all their air out of the bottle in a split second), and the corks themselves had problems. But...we pushed through with our wine based philosophy ("What's best for the Wine?"). We made some changes and adjustments, switched some switches, toggled some toggles, drank a beer or two and made it through the fist day.

The wine kicks. I can't wait to think of all the people out there who are going to try this wine, saying to themselves "I Can't believe this is from Arizona!" Sahwheet!