The Verde Valley in Yavapai County, which stretches from Camp Verde, Arizona up into to Jerome and Clarkdale, has just been declared an American Viticultural Area — the third span of land in Arizona to join the club.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau made it official, and this designation put Verde Valley’s unique geography, topography, soils, and climate on the radar of out-of-towners. Additionally, it’s now a federally recognized grape-growing region.
Arizona’s first two AVAs were Sonoita and Willcox and now Verde Valley has the opportunity to describe the specific origin of the grapes used to make their savory wines. The entire designation process was four years in the making.
“I am ecstatic with this announcement,” said Tom Schumacher, president of the Verde Valley Wine Consortium. “The Verde Valley AVA petition was submitted to the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau by the Verde Valley Wine Consortium in 2017. This shows that our arduous efforts to submit the petition have been fruitful.”
An admirable landscape
It’s possible you’ve driven through the area while heading up to Flagstaff or Sedona.
The Verde Valley spans across an area of 219 square miles in the northeastern Yavapai County centered on the junction of Oak Creek and the Verde River — approximately 79 square miles is privately owned land.
Grapes, acres, and tasting rooms galore
According to the Verde Valley Wine Trail, the valley includes 19 commercial vineyards farming more than 136 acres of wine grapes, and 24 additional vineyard acres are planned within the next three years. Oh, and most importantly — for wine drinkers — the region has at least 25 tasting rooms.
The vineyards grow more than 40 wine grape varieties to produce wine, including the white grape varieties Malvasia Bianca, Viognier, Chardonnay, Vermentino, Seyval Blanc, and Picpoul Blanc. Red grape varieties in the Verde Valley include Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Tannat, and Barbera.
For more information about the Verde Valley AVA, visit verdevalleyava.org.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
