Yes, That Winery Is Still Open

There are two area of hip, modern life where I am a failure ... a member of the lumpen proletariat ... a real turkey. One is wine, which I do drink regularly, tho I secretly prefer a good beer or ale. I usually have a box of what my dear bro calls plonk on hand; beer is simply too filling at my tender age. The bottles above? Brought by the Memphis niece from Trader Joe's on her way up to Prescott; you will note my rather cavalier treatment of the opened bottle and my little 6-oz. glass that once held Dona Maria mole sauce. The pretty red glass is from a set that the youngsters used.

What brings up the subject of wine again? The AZ Republic has answered the question of what has become of the mysterious San Dominique winery over at the east end of the junction of SR169 and I17. Basically, nothing. It's still in business! Sez the Republic:

[Bill] Staltari began the winery and tasting room in 1981. Since then, he's hosted garlic, apple, jazz and wine festivals. The shelves of the tasting room are filled with spices, canned items and garlic. "I have a couple of vines left," he says, "but now, I buy most of my grapes when I need them."

He says water costs and warming weather have made growing his own grapes too difficult. Visitors are given 16 choices to taste, at 50 cents per taste. The wine is served in tiny plastic cups, similar to shot glasses. Staltari says dry reds are his favorite, but the novelty wines are a hit with visitors.

"I attended a seminar and they said to make wine appropriate to your area," he says, pouring hot-pepper white wine. It's dry, spicy and unforgiving; peppers swim at the bottom of the bottle.

The article did not answer the question of what is at the top of the mesa just south of the winery. There's a road going up the side, but what's up there? A rich couple's summer cottage? Perhaps a cell phone tower. Someone fill me in.

Wine Tasting a Summer Afternoon Away

When the neighbors invited me to go wine tasting out at the Granite Creek Vineyards, I jumped at the chance. Of course. It was a lovely way to while away an afternoon with a box picnic lunch, a few sips each of five excellent wines, listening to folk music and relaxing in the shade of huge Chinese elms at an old Chino Valley homestead.

The Hoult family operation had been growing organic table grapes there since 1974; in 2000, their son, the winemaker, persuaded them to join the ranks of Arizona wineries. Here, the wine tasting room.

The barn dates back to the early nineteen hundreds. It overlooks the shady lawn where picnickers enjoy music and wine on summer weekends.

There are 20 acres of vines, irrigated by well water.

Concrete ditches -- leftover from the days when water from Watson Lake in the Dells belonged to Chino Valley farmers. Because Chino was turning into a bedroom community, the water rights were sold to the City of Prescott in the 90s.

A few old farm artifacts are scattered unobtrusively about the grounds, but there's no attempt at cuteness. The corrogated iron shed (below) is a remnant from the past.

One of the main attractions of the farm: a small collection of peacocks. This fellow put on quite a show for a hen who paid him little mind -- at least, while I was watching.

I should mention that sheoflittlebrain lived on this farmstead as a child. Maybe she will comment here -- or even better, write a post of her own memories.