The Arizona Wine Festival

Willcox Wine Country to Host “The Arizona Wine Festival” January 28-30, 2022, at Heritage Square Park

Three-day festival to include a Winemakers Dinner to benefit Horses Help Foundation & two-days of wine tasting with 20 Arizona wineries pouring over 150 wines in downtown Phoenix.

On Friday, January 28 – Sunday, January 30, 2022, the Willcox Wine Country Partnership along with other wineries from around Arizona will host The Arizona Wine Festival at Heritage Square Park in downtown Phoenix. The three-day festival will kick off with a winemakers’ dinner to support Horses Help Foundation, Arizona’s premier accredited therapeutic and recreational agency that serves the special needs population through a unique collaboration of horses and people. The two-day festival on Saturday, January 29 – Sunday, January 30 featuring 20 Arizona wineries pouring over 150 wines, along with live music, food trucks, artist, and other local vendors.

“This is the biggest celebration of Arizona wine in the state.” said Rod Keeling, president of the Willcox Wine Country Partnership and owner of Keeling Schaefer Vineyards. “Two years ago, we had a record number of wine tasters attend the festival. We are excited that festivals are once again being produced and we will have a chance to share our wines with everyone. This is our biggest event of the year and it’s wonderful to be able to share the story and evolution of the Willcox, Arizona wine industry with so many people.”

What started as just a few wineries in the early 1980’s,the modern Arizona wine industry (viticulture originally began in Arizona in the 16th century when missionary Spanish Jesuit priests began to plant grapevines and make wine for sacramental use) has since grown into over 100 licensed and bonded wineries, many of which are receiving national and international attention and accolades for their wine.

With the recent approval of the Verde Valley as an American Viticultural Area (AVA), Arizona now has three AVAs: Sonoita, Willcox and the Verde Valley. This brings increased awareness distinction of Arizona wines.

Some of the wineries participating include:

1764 Vineyards *

Aridus Wine Company *

Arizona Stronghold Vineyards *

Barrelhead Farms Winery *

Birds and Barrel Vineyards *

Bodega Pierce Wines *

Caduceus Cellars *

Carlson Creek Vineyard *

Cella Winery

Copper Horse Vineyard *

Coronado Vineyards *.

Golden Rule Vineyards *

Keeling Schaefer Vineyards *

Page Springs Vineyards & Cellars *

Pillsbury Wine Company *

Sonoita Vineyards

Strive Vineyards *

* Denotes Willcox Wine Country member. More wineries to be announced.

To purchase tickets to The Arizona Wine Festival, visit: https://thearizonawinefestival2022.eventbrite.com. For more details on the event or Willcox Wine Country, visit https://willcoxwinecountry.org/ or connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.

In February, Willcox Wine Country and friends will be hosting our first wine and art festival at Singh Meadows. More information about this festival will be published on our websites: https://willcoxwinecountry.org/ and http://experiencearizonawine.com/.

About Willcox Wine Country

The Cochise Graham Wine Council, Inc. dba Willcox Wine Country, is a region and association of Arizona Farm Wineries and Vineyards located in Cochise and Graham counties in far southeastern Arizona. The Willcox area leads Arizona wine grape production by growing 74% of the state’s wine grapes and is the source of the most highly rated Arizona wines by Wine Spectator, San Francisco Chronicle, tastings.com and the Arizona Republic.

The area includes the Willcox AVA (American Viticultural Area), making it federally recognized as a unique and distinctive wine growing region in the United States. Willcox Wine Country features 10 tasting rooms, tours, locally grown and produced wines and the semi-annual Willcox Wine Country Festival (held in May and October), which has been rated by Fodor’s Travel as one of the top-ten wine festivals in North America. For more information visit www.willcoxwinecountry.org.

About the City of Willcox

At the Center of the Willcox Wine Country region, the City of Willcox is the historic, cultural, and economic hub of far southeastern Arizona.

Established as a Railroad terminal in 1880, Willcox became a small rural community supporting local Farms, Orchards, Vineyards and Ranches in a vast region of high-altitude basins and mountain ranges. Willcox is the hospitality gateway to Willcox Wine Country, the Chiricahua National Monument, Ft Bowie National Historic Site, and the Coronado National Forest.

For more information visitwillcox.az.gov/

About the Cochise County Tourism and Economic Council

The Council is an inter-governmental association of Cochise County and partner communities, including Willcox. Funds received from each entity are cooperatively invested in marketing efforts to promote Cochise County as a destination for tourists and economic investment. The communities are bound by geography and a common vision to enhance the regional economy. The Council and shares its passion for the region with potential visitors, businesses and residents.

For more information visit www.explorecochise.com

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