Cruisin’ along the Verde Valley Wine Trail

Today, we’re cruisin’ along the Verde Valley Wine Trail and AVA (American Viticultural Area). You can click on each link as you read along for more information on each subject. :-)

The idea behind this post is to give you an idea of what you could experience on a customized Sip Sedona wine tour. My guests always appreciate that their tours are truly not just about the wine, but about experiencing the Verde Valley. This means sightseeing, taking time to explore art galleries or boutique shops, understanding a bit of local history, all while enjoying Arizona wine and/or beer. Okay, lets go!

• Sip Sedona picks you up from your lodging. We then head out for some lunch at a nearby restaurant such as the Merkin Osteria, which is located in Old Town Cottonwood. Yummy home-made pasta, and a wine tasting flight for all! Then its time to head to another tasting room or winery, while cruising through areas like Historic Clarkdale, AZ or the old copper mining town of Jerome, AZ. There are plenty of niche spots to check out along these routes, not to mention opportunities for snapping photos to send back to your family or friends to make them jealous of your trip. ;-)

• You’ll be visiting several wineries, but did you know you could always throw in a brewery to mix it up and make the husband happy? I do it all the time and everyone always loves the change of pace for a bit. There are numerous options for local craft breweries in the area, but of course I have my favorite (no spoiler).

• There are about 25 tasting rooms or wineries in the Verde Valley, so narrowing things down isn’t easy. I try to make it easier by learning what wines my guests normally enjoy, and what kind of experience they’re after. Is wine most important, or ambience for instance? Is this an anniversary gift, a birthday celebration, girl’s trip, bachelorette, etc.? Whatever the case may be, I’ll line it up for you so you can sleep easy knowing you’ll have a wonderful and stress-free time during your visit.

• I find that guests really appreciate getting a sense of the whole landscape here, as the terrain changes so much from place to place. Sedona is beautiful and awe-inspiring of course, and then you get a real view of it all from being up a mile high on Cleopatra Hill in Jerome. Once we make our way to the Page Springs area, we take in greenery, waterways, and winding roads as we arrive to a vineyard destination. After enjoying more wine and learning about Arizona winemaking styles, its time to enjoy a sunset drive back to Sedona. Many folks mention that they never would have expected to see all of this in the high desert of the Verde Valley, not to mention on one day trip. There are truly so many things to take in along our Sedona wine tours, far more than just the wonderful Arizona wines. Suddenly, it becomes a whole experience. Are you ready to come along?

My job as a local tour guide is wonderful because I’m so proud of what our Arizona winemakers and brewers are doing here. After all, without them, I wouldn’t be doing this and you wouldn’t be reading this blog post. If you visit Sedona and the surrounding area, you have to check some of these places out wether you’re on a tour with me or not. You’d simply be missing out otherwise. Give me a call and let’s chat about options. Let me help you line up some must-do’s during your visit so you can go home having had a wonderful experience during your time here. Cheers!