The holidays were spent with family in Arizona, including a few days in Tucson. As my interest in the wine industry continues to grow, it was inevitable that I would be exploring Arizona’s grape and wine production. Also, contrary to popular belief, Arizona has been a significant center of wine production since the early 1900s, gaining increased national attention over the last decade.
While vineyards in Arizona trace back to Spanish settlers, the first commercial winery emerged in the early 1880s. The wine industry flourished and thrived until prohibition, causing a dormant period that persisted until the 1970s. The revival came through Gordon Dutt, a soil scientist at the University of Arizona, who identified opportunities for quality grape production in Arizona, especially at higher elevations.
Today, Arizona boasts three distinctive American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) with diverse microclimates, elevations, terrains, and soil types, contributing to various grape types and distinctive wines. Key insights into the Arizona wine industry:
- In 1984, Sonoita became Arizona’s first designated AVA, covering 208,000 acres south of Tucson at elevations between 4,500-5,000 feet (AGWA, 2023).
- The Wilcox AVA, established in 2016, is the largest (526,000 acres) and cultivates about 70-80% of the state’s wine grapes (AGWA, 2023)
- Designated in 2021, the Verde Valley AVA, located about 100 miles north of Phoenix near Sedona, is also a high-elevation growing region (AGWA, 2023)
- In 2017, approximately 1,339 acres in these AVAs were dedicated explicitly to wine grape cultivation, more than double the 601 acres reported in 2012. (Ag Census, 2018)
- Since 2015, the number of licensed wineries in Arizona has doubled from 75 to 159, producing more than 700,000 gallons of wine (TTB, 2023).
- Despite growing more than 40 grape varieties, red grapes comprise over 80% of Arizona’s production, including traditional varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Grenache.
Although the Arizona wine industry has experienced significant growth, it remains relatively small compared to other western states, notably neighboring California.
Two notable observations in researching the industry are the crucial role Arizona’s higher education system, particularly the University of Arizona, had in developing the state’s wine industry. Additionally, the winemakers’ formation of the Arizona Wine Growers Association in 1981 has supported legislation and promoted the industry at the state level.
