Sip & Savor

Take a Stroll Along the Old Town Scottsdale Wine Trail

Old Town Scottsdale is a hotbed for wine-tasting rooms from Arizona’s most innovative vintners. Enjoy tasting flights of their award-winning varietals and yummy, sharable small plates along the walkable Scottsdale Wine Trail – it’s the perfect way to while away a sunny afternoon!

MERKIN VINEYARDS Grammy-winning vocalist MJ Keenan and winemaker Tim White bottle their awardwinning wines under two distinct labels, Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards. Sample the fruits of their labor and enjoy sharable farm-to-table salad plates, artisanal cheese and charcuterie boards, and house-made gelato and sorbetto. Growing Regions: Verde Valley (Caduceus Cellars label) and Willcox (Merkin Vineyards label), Arizona Specialty: Wines from predominantly Italian and Spanish varietals LDV WINERY The tree-shaded patios at LDV Winery’s Old Town Scottsdale tasting room create the perfect backdrop for artful small bites and tasting flights of LDV’s four estate-grown grape varieties. Enjoy your favorites by the glass or bottle, then pick out a few bottles to take home (you’ll be glad you did!). Growing Region: Chiricahua Mountain foothills near Willcox, Arizona Specialty: Wines from Rhône-varietal grapes, including Viognier, Grenache, Syrah and Petite Sirah CARLSON CREEK VINEYARD Housed in a former gallery, it’s only fitting that the centerpiece of Carlson Creek’s Old Town tasting room is a work of art itself – a distressed copper bar and barrel stave art installation built by Bootleg Barrelcraft. Pull up a chair and sample one (or more) of the 13+ outstanding varietals on the rotating menu. Growing Region: Willcox, Arizona Specialty: Wines from Rhône-style varietals including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Syrah

ARIDUS WINE COMPANY Aridus is the Latin word for dry or arid, which is fitting given this contemporary, sustainably constructed winery’s location in the desert of southeastern Arizona. Sample exceptional white and red blends in Aridus’ Old Town Scottsdale tasting room (by appointment only). Growing Region: Willcox, Arizona Specialty: Complex Fumé Blanc, juicy Grenache and Petite Verdot

ACIDITY The tartness or crispness of a wine.

BALANCED When a wine’s alcohol, acidity, sugars and tannins are all working in harmony and no single element overwhelms the others.

BODY This refers to the wine’s weight on your palate, typically light, medium or full.

MOUTHFEEL How does the wine feel in your mouth – silky, smooth, chewy, complex?

LEGS The drops or streaks that stick to the inside of the glass after swirling or sipping.

TANNINS Tannins are a product of the grape’s seeds and skins. Tannins taste astringent or chalky and add body to the wine.

SEE

5 BASIC STEPS OF WINE TASTING

SWIRL SNIFF SIP & SWISH SAVOR

You can tell a lot about a wine simply by its appearance. Typically, the darker the color, the more full-bodied the wine.

A swirl aerates the wine and releases the aromatic components that make up the complexity of its flavor.

The wine’s aroma (fruit, herb, flower aromas) and bouquet (spice, yeast, nut aromas) provide the first hint of its flavor profile. Let the wine dance over your taste buds to release its complex flavors so that all your senses can take them in. Enjoy the wine’s finish – the last flavors that linger on your palate after you swallow.