Ok, lest you all think we only review California reds, here’s a
surprise: a red table wine from Arizona. What? Wine from Arizona? Yep, and
surprisingly tasty, too.
This red blend from Arizona Stronghold comes from Cochise County. It
features 55% cabernet sauvignon, 36% sangiovese grapes, and 9% merlot, so it’s
striving to be in the Italian style, making it pretty drinkable with food, but
less compelling as a stand-alone sipper.
It has a medium brick color, with a slight floral overlay on the aroma
of berries, earth and trees. It sort of smells like a dry summer canyon high in
the mountains. Very light tannins but with good texture, spice and medium
length. I’m not sure I’d age it more than where it is now. Very drinkable with
a nice variety of cheeses. (We paired it with an aged Wisconsin cheddar, a
German cambozola, and Beecher’s No Woman. They all worked well together.)
While the alcohol content is over 14%, it doesn’t smack you on the nose
like some do. So, yes, you can actually find good wine from Arizona!
Arizona Stronghold:
Beecher's No Woman:
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