Saturday, June 2, 2012
The Arizona ASTA Chapter, in conjunction with Detours, hosted a one day fam trip to Arizona’s Wine Country. David Evans of Detours arranged to have one of their luxury vehicles take us south through this beautiful rolling countryside, to visit this hidden treasure of the southwest, where we explored Arizona’s Wine Country and the vineyards of Sonoita and Elgin. Stops were made at the Sonoita Vineyards, Keif-Joshua Vineyards, where we met the winemaker, Callaghan Vineyards and the Wilhelm Family Vineyards where we also met the winemaker and had a pleasant tour.
The weather was perfect. At nearly 5,000 feet in elevation and a light breeze, we could easily forget about the 100°+ weather back in the valley said Pat Fulton of Departures in Mesa.
Donna Delpier of Delpier Travel Service had some reservations. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, having a long love affair with Napa and Sonoma; but I must say I was very impressed with the area, the wineries, the wine and the people. Detours did a fabulous job and I would highly recommend them."
Another pleasant surprise was lunch. We ate at a restaurant called "The Cafe” recalls Pat Fulton. The chef, Adam, had what he named an “APE” Burger. No one knew what would be on their burger until it was served. Crazy things like raspberries, sliced apples, spinach, green pepper, I can’t remember everything, but everyone who had the APE Burger said it was delicious.
The following images are of the day’s events. To view a larger image, click on the thumbnail.
Fiesta in the Desert XIX