Arizona Wines
Visit to Birds and Barrels Vineyard in Willcox AVA in Arizona
Background
As a wine writer and a recent transplant to Arizona, I knew there were roughly 150 plus wineries in Arizona, with approximately 80% of all the wines produced using Willcox grapes. Decided I needed to understand the area and ventured off to meet a few of the wineries/winemakers and of course taste the wines. Surprisingly I have not been able to find many of the Arizonan wines in local bottle shops or retail stores.
Willcox AVA Background
The Willcox AVA is the largest in Arizona and encompasses 833 square miles in southern Arizona.
Map from University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
The length ranges from 40 to 45 miles, running north and south and the width averaging between 15 to 25 miles wide east to west. It is a large flat valley (or playa/bench) with an average elevation of most vineyards being 4,200 to almost 5,000 feet elevations. The Willcox Playa is sitting between the Dragoon Mountains to the west reaching 7,500 feet and the Chiricahua with the highest point 9,759 feet and Dos Cabezas Mountains 7,500 feet to the east. With the high mountains surrounding the high valley floor, the diurnal temperature swings (daytime to nighttime) can average between 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit. This cooling down feature from the mountain air sinking to the basin, is a hallmark in preserving acidity in the grapes.
photo by Karen Fasimpaur from Portal
The land is a combination of sandy-gravelly, alluvial and volcanic loam soils which are ideal for vineyard sustainability. The Willcox AVA was designated in September 2016. Many indigenous people occupied the land like the Chiricahua Apache’s including the well-known leaders Cochise and Geronimo.
The Winery – Birds and Barrels Vineyards
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery was founded by Chad and Monica Preston in 2015. Previously they were in real estate in the Phoenix area and had a goal to produce artisan wines. They harvest their grapes by hand, and carefully handle all the pressing and winemaking functions. They believe this is critical in maintaining high-quality wines which they take great pride in producing.
The vineyard is comprised of 15 acres planted in a variety of grapes with Birds and Barrels consuming all their grapes with no selling off of their grapes to other wineries. The mix of grapes are roughly 40% white and 60% red grape varieties. Their current wine releases include a wide assortment: Dolcissimo (Symphony), Malbec, Petit Verdot, Rosé (Syrah), Vino Bianco (Riesling & Chardonnay), Riesling, Chardonnay, SBR (Tannat, Petit Verdot, Malbec), Syrah Batch (Sirah/Shiraz), Grenache, Petit Manseng, Tempranillo, Over and Under Blend (Malbec & Syrah) and a few other blends.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We met at their vineyard location which is a large room that can be utilized for a variety of events with one side being glass with a beautiful view of vineyards, the playa and mountains in the distance. The Vineyard being located at 5000 E Arzberger Road and their in-town tasting is located at 100 N Railroad Ave in downtown Willcox.
Far too many wines to taste at one sitting but we were able to taste and discuss six wines with each of them approachable and easy drinking. Two wines of those tasted stood out as being exceptionally delicious. There were the Over and Under (Malbec & Syrah) and SBR blend.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
2021 Over and Under Blend hit all the key points of my evaluation on the eyes, the nose/aromas, taste and finish. Easy sipping, with rounded and caressing tannins, blueberry and mocha notes with a lovely soft finish having just a modicum of sweetness with a 50/50 blend of Malbec and Syrah.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This non-vintage SBR red wine of 60% Tannat, 20% Petit Verdot, and 20% Malbec. As it turns out this is Monica’s favorite in their line up (if you can have a “favorite child”). They describe it as a “Super Bold Red”. Once again, it hit all my evaluation marks for on the eyes showing a clean and radiant coloring, on the nose with aromas of beautiful dark fruits with corresponding tastes and with the finish being a soft landing with tannins that were silky smooth.
Once tasting their wines, it is very understandable to comprehend their slogan “refinement in a bottle”.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
S-K-Y-H-A-V-E-N Vineyards & Wines Visit, Willcox AVA, Arizona
Background
As a wine writer and a recent transplant to Arizona, I knew there were roughly 150 plus wineries in Arizona, with approximately 80% of all the wines produced using Willcox grapes. Decided I needed to understand the area and ventured off to meet a few of the wineries/winemakers and of course taste the wines. Surprisingly I have not been able to find many of the Arizonan wines in local bottle shops or retail stores.
Willcox AVA Background
The Willcox AVA is the largest in Arizona and encompasses 833 square miles in southern Arizona.
Map from University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
The length ranges from 40 to 45 miles, running north and south and the width averaging between 15 to 25 miles wide east to west. It is a large flat valley (or playa/bench) with an average elevation of most vineyards being 4,200 to almost 5,000 feet elevations. The Willcox Playa is sitting between the Dragoon Mountains to the west reaching 7,500 feet and the Chiricahua with the highest point 8,000 feet and Dos Cabezas Mountains 7,500 feet to the east. The highest mountain peak is in the northeast at 8,100 feet. With the high mountains surrounding the high valley floor, the diurnal temperature swings (daytime to nighttime) can average between 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit. This cooling down feature from the mountain air sinking to the basin, is a hallmark in preserving acidity in the grapes.
The land is a combination of sandy-gravelly, alluvial and volcanic loam soils which are ideal for vineyard sustainability. The Willcox AVA was designated in September 2016. Many indigenous people occupied the land like the Chiricahua Apache’s including the well-known leaders Cochise and Geronimo.
The Winery
Picture by SKYHAVEN Vineyards and Wines
SKYHAVEN Wines was recommended by another winery and very much appreciated. Spoke to Bridget on the phone, setting up the time and date for the visit. Upon driving down several “dirt & gravel” roads, I had no idea what to expect. Drove in cold and I was instantly warmed up by their radiant personalities, open hospitality and sincere desire to produce outstanding wines.
Met with Chris Brinkmeyer, who is trained and earned his viticulture and enology degree from Yavapai College. He spent time working at Pillsbury Wine Company honing his craft. You know he has a twist on producing wines as rather than calling himself the winemaker, he goes by The Wine Shepherd. Once into our conversation, it made perfect sense as his belief is that “great wine isn’t manufactured, its guided. Coaxed. Listened to”.
His life partner is Bridget Hildebrand who also has a unique title as CPKO (Chief Pants Kicking Officer)! While a bit lighthearted, Bridget spent 25 plus years in building brands in the tech industry and traveling about the world tasting wines indigenous to various areas. Bridget handles the marketing, manages the tasting rooms and is the glue holding these various pieces together.
Just by the self-anointed job titles, this is no ordinary winery! While appearing lighthearted, their work ethic and determination is at a higher level. While only being in their second year, they have won awards at both the prestigious 2026 San Francisco Chronicle and Arizona Governor’s Cup wine competition. For a newbie wine company, this shows the dedication to their craft. Well done Chris and Bridget, the future is extremely bright for you.
Their property is ten acres with seven and half planted in vines. Each of the previous wines are all small lot with limited and controlled batches.
The name Skyhaven is a bit long, suffice it say it is easy to understand with the sky pictures taken this afternoon. The balance of story Chris or Bridget will be happy to tell.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The winery’s focus is on French, Spanish, and Italian varietals grown on the high-desert Willcox Bench. Their current line up includes 2023 Syrah, 2023 Pandemonium blend (43% Grenache, 43% Mourvèdre, 14% Syrah), 2025 Viognier and 2025 Spectre Rosé. While all these wines are solid wines, their award-winning wines include:
2023 Cabernet Franc – 2026 San Francisco Gold Medal Winner
2023 Mourvèdre – 2026 San Francisco Silver Medal Winner
2023 Artificer Petit Verdot – 2026 San Francisco Silver Medal Winner
They have also received awards from the Arizona Governor’s Wine Competition.
We sat and discussed many topics beyond their delicious wines for some time. When tasting through about five wines, all being solid elixirs, three stood out as excellent and exquisite. The first was their Syrah. This is 98% Syrah and 2% Picpoul Blanc making this a solid representation of Rhone French wine. Dark and luscious on the eyes, with fruit forward aromas and taste, coupled with a modicum of tannins and finishing smooth and silky. The wine was aged 18 months in neutral oak barrels and goes for $34/bottle. This wine won a Gold Medal at the SF Chronicle wine competition and at the 2036 Governor’s Cup a Silver Medal.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next up tasting was the 2023 Cabernet Franc, a Gold Medal winner at SF Chronicle wine competition. Only a few wineries from my limited research in Willcox AVA produce a Cabernet Franc. This wine on the eyes again provided a cavernous darkness in color and held all the varietal characteristics of both old world and new world combined. Pyrazines were minimal with only the exquisite taste of the fruit being presented. Aged 18 months in neutral oak. This wine also won a Gold Medal at the 2026 Arizona Governor’s Cup and “Judge’s Choice” award. An excellent representation of Cabernet Franc. I purchased a bottle on my way out!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The third being their Viognier. We got caught up discussing a specific Double Gold and Best of Class Viognier wines which I had judged at a recent competition in California and the similarities with their bottle. We discussed getting together in Mesa to try a side by side tasting soon. All three of us were so engaged in the conversation, no picture was taken!
Don’t despair, as they have two tasting facilities; one at the winery and just opening October 1st -3rd in Bisbee at 14 Main Street. If you can’t attend either of those locations, they are scheduled to be at the SanTan Art and Wine Festival October 31 to November 1st, 2026 at 2218 E Williams Field Road, Suite 235, Gilbert, AZ in the Phoenix area.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
Birds and Barrels Vineyards 2021 Malbec and Nebraska Ribeye Steak
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
Having just recently moved to Arizona and continuing to publish on California Wines and Wineries, I started a new website called Arizona Wines and Wineries. I am only beginning to become acquainted with the wine industry and wineries in Arizona. So far, I have had the opportunity to taste about a dozen wines. Birds and Barrels Vineyards was recommended by a new friend here is Arizona. I called the owners to see where I might pick up a bottle locally in the Phoenix area as they are in southwest Arizona in Willcox. Drove to a specific local market and picked up this bottle.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes, this wine possesses a dark and royal purple color showing the pedigree of the Malbec grape. On the nose, fresh violets waft gently from the glass to awaken the senses. On the palate, black plum, black cherry are dominant with secondary flavor of blueberry. The blueberry provides a lush, smooth and a modicum of semi-sweet finish. The tannins were a bit perplexing in that they were both noticeably present and yet rounded with smoothness. This wine comes in at 14.8% alcohol.
The wine is 100% estate grapes with only 42 cases being produced. For the 2021 vintage they switched up the barrel treatment to neutral French and Hungarian oak, being 9-12 years old. The remarkable fact is that this wine gracefully aged in barrel for 42 months!
If this is the quality of their overall winery, I can’t wait to visit to taste their other wines.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired with a beautiful Nebraska ribeye steak picked up at a local butcher shop. Seasoned with Applewood smoked salt, mesquite seasoning and roasted garlic powder. Then seared at 1500 degrees on the BBQ on the outside and to a perfect medium-rare on the inside. Accompanied by small red potatoes seasoned with Gouda cheese and a fresh salad of sauteed cut tomatoes, broccoli and purple onions.
An excellent wine and food pairing as the wine surrounding each bite providing just enough tannins to cut through the beef and the fruit calming the BBQ flavors.
The Winery
I will be meeting with the owners later in September, but I have gleamed some information on their website and additional AVA information. Chad and Monica Preston began Birds and Barrels in 2015. Their approach was simply to craft artisan wines with a minimal intrusion of mechanical equipment often used in mass production.
Map courtesy of https://ontheworldmap.com/usa/state/arizona/
They are located in the Willcox AVA which produces approximately 75% to 80% of the state’s wine grapes. The region sits in both Cochise and Graham counties covering a large 833 square miles! Elevations within the region range from 4,000 to 5,500 feet above sea level. The Birds and Barrels Vineyard is located at 4,300 feet elevation on the Willcox bench. One of the key traits of the area is the enormous diurnal temperature swings of 30 to 50 degrees. These nighttime temperatures drop stress the grape skins in a positive manner, stimulating the production of anthocyanins (color compounds) and preserving volatile aromatics that would be destroyed by continuous heat. Having warm temperatures in the day allows the grapes to ripen completely and accumulate sugars. The cool temperature from open nighttime skies allowing the heat to escape the vineyards. Cold air also flows down from the surrounding mountain ranges of Chiricahua and Dragoon mountains to pool in the valley floor.
Currently they list the following wines on their website most coming from the Willcox AVA: Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah Rosé, Vino Biano Chardonnay, Riesling, Tempranillo, Pinotage, SBR Tannat, Grenache, a few blends and an uncommon Petit Manseng and several others. Noted were two wines not using grapes from Willcox, those being their Dolcissimo (Symphony grape from Lodi, Calif), Bolle sparkling wine (from Lodi, Calif),
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com