syrah
1764 Vineyards Located in Pearce in Southern Willcox AVA
Background
You know a winery named 1764 must be unique and original. When pressed how and why the name came about, Bob and Jules Dixon the owners of the winery, provided their insight to the name. The winery and their tasting room are located at 357 W. Treasure Road, Pearce, Arizona. Jules’s major and education was in pre-Revolution history. In 1764 the British Parliament passed the Sugar Act, imposing duties on sugar and molasses imported to the American colonies from non-British sources. This helped solidify the formal protestation of “no taxation without representation”, sparking early colonial resistance that became the groundwork for the American Revolution and independence. This following the Boston Tea Party in 1773. The Sugar Act was a tax on many items as depicted in the London Chronicle printed in 1764. Far more to the story on their name and I would direct you to their website to read.
from the London Chronicle 1764
Their 30 acre property is located just east of Cochise Stronghold in the southeastern Arizona’s Dragoon Mountains.
National Parks Service Picture
These rugged mountains rising to 7,000 feet elevations about the Willcox bench of 4,500 avg elevation, served as a natural fortress for the Apache Chief Cochise during the resistance against the U.S. Army in 1860’s and 1870’s. Cochise ran a brilliant and daring guerrilla campaign from these spires and narrow ravines with secret lookouts with up to 1,000 Apache Indians eluding capture. These mountains are the backdrop for the winery and may be symbolic of a small winery being successful.
The winery was recommended to me for a visit by several folks in the community. Bob started out in Iowa and subsequently moved to the East Valley of Phoenix. Their background was admittedly one of being not big wine drinkers. The attended the 2010 Willcox Wine Festival and “caught the wine bug”. Shortly thereafter in 2021 they were at the Cottonwood Harvest Festival and had a long discussion on the next phase of the lives, as they were soon to be empty nesters. They wanted to rebel a bit from sitting back in their recliners and decided starting a winery was the direction to move towards. Jules attended Yavapai Colleges’ Verde Valley campus to receive her enology degree in 2019. During her time at Yavapai, they found land that was cleared and began planting grapes in 2018. Their grown children also relocated to Cochise county working alongside Bob and Jules in developing the winery. In September of 2020 their winery was officially launched.
The Winery Today
Picture from visit https://www.vacationrenter.com/
Today they are eagerly producing handcrafted and artisan wines infused with the same spark and energy that helped found the American independence. They offer Petit Verdot, Picpoul Blanc, Vermentino, Syrah, Riesling, Malbec, Mourvedre and Sagrantino. They have received at the 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition a Gold Medal for their 2021 Syrah called the Vixen. Additionally, they have won various awards from the Arizona Wine Growers Association.
We spent a lot of time discussing the Willcox AVA, wine competitions, and discussing a wide range of topics. As the time passed, we hardly had time to try the wines! We did settle on tasting a few of them.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Jules’s favorite is her new “Orange wine”, appropriately name Jules T 2023 Amber Riesling. She is especially pleased making this wine in the traditional format and time-consuming method orange wines require for their flavor and with beautiful coloring. Her description of the wine as having “fresh herbs dazzle the nose. On the palate, this crisp and refreshing wine offers up a balanced blend of citrus pith, minerality, and hints of mild tea flavor”.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
My favorite from the tasting was their 2023 Petit Verdot “Star Rider” made with 100% Petit Verdot grapes. This is listed at $40/bottle and received my highest rating of the tastings. On the eyes a truly radiant purple and magenta in color, on the nose aromas of black fruits and plums with violets. On the palate, black fruits provided layers of enjoyment, depth and provocative thinking. On the finish the mellow earthiness of the AVA terroir finished off each satisfying sip.
They are working on a few other creative and unique wines that are available when visiting.
Bob and Jules were perhaps the most interesting, intelligent and creative people I met on the visit to Willcox AVA. While being a bit “out of the way”, the trip was rewarded in their wines and getting to know them. Look for this small winery to continue to make an impression and win awards.
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
2019 Aridus Syrah from Wilcox, Arizona
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
Right up front, most people don’t think of Arizona as a “winery state”! Turns out Arizona has over 159 wineries scattered throughout the state. Aridus is in southeastern Arizona in Willcox, about 85 miles east of Tucson in Cochise County. The town of Willcox has 14 different tasting rooms!
(Picture from City of Willcox)
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
It had been five months since I last tasted this wine which I keep stocked in the cellar. This Syrah came from two vineyards located next to each other on the Willcox Bench. This bottle is 100% Syrah. Only 220 cases were produced, and it sells for $60/bottle. A unique characteristic of this wine was that it was aged 30 months in French oak barrels, 73% second-fill French oak, and 27% neutral oak.
First on the eyes, a dark radiant and enticing purple/magenta hue. On the nose, lavender and blueberry waft into the senses. On the palate, raspberry, sweet vanilla and cinnamon bounce joyfully from side to side expressing fullness in the mouth. A hint of mocha and light roasted coffee are present on the enticing finish beckoning yet another sip. Lacking fruit, but still savory flavors. To say I was both pleasantly shocked and excited tasting this wine from Arizona is an understatement!
Typical well-balanced Syrah from the known regions of France, California, Chile, South Africa and Australia, but this wine from the lesser known Willcox, Arizona region was delightful.
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
This wine was pulled from the cellar to enjoy this evening with beef Teriyaki with sugar snow peas and green onions. Ingredients besides the tenderized flank steak cut into 2 to 3 inch-wide slices, were Teriyaki sauce, snow peas, minced fresh ginger, beef stock, dry sherry, ground Asian red chili pepper, stir fry oil, sliced white mushrooms, green onions sliced lengthwise and green onion cut into small pieces. This was a delicious Teriyaki dish. Accompanied by cauliflower rice sauteed in soy sauce with pre-cooked bacon pieces and green cut onions. A fresh salad with bacon was prepared. An excellent food and wine pairing with the spices and smokiness of the Syrah to stand up to the beef. The overall meal was an excellent food and wine pairing!
The Winery
Scott and Joan Dahmer founded Aridus Wine Company in 2012, just outside the city of Willcox. The name Aridus comes from the Latin word meaning “dry or arid”, most appropriate for most people’s idea of Arizona.
(Tasting room in Willcox. Picture from Aridus Wine Company)
The winery/crush facility and tasting room are located in two different locations in Willcox. They also have another tasting room in Scottsdale on Main Street. Their yearly production is approximately 2,500 cases. They have an amazing lineup of different varietals available: whites including Malvasia Bianca, Viognier, Chardonnay, Fume Blanc and Muscat. Reds include Merlot, Mourvèdre, Graciano, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Petite Verdot and Montepulciano, as well as several Rosés.
(Tasting room in Scottsdale. Picture from Aridus Wine Company)
The winemaker, Lisa Strid has produced wine for the last seven years at the winery. During this time, she has produced 183 wines from five different growing regions in Arizona, New Mexico and California. Since 2020, Aridus is now making wine exclusively from its estate vineyard.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://arizonawinesandwineries.com