For our tenth anniversary VinoDuo headed to Scottsdale, AZ for a long weekend of sun, heat (100+ degrees, but it's dry), and Mexican food. We figured we'd wash down our favorite cuisine with Pacifico or Negro Modelo (great Mexican beer) and call it a successful trip.  Who knew we'd discover two happenin' wine bars and, even more surprising, great Arizona wine?

Yes, there are wineries in all 50 states but I've never known a wine lover to make a pilgrimage to Idaho or Florida for the harvest. But after sampling wines from two regions of Arizona in Scottsdale restaurants and bars we vowed to visit the local wineries on our next trip.

For wine lovers not interested in the details of our travel and just want to cut to the chase, here's our favorite wine from the trip:

• '05 Fairview Crouchen Blanc blend, 'Goats Do Roam', Paarl Valley, South Africa
• '05 Dos Cabezas El Norte, Sonoita, AZ
• '04 Howell Mountain Winery Zinfandel, old vines, Howell Mountain, Napa
  
• '05 Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel, Sonoma County, CA
• '05 Freie Weingartner Gruner Veltliner, Wachau, Austria
  

Where We Stayed
Royal Palms Resort & Spa
Scottsdale is resort central; an oasis of high-profile hotels surrounded by fountains, spas, golf courses, and steak houses. We shied away from the large, glitzy resorts in favor of the 119-room Royal Palms, an elegant, quiet, and stunningly beautiful resort on Camelback Road.  (It's technically in Phoenix but you can almost spit and hit Scottsdale.)

Gary thought a decade of marriage was occasion enough to warrant a special room so he booked a casita—a lovely suite with four-poster bed, private patio, and a remote-controlled gas fireplace—to take the chill off those 90 degree evenings, no doubt. While we didn't spend much time in the room, it was a welcome retreat from all that eating, drinking, walking, and shopping.

We didn't eat at the hotel—very pricey and a little stuffy. So we settled into a daily routine of early morning walks (6 am) to Starbucks for breakfast. Located in the local Safeway, the store opened at 5 am to accommodate those seeking to beat the summer heat. The resort's spa was spacious, cool, and calming.  Lisa had a Watsu massage (Shiatsu in a warm pool of water—very odd but alluring). The pool area was too small for our taste so we didn't spend much time there, despite the heat.

We loved our stay at the Royal Palms and recommend it for anyone seeking a more intimate resort experience in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.

Where We Ate
Fusion Restaurant, Downtown Scottsdale
God bless the Internet and Zagat. We relied on both sources to find the right location for our anniversary dinner. Our demands are few—no chains; good wine list; chef-owned if possible. Fusion fit the bill in every way and we booked a table a few weeks prior to leaving for AZ.  Lisa told the fellow who took the reservation we were visiting from Boston for a special occasion and he obviously paid attention. When we took a seat at this small, chef-owned restaurant the menu cheerfully read "Hapy 10th Anniversary!" at the top. We were smitten.

Lisa ordered the Hoisin Marinated Breast of Duck ($21.95), served with Turkish apricot cous cous & crispy leeks. It was perfection. Moist, medium rare, flavorful, beautiful. Gary was tempted by all the chi-chi entrees but in the end went with the Gladiator ($13.95), an Australian Kobe beef burger topped with cheddar, caramelized jalapenos, onions, and red chili cheese sauce. "This is the best burger I ever had," he proclaimed.

The wine list was stocked with interesting, lesser-known wines from California, Washington, and the Southern Hemisphere. Our tastes diverged that night, though, so we each selected a glass of our choice. Gary chose Gravity Hills Tumbling Tractor Zinfandel 2002 Paso Robles ($9.00,) which lived up to its billing—an intense, peppery wine with silky body and deep berry flavors. Lisa chose the Jibe Pinot Noir 2004 Marlborough, New Zealand ($8.00.)  The quest for a great NZ Pinot continues, as the Jibe fell short of the renowned California and Oregon Pinots.

For dessert we shared an amazing Chocolate Creme Brulee that we still mention weeks after downing it in about 20 seconds.  Fusion jumps to the top of our great restaurant list and we'll certainly return—for the creme brulee if nothing else.

What (and where) We Drank

Kazimierz Wine Bar
What a find this place was. And we mean that in both the figurative and literal senses...it's located in a somewhat deserted part of downtown, on a side street, with no sign. But that didn't stop the intrepid VinoDuo from tracking it down. Twice. 

Dark but not forbidding, chic but not pretentious, Kazimierz has three distinct seating areas—loungy couches; leather-topped tables; and a proper bar. The darkly stained concrete floor and sandstone walls give off a very southwestern but not kitschy vibe. Sister to adjacent restaurants Sea Bar and Cowboy Ciao, the wine bar takes food seriously. Plenty of light snacks, tapas, and Egyptian flatbread pizzas.

As we settled in to a high-top table we scanned the voluminous wine list, which is organized by Bubbly, Reds, Whites, and dessert wines, and then ranked by price from low to high. The web site claims 2900 listings but no sane person would try to count them. Rather than blow our cash on a single bottle, we ordered from a list of smartly organized wine flights. Predictably, Lisa ordered white, Gary red. For dinner we chose the Tuscany flatbread pizza, ($10) with
buffalo mozzarella, roma tomato, basil, and olive oil.

Flight #1  A Sip of South Africa  ($12)

• '03 Weltevrede Gewurztraminer, Roberston Valley, South Africa
• '05 Long Mountain Chenin Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa
• '05 Fairview Crouchen Blanc blend, 'Goats Do Roam', Paarl Valley, South Africa

South African wine lacks the notoriety of Australia and New Zealand, but Lisa was anxious to explore this region from the comfort of her Kazbar chair. Sadly, it wasn't worth the trip. The hands-down worst of the three was the Chenin Blanc, which was thin, weak, tasteless. With the first few sips of the Gewurztraminer, Lisa had that sinking sense of deja vu. Also thin and weak. A ten minute wait worked wonders, though. It opened up beautifully and the last few tastes were lovely.

The winner, by a landslide, was the Goats Do Roam. The gimmicky name (rhymes with Cotes du Rhone) was off-putting but someone in the Paarl Valley really knows their wine.  A blend of Chenin Blanc (28%), Crouchen Blanc (20%), Semillon (19%), Viognier (17%) and Clairette Blanche (16%), it had a full, fruity aroma with hints of apricot and a little grassiness to please this Sauvignon Blanc lover. Unlike the other two, this SA wine was not thin or weak. It was medium-bodied, refreshing, and fun to drink.

Flight #2  Local Flavor  ($18)

• '05 Dos Cabezas red blend, El Norte, Sonoita, AZ
• '03 Echo Canyon red blend, Sedonatage, Sedona AZ
• '03 Callaghan Petite Verdot/Cabernet Sauvignon, Buena Suerte Cuvee, Chochise County, AZ
  

This is where the surprises began. Three Arizona wines, each one a winner but the Dos Cabezas was by far the best in show. Gary's tasting notes for this rich blend (Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah & Petite Sirah) start with "great nose, vanilla" and end with "find this wine!"  In between he commented on the white chocolate (winery says it's more like caramel, but what do they know?)  and big fruit flavors. A great example of an American winery improving on an Australian-style GSM. 

We were so taken with the Dos Cabezas we persuaded the sommelier at the Kazbar to sell us two bottles. At $33 bucks a pop we were loathe to buy more. But we wanted more. The solution? Call the winery in Sonoita and buy at the more reasonable $20 producer-direct price. As luck would have it, winemaker Todd Bostock answered the phone and readily agreed to sell us 6 more bottles.  Sonoita was a 2+ hour drive from Scottsdale so we asked to have it shipped.  "Nonsense," said Todd.  "I'll have someone drive it up to your hotel."  And he did. Try doing that with Mondavi!

The Echo Canyon reminded us of an old gentleman's smoking club—tobacco and leather on the nose, dark berries on the palate and a dry finish.  The web site says it celebrates the "unique terror of Arizona."  That is not a typo on VinoDuo's part.  Of course, Arizona is a red state—maybe that's the terrifying part.   Echo Canyon was recently touted by the Wall Street Journal in its article on "wine tourism," and deservedly so.  An excellent wine.

Callaghan Vineyards is located near Dos Cabezas in the Sonoita region. Which I guess means it has the same "terror" as El Norte. But these are two very different wines. A 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot the Buena Suerte cuvee is dark, spicy, earthy. The leather/tobacco combo we tasted in the Echo Canyon shows up here too, with hints of chocolate. A very big wine.

Flight #3  Dip Into Down Under     $16

• '03 Leeuwin Riesling, Artists Series, Margaret River, Australia
• '06 Dog Point Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
• '04 Torbreck Semillon Woodcutter's White, Barossa, Australia

We returned to Kazimierz wine bar the next night to check out some more flights. Still not willing to spread her wings, Lisa stuck with white, this time choosing the more familiar New Zealand/Australia axis. Clearly, she's got to break out of her mold.  These three whites ranged from awful to ordinary.  "Smells like a skunk" was the most charitable note for the Riesling. "Typical Marlborough SB" was the best she could muster for the Dog Point (big surprise—green apple and mown hay on the nose; citrus on the palate.) The Torbreck had some nice melon overtones but was hardly memorable.  A disappointing flight...

Flight #4  Staff Favorite USA      $24

• '05 Foris Pinot Noir, Rogue Valley, Oregon
• '02 Northstar Merlot, Columbai Valley, Washington
• '04 Howell Mountain Winery Zinfandel, old vines, Howell Mountain

It's always risky going with staff favorites—who are these people, what are their tastes, and what's in it for the bar to sell them? On this flight, the staff was 2 for 3. Gary found the Pinot "nice on the nose but the flavors didn't mesh...some granite, maybe a chemical finish." He deemed it unfulfilling. The Merlot was silky smooth, with aromas of leather and smoke (Lisa also picked up coconut and licorice) and a taste of stewed cherries.

The Howell Mountain was a delightful find. We're picky about Zin; it has to strike a balance between dull and fruit bomb, which this does. The winery only produces Zin and Cab and clearly puts its focus to good use. Bright flavors, some spiciness, and a satisfying finish.


Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar


We bid the Kazbar adieu and set out the next night to Tapino. Located in a strip mall a good 6 miles outside of downtown Scottsdale, Tapino was more Miami Beach than southwestern desert. Sleek, stylish, cool, with an outdoor lounge (above) for lolling away a hot summer afternoon.  We asked to be seated in the lounge and ordered a few tapas: petite lobster corndogs, eggplant canneloni, and some cheese and crackers. The wine flights have oh so clever names but the selections were smart and serious.

Flight #1   Big Bad Berry Blast  $28

• Tikal Patriota Malbec/Bonarda 2005 (Mendoza, Argentina)
• Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel 2005 (Sonoma County, CA)
• Fetish "The Watcher" Shiraz (Barossa Valley, Australia)
• Rosenblum Heritage Clones Petite Syrah 2005 (San Francisco Bay, CA)

Not one to mintz words, Gary asked about the Shiraz, "Is this really from Barossa or is it an imposter?  Not a quality Barossa." He knows from whence he speaks, having tried more Shiraz from that region then anyone we know.  The Rosenblum was also quickly dispatched. "Rosenblum has turned into a wine factory. it's on every shelf in every store.  Too bad...it should stick to intense Zins, where it excels."

The Argentinian wine faired better. "A well-made blend, with tons of fruit." Dark, luscious berries mingled with oak and some spice; also a hint of vanilla. While we wouldn't rush out to buy it again, it was a pleasant taste. The outstanding selection was the Ridge Zin (it's actually a blend of 74% Zin and assorted other varietals.)  "Ridge never fails to satisfy," Gary's notes read. Silky and delicious; a spicy nose with vanilla and some oak; a mouthful of berries. It's got a few good years left to age, too. We can't wait to try it again in '09.

Flight #2   Delicate Cycle Whites   $21

• Freie Weingartner Gruner Veltliner 2005 (Wachau, Austria)
  
• Lungarroti Pino Grigio 2004 (Umbria, Italy)
• Honig Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Napa Valley, CA)
• J. Wilkes Bien Nacido Pinot Blanc 2005 (Santa Barbara County, CA)
  

Let's cut to the chase...the only wine worth drinking in this flight is the Gruner Veltliner. Lisa should have known better. California can't make a good Sauvignon Blanc (with one or two exceptions.) No way of predicting the Italian or Santa Barbara entries but they were equally bland and boring.  The Austrian was a peach, though.  Honeysuckle on the nose, crisp, clean, minerally—almost like a good Sauvignon Blanc. GV is the wine du jour in many wine by the glass lists and it's easy to see why. Very approachable and drinkable.

We left Tapino happily sated on the lobster corndogs and a few prime tastings.  While the wine wasn't as memorable as the setting or food, we look forward to a return trip.

One More Wine!
Before leaving Scottsdale we scoured the wine shops for any additional local product.  Happily we found another Dos Cabezas offering, the 2003 Dos Cabezas, La Montana (Sirah, merlot)  $30.  Last night, as part of the rigorous research VinoDuo does for every post we opened the Montaña. According to winemaker Todd Bostock, the 75% Sirah, 25% Merlot vines "yield a small amount of tiny, black, concentrated fruit."

We were struck by the deep dark color and incredible aroma, with licorice and leather.  The flavor is complex and hits you over the head...plums and other dark fruit, vanilla, with a silky, long finish.  We're loving this wine and plan on giving Todd a call to round up some more for the home cellar.