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Posts tagged Arizona Stronghold Wines

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April 22, 2012. Jerome, AZ. Caduceus Cellars Tasting Room. When I first saw the description for the movie Blood Into Wine, I was skeptical. I thought it would be good for a laugh. Oh, how wrong I was. Not only do I have incredible respect for Maynard for leaping in with both feet to viticultural pioneering, but also for his amazing wines. Those of you who know me will know my penchant for reds. Recently, I have found a new appreciation for whites and an absolute and downright attraction to Rosé’s. There is something about the subtle seduction of a well rounded rosé as it blooms in your mouth…warming you on a very visceral level. I can imagine my fingers digging into the earth, standing in the middle of desert ruins feeling the breeze wash over me and staring up at the beautiful clouds in the azure sky. Caduceus Cellars tasting room is located directly in the middle of this fantasy. Simple, understated and quite lovely. A pine bar was the primary feature of the room, with several fixtures holding wines from both Merkin and Caduceus. A large selection of t-shirts, sweatshirts and kids clothes lines the wall opposite the bar, along with recycled bottles re-purposed to drinking glasses, cheese trays and lanterns which not only make cool chock keys but also help to reduce the winery’s carbon footprint while keeping consistent marketing. Now, the tasting. You can choose the Merkin flight of 5 wines or the Caduceus flight of 4. Merkin is the lower end line of wines, what you will find at Whole Foods. Caduceus is Maynard’s signature line and you can only buy it online or at the tasting room in Jerome. I chose the Caduceus flight. We’re here, I’m going all in! These wines did not disappoint - as different in personality as women and just as seductive. My favorites were the Caduceus Lei Li, a Rosé which tasted like summer in a bottle and the Premier Paso 2010, a dark, rich, velvety and full bodied red with lots of depth and a good tannin structure. After our tasting we spent another good 30 minutes just poking around the shop, chatting with other customers and generally having a great time. Along with my 2 bottles of wine, I ended up taking home one of the recycled wine bottles that was made into a tumbler. A completely amazing trip. I can’t wait to go back!

April 22, 2012. Jerome, AZ. Caduceus Cellars Tasting Room.

When I first saw the description for the movie Blood Into Wine, I was skeptical. I thought it would be good for a laugh. Oh, how wrong I was. Not only do I have incredible respect for Maynard for leaping in with both feet to viticultural pioneering, but also for his amazing wines.

Those of you who know me will know my penchant for reds. Recently, I have found a new appreciation for whites and an absolute and downright attraction to Rosé’s. There is something about the subtle seduction of a well rounded rosé as it blooms in your mouth…warming you on a very visceral level. I can imagine my fingers digging into the earth, standing in the middle of desert ruins feeling the breeze wash over me and staring up at the beautiful clouds in the azure sky.

Caduceus Cellars tasting room is located directly in the middle of this fantasy. Simple, understated and quite lovely. A pine bar was the primary feature of the room, with several fixtures holding wines from both Merkin and Caduceus. A large selection of t-shirts, sweatshirts and kids clothes lines the wall opposite the bar, along with recycled bottles re-purposed to drinking glasses, cheese trays and lanterns which not only make cool chock keys but also help to reduce the winery’s carbon footprint while keeping consistent marketing.

Now, the tasting. You can choose the Merkin flight of 5 wines or the Caduceus flight of 4. Merkin is the lower end line of wines, what you will find at Whole Foods. Caduceus is Maynard’s signature line and you can only buy it online or at the tasting room in Jerome. I chose the Caduceus flight. We’re here, I’m going all in!

These wines did not disappoint - as different in personality as women and just as seductive. My favorites were the Caduceus Lei Li, a Rosé which tasted like summer in a bottle and the Premier Paso 2010, a dark, rich, velvety and full bodied red with lots of depth and a good tannin structure.

After our tasting we spent another good 30 minutes just poking around the shop, chatting with other customers and generally having a great time. Along with my 2 bottles of wine, I ended up taking home one of the recycled wine bottles that was made into a tumbler.

A completely amazing trip. I can’t wait to go back!

Filed under Arizona Stronghold Wines Arizona Wine Tool Maynard Keenan road trip wine tasting