The Verde Valley - Arizona's Wine Country

Emily Miner
Jun 22
3 min read

"Arizona's lure is not just in its deserts; its also in its mountains, rivers, and fascinating history." - Amelia Earhart.

What makes this region perfect for Wine Grapes?

The Verde Valley consists of Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Cornville, Clarkdale, Jerome, Lake Montezuma, McGuireville, Rimrock and even the infamous Sedona.

I learned that the Verde Valley would rival Napa Valley if during the prohibition they didn't cut so many vines. What makes this section of Arizona ideal for grapes is there is sufficient sources of groundwater for irrigation, the temperatures within the Verde Valley are well suited for growing warm climate grapes such as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Malvasia Bianca, and Viognier, and lastly, the ‘diurnal temperature swings". Which means daytime and night temperatures can exceed 30 degrees F variance. For example, it could be 90 degree during they day and 60 degrees at night. Which is a greater difference than found in any of the surrounding regions. Such a significant drop in nighttime temperatures delays grape ripening, lessens the respiration of acids, and increases phenolic development in the grapes.

Where I Stayed: Acoustic Cellars Lodge

Located only 20minutes from Sedona and an easy 2hr drive from Phoenix, lies Cornville, a town you probably have never heard of:

This was not just a hotel stay this was an entire experience!

Acoustic Cellars Lodge offers all inclusive weekends tailored to you with different activities every weekend including live music, pickleball, guided meditation, alpaca feeding, grape harvesting, grape stomping, outdoors games, star gazing, hot tub AND if that wasn't enough, the AZ Wine Crawler.

AZ Wine Crawler:

This is Acoustic Cellars Lodge's hop-on-hop-off bus tour that will take you around the valley to award winning vineyards for wine tasting. You have two options when booking this tour:

Private Wine Crawl Available Sunday Through Friday

They will pick you up and drop you off wherever you choose in Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Cornville, Rimrock, Camp Verde and Sedona. The private tour is five hours and the schedule is up to you, but we will help you plan (and make reservations). Bring your wine and sip in the bus while experiencing the Verde Valley safely! Stay at any stop longer or move to the next one. This is truly your wine day, your way!

Shared Saturday Wine Crawl Hop-on Hop-Off Tour - (The one I did)

The Hop-on Hop Off AZ Wine Crawler tour stops at each of the wineries every 45 minutes. Hop on our off at your leisure. Want more time to relax, stay at your favorite winery for an hour and a half or move on to the next one. Additional pick-up/drop-off locations available for $50 roundtrip.

Sample Hop-on Hop-Off Shared 4-Hour Experience Schedule:

11:00am -12:30 pm Departure Depending on Schedule from The Acoustic Cellars Lodge or The Tavern Hotel

These are the four wineries we visited but there 15 different wineries to chose from!

Page Springs
Javelina Leap
Cove Mesa
DA Ranch

My Honest Review:

This was the best way to experience the Verde Valley in my opinion! We learned about the rich history of the Verde Valley and the wine making process. Our hosts made us feel like VIPs. We didn't have to worry about arranging transporting or activities to fill our time, there was already so much to do! We partied along in the bus and each stop on the AZ Wine Crawler was beautiful and unique. I am amazed by how many awards each Vineyard had. The properties of each were gorgeous and perfect for a wedding or event. Acoustic Cellars Lodge could also be entirely rented out for a reception or family trip. This wine tour would be perfect for a bachelorette trip or girls trip! I would definitely go back for another girls trip!

They encouraged us to play along with the music and made us feel like family. We loved the animals that roam the property and the laid back vibe, peaceful vibes of the Valley. Before visiting, I thought Cornville was only a way to visit Sedona for cheap, (which it is) but you won't even want to plan makes to see Sedona if you visit. You'll have enough to do right here in Cornville!