Dr.Desert Flower and I went out for a nice company sponsored Christmas dinner last Friday night, to a nice all organic, locally grown, sustainable restaurant called Quiessence in South Phoenix. The food was ok, cheese was great, service was slow (3 hours that easily could have been 90 minutes) but much to our my surprise and delight, the wine list included a 2007 Arizona Stronghold "Mangus". The blend of 43% Sangiovese, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Pfeffer, 3% Petite Sirah, made in SE Arizona, was delicious. Tool & A Perfect Circle lead man Maynard James Keenan and winemaker Eric Glomski are the driving force behind Stronghold, an expansion on Keenan's already established Caduceus Cellars, north of Phoenix (near Senator McCain's ranch in Page Springs). The Phoenix New Times had an excellent article on Keenan and his passion for wine: (from Page 4)
"Keenan turns grouchy when he talks about the music industry, and the expectations people put on him as a songwriter, as if his lyrics can heal them — let alone himself. "If these songs are so cathartic, then shouldn't I should be fat and happy now? If it doesn't help me and I don't move on, how is that gonna help you?"" ... "As soon as conversation turns back to wine, though, Keenan perks up, chatting about the free-run juice versus juice pressed from the grape skins, and how the characteristics of Arizona fruit are more European and acidic than Californian and fruity."
Keenan is indeed passionate about wine.
When Christopher gets here next week, we're going to drive up to Cornville and Jerome and go to a wine tasting up there, pick up a few bottles as well. Excellent stuff. I'm looking forward to it. And I thought Sedona was just for 'aging hippie liberal douches', crystal worshipers, naive vacationers with more money than sense, and vortex seekers. Who knew that just south of it, excellent wine is being made!
8 years ago
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