So, I first heard about Carlson Creek Vineyard two years ago when I went to the biannual Willcox Wine Festival.
I was excited to see if anything had changed and taste their new creations.
CARLSON CREEK VINEYARD
A family-owned vineyard and winery, Carlson Creek Vineyard was established in 2008 in Willcox, Arizona and is now one of the largest vineyards in the state.
The 280-acre vineyard is located 4200 feet above sea level, similar in terroir to that of Rhone, France, allowing for the perfect balance of warm Arizona sun combined with crisp, cool evenings.
The result is a wine portfolio that is smooth and understated, yet approachable. Varietals include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Syrah, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Malbec, Rosé and Mourvedre, with Chenin Blanc and Merlot varietals being locally sourced.
THE STORY & SERVICE EXPERIENCE
I popped in to Carlson Creek Vineyard tasting room this week, and was greeted by their lovely host, Inge.
Shortly after, another guest, Vance, stopped in. It turns out, Vance is a 35 year old retired Navy lieutenant, who decided to spend a month going cross country on his bicycle tasting local wines.
Vance had already been to Texas, Washington, California, and several other states, and had quite a bit of interesting ideas about wines, wine tasting, and wine tasting rooms, so I picked his brain a little.
Since Vance is not returning to the wineries, his concept is a "one and done" style of reviewing; meaning he sets some parameters, and the winery gets one shot at making a good impression. His parameters included things like the atmosphere of the wine tasting room, including sitting/standing, the service, and of course, the wines.
I liked hearing about his review style, although, I could never be so absolute and hard-nosed, as it doesn't leave room for exceptions or improvements.
According to Vance's style, the review would be that the atmosphere was cute, but not impressive, the service was EXCEPTIONAL, as Inge is one of the coolest people I've met, and of course, the wines.
The selections were whites: Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and reds: Sangiovese, Mourvèdre, Rule of Three, Syrah.
Tastings were $10 for 5 pours, which is waved with the purchase of two bottles. I did both.
I tasted all of the whites and the Mourvèdre, and bought 2013 Rule of Three and 2014 Syrah.
I also tried their truffles set, which included Prickly Pear, Earl Gray Lavender, Mocha, and Simply Chocolate. $10. Yummy!
My grand total was approximately $100.
I learned quite a bit about local politics as well as wine tasting tips and references books I should read that Vance suggested.
It was fun socializing with people that find wine as interesting as I do, and I see I have a lot more to learn.
Also, I originally posted the review earlier, and the owner Robert Carlson brought the errors to my attention, which I immediately fixed. To my defense, my first error was based on Carlson Creek Vineyard's website being down, as was directed to another Carlson Vineyard.
I immediately made the corrections, and called their Scottsdale location to notify that I made the corrections., which turned out to be a blessing, because now I've seen photos of that location, and I'm eager to try it.
CONCLUSION
I like Carlson Creek Wine. I think the Wilcox tasting room is cute, but not flash.
Their Scottsdale location looks EXTREMELY high-end, and I can't wait to try that location too.
Both staff members I've interacted with bent over backwards to make my experience a good time.
The wines are fresh and bold.
It's definitely worth checking out.
4/5 RECOMMEND
OF NOTE
*Dirt parking out front.
*Two locations: Wilcox and Scottsdale
*Wine clubs available.
*For more information, check IG, FB, Twitter, their website carlsoncreek.com is down. read more