Arizona makes serious wine, and its best-known trail is two hours north of Phoenix: tasting rooms in Old Town Cottonwood, estates along Oak Creek and a mining town on a mountainside.
Updated October 2026 · 3 min read
Arizona wine surprises people. The state's vineyards sit at high elevation, where hot days and cool nights suit Rhône and Mediterranean grapes - Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo and Malvasia among them - and the best bottles hold their own with anything from the West Coast.
The Verde Valley, just south of Sedona, is the wine region closest to Phoenix, with a trail of tasting rooms and estates within a short drive of each other. It makes a superb day trip. It also makes a very good case for not driving yourself.
01 · Wine country
Main Street, CottonwoodAbout 1.75 hours from Phoenix
The easiest place to start: a walkable old main street with a cluster of tasting rooms, wine bars and restaurants, several of them run by the valley's own wineries. You can taste across a range of producers without getting back in the car.
Cornville, along Oak CreekAbout 20 min from Cottonwood
A quiet road along Oak Creek with a string of estate wineries, vineyard views and shady patios over the water. Long-established Page Springs Cellars is the best-known name here, with neighbors close enough to visit two or three in an afternoon.
Cleopatra Hill, above CottonwoodAbout 15 min from Cottonwood
The old copper town on the mountainside has tasting rooms of its own - including Caduceus Cellars - alongside its galleries and restaurants, with views across the whole valley. Late afternoon, as the light drops toward Sedona, is the best time to be up here.
Local tip: Jerome's streets are steep and parking is scarce. A drop-off at the top of town and a pickup at the bottom is the way to do it.
02 · Wine country
ClarkdaleHalf a day
A scenic train ride from Clarkdale through the red-walled Verde Canyon, past cliffs and river bends and through a long tunnel. Pair it with an afternoon of tastings.
Clarkdale45 min
The hilltop remains of a Sinagua pueblo overlooking the Verde River - a short, easy stop between Cottonwood and Jerome.
20 to 30 minutes awayAs long as you like
The red rocks are next door. Many guests start with a morning in Sedona and spend the afternoon tasting - see our Sedona day trip guide.
03 · Wine country
Southeast ArizonaAbout 3 hours
Rolling grasslands southeast of Tucson, home to Arizona's first officially recognized wine region, established in 1984. A good weekend paired with Tucson or Tombstone.
Southeast ArizonaAbout 3 hours
The high-desert region where the majority of Arizona's wine grapes are grown, with tasting rooms in the small town of Willcox and on the surrounding farms.
Good to know
Tasting room hours vary and some close early on weekdays, so check before you go - and book ahead for groups of six or more.
Good to know
A wine trail is a day of small pours that add up, followed by a two-hour drive home on a busy interstate. Arizona's impaired-driving laws are among the strictest in the country, and a designated driver misses the point of the day. That is exactly why wine country is one of our most-booked trips.
Getting there
Book us by the hour for the whole day: hotel pickup in Phoenix or Scottsdale, every tasting room on your list, room in the back for the cases you buy, and a quiet ride home. Sprinters suit groups of up to 14.
Good to know
Cottonwood, the center of the Verde Valley wine trail, is about 100 miles north of Phoenix, roughly one hour 45 minutes by car via Interstate 17.
Arizona is best known for Rhône and Mediterranean varieties that suit its high-elevation vineyards, including Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Tempranillo and Malvasia.
Spring and autumn have the most comfortable weather. Harvest usually runs from August into October, which is a lively time to visit.
Yes. Sedona is 20 to 30 minutes from Cottonwood and Page Springs, so a morning in Sedona and an afternoon of tastings is a popular plan.
Keep exploring
The route, the best stops, parking and passes, and a timed plan.
Read the guide Day tripsGrouped by drive time, from the Superstitions to the Grand Canyon.
Read the guide Date nightSunsets, dinners with a view, theater nights and sunrise balloon rides.
Read the guide Arizona guideGrand Canyon, Sedona, Monument Valley, Page, Jerome, Tucson and more.
Read the guideReserve
Tell us where you want to go and when. Dispatch confirms the car, the chauffeur and a fixed price before you pay.
