Arizona Wineries
Birds and Barrels Vineyards 2021 Malbec and Nebraska Ribeye Steak
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
Having just recently moved to Arizona and continuing to publish on California Wines and Wineries, I started a new website called Arizona Wines and Wineries. I am only beginning to become acquainted with the wine industry and wineries in Arizona. So far, I have had the opportunity to taste about a dozen wines. Birds and Barrels Vineyards was recommended by a new friend here is Arizona. I called the owners to see where I might pick up a bottle locally in the Phoenix area as they are in southwest Arizona in Willcox. Drove to a specific local market and picked up this bottle.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes, this wine possesses a dark and royal purple color showing the pedigree of the Malbec grape. On the nose, fresh violets waft gently from the glass to awaken the senses. On the palate, black plum, black cherry are dominant with secondary flavor of blueberry. The blueberry provides a lush, smooth and a modicum of semi-sweet finish. The tannins were a bit perplexing in that they were both noticeably present and yet rounded with smoothness. This wine comes in at 14.8% alcohol.
The wine is 100% estate grapes with only 42 cases being produced. For the 2021 vintage they switched up the barrel treatment to neutral French and Hungarian oak, being 9-12 years old. The remarkable fact is that this wine gracefully aged in barrel for 42 months!
If this is the quality of their overall winery, I can’t wait to visit to taste their other wines.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired with a beautiful Nebraska ribeye steak picked up at a local butcher shop. Seasoned with Applewood smoked salt, mesquite seasoning and roasted garlic powder. Then seared at 1500 degrees on the BBQ on the outside and to a perfect medium-rare on the inside. Accompanied by small red potatoes seasoned with Gouda cheese and a fresh salad of sauteed cut tomatoes, broccoli and purple onions.
An excellent wine and food pairing as the wine surrounding each bite providing just enough tannins to cut through the beef and the fruit calming the BBQ flavors.
The Winery
I will be meeting with the owners later in September, but I have gleamed some information on their website and additional AVA information. Chad and Monica Preston began Birds and Barrels in 2015. Their approach was simply to craft artisan wines with a minimal intrusion of mechanical equipment often used in mass production.
Map courtesy of https://ontheworldmap.com/usa/state/arizona/
They are located in the Willcox AVA which produces approximately 75% to 80% of the state’s wine grapes. The region sits in both Cochise and Graham counties covering a large 833 square miles! Elevations within the region range from 4,000 to 5,500 feet above sea level. The Birds and Barrels Vineyard is located at 4,300 feet elevation on the Willcox bench. One of the key traits of the area is the enormous diurnal temperature swings of 30 to 50 degrees. These nighttime temperatures drop stress the grape skins in a positive manner, stimulating the production of anthocyanins (color compounds) and preserving volatile aromatics that would be destroyed by continuous heat. Having warm temperatures in the day allows the grapes to ripen completely and accumulate sugars. The cool temperature from open nighttime skies allowing the heat to escape the vineyards. Cold air also flows down from the surrounding mountain ranges of Chiricahua and Dragoon mountains to pool in the valley floor.
Currently they list the following wines on their website most coming from the Willcox AVA: Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah Rosé, Vino Biano Chardonnay, Riesling, Tempranillo, Pinotage, SBR Tannat, Grenache, a few blends and an uncommon Petit Manseng and several others. Noted were two wines not using grapes from Willcox, those being their Dolcissimo (Symphony grape from Lodi, Calif), Bolle sparkling wine (from Lodi, Calif),
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com