Posted by on May 13, 2017

As most of you know, I’m a huge fan of Arizona. I am a real native and have lived in the Phoenix-metro area my entire life. I’m not sorry about that, either.

The last five years, I have become more involved in the Arizona wine scene. People have differing opinions about it, but I assure them things are moving along nicely. My very first introduction to AZ wines was with Pillsbury Wines. Sam Pillsbury is a wonderful man and his wines are magnificent. I visit the tasting rooms in Cottonwood a few times a year. It’s a quick and easy getaway not far from the valley and I highly recommend it.

Old town Cottonwood.

If you’re planning a trip to Cottonwood anytime soon, here are some things to consider:

  • Accommodations: I recommend staying at the Iron Horse Inn in old town Cottonwood. I’ve stayed there several times and every time I check out, I book a room for the next visit. The rooms are small but charming. Everything is so thoughtfully placed, clean and the staff is very friendly and helpful.
  • Wine tasting: There are a lot of wine tasting opportunities in old town Cottonwood and other nearby areas. Here are a list of places to visit in no particular order:
    • Chateau Tumbleweed. I love their wines. They spread their wings fairly recently after outgrowing their space in the wine co-op in Clarkdale. Keep your eyes on them. They’re going places.
    • Arizona Stronghold. AZ Stronghold has been a long-time favorite. Their tasting room staff is knowledgeable and super fun. The patio is such a great place to hang out and drink wine.
    • Pillsbury Wines. This is my longest standing relationship with an Arizona wine. I highly recommend it.
    • Southwest Wine Center.

      View from the Southwest wine center tasting room.

      This is a tasting room located on the Yavapai College campus in Clarkdale. Their wines are made by the students there and are excellent (and affordable) quality wines. The tasting room facility is state-of-the-art and such a beautiful view!

    • Fire Mountain Wines. They recently changed winemakers and the wines they are currently producing are worth checking out!
    • The Oddity Wine Collective. They are located in Four Eight Wineworks, which is a winemaking co-op in downtown Clarkdale that used to be an old bank. Good wines and a fun place to hang out to try other small wines that are up and coming. PS- keep your eyes on them, too!
  • Things to do:
    • Hike the Jail Trail. The Jail Trail entrance is right off the old town strip, so it’s easy to find. The hike is fairly easy and connects to Dead Horse Ranch State park, which is amazing in itself if you don’t like wine or food.

      Verde River from the Jail Trail.

    • I recently took a kayaking trip with Clarkdale Kayak Co. It was awesome! The staff is laid back, knowledgeable and really helpful. I wasn’t worried about rapids since they strategically place staff members in areas that could be problematic. I highly recommend booking a trip with them!
  • Places to eat: PS- most places in Cottonwood can accommodate gluten-free diets.
    • Bocce. I love pizza. Bocce has an awesome patio and the food is so great!
    • Nic’s Italian. They have great specials, like half-off pasta on Sundays and $3.50 martinis on Mondays.
    • Crema. This is my all-time favorite breakfast place. They changed owners not too long ago, but kept most of my favorite menu items, like the red-chile crusted bacon. They have a shipping container style bar in the patio area. It’s a great place to cure your wine hangovers (hint, hint).
Posted in: Travel

Comments

  1. Things to do: Strawberry, Arizona – Jacy Smith - […] just occurred to me that it’s been three years since I posted my Things to do: Cottonwood, AZ edition.…

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