A Message from the President
“Times have changed dramatically as of late. Since we cannot meet face to face as a group for a while, we thought the easiest way for the Verde Valley Wine Consortium to communicate with our members would be to create a short newsletter. Keeping you all informed about the ongoing work of the VVWC is the goal. We will be getting back to hosting quarterly meetings face to face again soon. Stay Well, & Drink Local Wines”
Tom Schumacher, VVWC President
Wineries Welcome Go-Ahead to reopen Tasting Rooms with Restrictions
Wineries and Tasting Rooms will be reopening on differing schedules and with differing protocols. The VVWC recommends customers visit a winery’s website before planning a tasting outing. Social distancing, the safety and sanitary protocols are here to stay, so please be respectful of the establishments efforts to protect their employees and your health. Most wineries are delivering wines to your door, with curbside pickup available. For a links to all member wineries; verdevalleywine.org
Verde Valley Wine Trail, New Passport Maps
The updated Verde Valley Wine Trail Passport Maps are ready for pickup. If your establishments do not have any more passports or you would like to start carrying them, contact Kevin Grubb at Arizona Stronghold for delivery. Or you can pick them up at the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center on Cove Parkway in Cottonwood.
Consumers return their stamped passports for a chance to be selected for the Quarterly drawings for cool prizes donated by wineries and local businesses. Visit the Verde Valley Wine Trail website to see the passport winners.
The Event Trailer Has Arrived!
The VVWC Board has long dreamed of a trailer that we could use to for events, that would proudly display who we are, allow for easy set up and tear down, with a bit of storage and a way for us to dispense the wonderful wines we have to offer from our member wineries.
Earlier this year the VVWC was the recipient of a grant from the City of Cottonwood for $8,500 which we used to purchase the trailer. We will be festooning the trailer with logos and images soon. Thank You to the City of Cottonwood for making our dream come true!
VVWC New Website is Up & Running
The VVWC new and improved website has been launched! Now you can renew your membership online or become a new member. Link your business to our website, keep informed about upcoming events, become a volunteer. Support the Verde Valley Wine industry, become a member today. verdevalleywine.org
Sedona Winefest 2020 Canceled
The 2020 Sedona Winefest was set to be held in September. Due to COVID 19 uncertainties the Board of Directors for Sedona Fair Inc. had to make the tough
decision to cancel the event for the 2020 season.
Save the date for next year’s event
to be held on September 25th and 26th 2021.
The Proposed Verde Valley American Viticultural Area
The proposed AVA would cover some 130,000 acres within the Verde Valley (roughly 200 square miles) situated in Yavapai County, Arizona. It includes the communities of Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Jerome, Cornville, and Camp Verde. The Verde Valley AVA is defined by unique physical factors such as topography, soils, geology, and climate.
The public comment period is over, now we wait for the final ruling. Anyone’s guess as to when this might occur.
Here is a link to the AVA Map Explorer
To see Verde Valley, you will need to click the “Include proposed rules” box above the index list. Verde Valley will then appear in the index listing with (proposed) next to it, and the AVA boundary will appear in orange on the map. Clicking on either the name or the AVA, itself, will zoom to the proposed AVA and bring up a fact box about it.
