Arizona Wine for Summer Time: Page Springs Cellars Rose and Caduceus Anubis Red Blend with Fresh Apricot Salad and Burgers

Arizona Wine for Summer Time: Page Springs Cellars Rose and Caduceus Anubis Red Blend with Fresh Apricot Salad and Burgers

Weary traveler, calloused and soreTime and gravity followed you hereRest, my sister, and tell meAll about the ocean

Spoils and troubles, they burden you morePay them no mind, they matter no moreLeave them behind and show meAll about the ocean

Look in your eyesI’ve never seen the oceanNot like this one
What wine would you open after seven weeks of travel visiting vineyards in Tuscany, Romagna, Puglia, Umbria, and Austria with a few days each in Florence, Rome, and Vienna? A wine that says welcome back to the complexities and chaos that is today’s United States of America? A wine that speaks to the pleasures of being beside the cool Pacific Ocean again? A wine that pairs well with American summer fare like a fresh apricot feta salad with pecans and a burger? And jet lag?

That was my challenge.
I wanted a pair of American wines, a red and white or rose, that would go well with the menu.
And I found success with two wines from two wineries in the the Sedona area of Arizona, made by a pair of winemakers who also work together: Maynard James Keenan of Caduceus and Eric Glomskis of Page Springs Cellars. Grapes come from the Verde Valley AVA officially established in November of 2021, and located about 100 miles from Phoenix.
Unfamiliar with Arizona wine?
In the past 15 years, Arizona has added over 100 wineries: in 2010, there were only 45 bonded wineries but in 2020, there were 145 bonded winemaking locations. From 2012 to 2019, wine production has grown 160%.
So while you may not be familiar with Arizona wine now, it is definitely an up-and-coming wine region to watch.

2020 Page Springs Cellars Counoise Rose

2020 Page Springs Cellars Counoise Rose

ABV: 11.7%
SRP: $19
Grapes: Counoise

In 2003 Eric Glomski, founded Page Springs Cellars in the Verde Valley appellation of Arizona.

Appearance:  Golden apricot

Aroma: Apricot, white stone fruit, cherry, strawberry, damp sand, gravel, cinnamon, mint, very appealing,

Palate: Very smooth texturally, melon, a bit of acidity, cantelope, clean, cucumber,

Pairing: The bitter peppery greens brings out a nice sweetness and herbal characteristic in the wine, the apricot in the salad and the wine are very symbiotic, everything in the salad works very nicely with the wine. Surprisingly, the wine was refreshing with the burger!

2019 Caduceus, Anubis Red Table Wine

2019 Caduceus, Anubis Red Table Wine

ABV: 13.5%
SRP: $50 for current release
Grapes: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 20% Agliancico

In 1994, Maynard James Keenan moved to Arizona; ten years later he was growing grapes and making wine.

Appearance:  Dark and dense, cloudy, looks like prune juice, Dr. Pepper, very redish brown, pale garnet rim.

Aroma: Plum, bramble fruit, mulberry, sarsaparilla, cola, smells rich and fruity, green bean, pine,

Palate: Very tart and tangy, tart cherry and crabapple up front a bit of green bean and grass on the back end, grippy tannins, sour grass,

Pairing: The salad brings out black pepper notes in the wine, the salad has enough complexity and richness to stand up to the wine taming the tartness and softening the wine, the toasted nuts add rich umami that enhances the wine food experience. No surprise, this red blend was wonderful with both burgers— the rich complexity of the blend and the rich complexity of the burger worked well. I was surprised that the wine held on for a few more days but when I paired it with a rib eye steak it was still flavorful and a delicious pairing.

Arizona Wine for Summer Time: Page Springs Cellars Rose and Caduceus Anubis Red Blend with Fresh Apricot Salad and Burgers

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