Vineyards and Vistas

We took a trip south to the Sonoita/Elgin area the other day. The plan originally was to drive south through Sonoita and on southwest to Patagonia to see Patagonia lake, then head further south to Nogales at the international border. However, the day before our friends from here in Saguaro Cliffs, David and Lauren, called to tell us about a new winery of which they had heard recently and asked if we wanted to take a trip to check it out. So we said sure!

This winery, Charron Vineyards, is not too far from Tucson, approximately 36 miles and about halfway to the Sonoita/Elgin area wine region, so we stopped by there first before heading on further south. They had just finished bringing in their merlot grapes when we arrived and were in the process of pressing the juice using the small batch equipment they had on premise. What is interesting about this winery is that they are at a low enough elevation to be considered firmly within the Sonoran desert ecology. It seemed very odd to be driving through groves and groves of Ocotillo and prickly pear then suddenly come across a four acre vineyard. Their elevation is at 4200 feet, the higher end of the Sonoran desert eco-system, and they have planted Merlot and Cab-Franc and seem to be having pretty good luck. They make a White Merlot (and it's white, not pink) and a Blanc De Noirs from their own grapes that are quite good and they buy juice to make a California Merlot (red) as well as a Syrah.

Looking southwest across the hilltop vineyards at Charron. Up until, and depending on, the monsoon they irrigate regularly. The soil on this area contains a large amount of limestone, which is why there is such a dense growth of Ocotillo. It was humid this day and at noon the columns of cumulus that would eventually become thunderstorms were already starting to build.

We then drove on south another 25 miles to Lightening Ridge Cellars and, the weather seemed to reflect the name of the winery very well. The Elgin region is high desert savanna and you can see many miles across the high plain. As we dropped onto the plain from the north the weather in the south worsened and more than once it felt like we should be driving in the opposite direction. Lightening Ridge produces a number of Italian style wines using Italian grape varietals. They grow small blocks of Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano, Primitivo, Malvasia and Muscat Canelli from which they make their estate bottled wines. We left with two bottles in hand and as we drove away from the winery the sky to the distant west was almost black and lightning strikes were plentiful. During the 15 minute drive the village of Sonoita the rain picked up a little but was nothing terrible. Besides, it was a warm 80 to 85 degrees out.

We stopped at a little café for lunch before heading back to Tucson. The drive back provided us with great vistas of thunder storms moving slowly in the distance and constant rain that varied from sprinkles to downpours. At one point on Interstate 10, where the speed limit is 75, a storm cell opened up and dropped so much rain that traffic slowed to 45. Thank goodness for the human self-preservation instinct!

Looking northeast towards the Wetstone Mountains from the front of Lightning Ridge Winery. By now large portions of the landscape were blotted out with shadows from the building thunderheads. To the west about 15 or so miles it was charcoal grey, with sheets of rain, rolling thunder and much lightning.

The trip was enjoyable for many reasons but exploring two wineries for the first time and seeing the desert get a huge dose of rain were the highlight. The vast expanse of this place always impresses upon me just how small I am. The immenseness of this region is beautiful and this trip provided yet a new and different view of the landscape. There were the colors of the land lit by columns of sun breaking through the emptiness around the storm cells, and there were moving walls of water a mile high drifting ghostly and boundless across the enormous and distant valleys. We had not covered such distance during a day of monsoon storms before, it was rewarding in its beauty.

I often forget, as I move mechanically through my daily routine, just why we moved here to the desert southwest, even though my morning commute from the outskirts is replete with its own beautiful and changing panoramas. I needn’t go far, however, to refresh my view that this place, with its occasional harsh extremes, is lush with a hardened splendor that is very unique to this part of the world.

Yours truly and the Lightning Ridge mascot. One of the few dogs I've met that can look me straight in the eye without hardly raising its head.