Southern Arizona’s wine grapes date back to the days of Father Kino and the Spanish Mission, but the history of modern wine growing stretches back over the past 50 years and is studied by a professor at the University of Arizona.

“It all started in the late 1970s when UA soil scientist Dr. Gordon Dutt wanted to help table grape farmers understand the problems they were having in Yuma and study wine grapes.” State is the only program that teaches viticulture and oenology within Southwest Wine Center at Yavapai College.

These early efforts were made in Tucson, where the biggest conclusion was that we needed more elevation and cooler temperatures. Dr. Dutt moved his experiments to Sonoita, others tried growing in the Wilcox area, and winemaking began in his two of his three AVA’s. Grape growers began growing in the Verde Valley in the 1990s.

Viticulture is concentrated in southern Arizona, but winemaking is often concentrated in the Verde Valley, according to Pierce, as is wine tourism. So the Southwest Wine Center was established in the area, but its students come from many different places.

“It’s not just here in Yavapai County. We’ve developed programs that cater to students who live in Phoenix, Tucson, or in some cases out of state. We even have students from Las Vegas,” Pierce said. “And all our students are adults. When people think of college, they think he’s 19 to he’s 21. Our average student age is he’s 49.”

Pearce said growth is also extending outside the AVA, including in Chino Valley and other locations in Yavapai County near Dewey/Humboldt and near Kingman. All of these regions provide some of the climate that accompanies the highlands, a key factor Arizona has to offer.

“When the sun sets in the desert, it gets cold because it is warm enough to put on a jacket. .”

He also said dry climates and well-drained soils provide good conditions for wine grape roots that “don’t like getting their feet wet.”