Sip Swirl Sedona: 10 Stops on the Verde Valley Wine Trail

If you think Arizona is only about saguaro cactus and prickly pear margaritas, the Verde Valley Wine Trail is here to recalibrate your taste buds. Stretching between the communities of Sedona, Camp Verde, Cornville, Cottonwood, and Clarkdale, this trail winds through tasting rooms, boutique vineyards, and a viticultural history that’s as juicy as Chardonnay in September.

What is the Verde Valley Wine Trail?

The Verde Valley Wine Trail is a call to adventure, a celebration of the winemakers and vineyards that have literally and figuratively put Verde Valley and Arizona wines on the map, producing award-winning vintages with national and international acclaim.

The Verde Valley Wine Trail currently includes nearly 30 stops: vineyards and tasting rooms within a 45-minute drive of each other, all located within the 200-square-mile Verde Valley AVA and dedicated to producing Arizona wines. In this article, we visit 10 of them, but please consider them all when making your plans to visit. There are several wine tour companies based in Sedona that can manage the logistics for you – a fun way to keep your attention on simply enjoying great wines.

Now open your mind and join us as we uncork ten unforgettable stops along the Verde Valley Wine Trail, with an honorable mention to the legendary Henry Schuerman vineyard where it all began.

1. Old Town Cottonwood: Main Street, main pour

If the Verde Valley Wine Trail had a heartbeat, it would pulse right down Main Street in Old Town Cottonwood. Imagine a Western movie set, but instead of tumbleweeds and saloons, you’ve got art galleries, farm-to-table restaurants, and wine bars that stay open just late enough to let you try “one more flight.”

This is wine country’s urban core. Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Trattoria is on a mission to deliver a 100% Arizona experience to the community. Merkin, Arizona Stronghold, Rubrix Wines, and five more stops on the Wine Trail are within walking distance of each other – literally steps away. That’s the beauty of Old Town: its walkability. Just pace yourself; Cottonwood is like that friend who says, “just one more glass” and really means “five".

2. Arizona Stronghold Vineyards: Proud and bold

Continue your wine trail adventure with Arizona Stronghold, a pioneer in bringing Arizona wines to national attention. Their Cottonwood tasting room offers flights that range from approachable blends to cellar-worthy reds, each one reflecting the bold spirit of Arizona viticulture.

Stronghold’s mission is simple: prove that Arizona belongs on the global wine map. Spoiler alert: mission accomplished. Sip their Tazi white blend or their Dala Cabernet Sauvignon, and you’ll wonder why you ever doubted the desert.

3. Rubrix Wines Tasting Room: Connect with craft and community

Rubrix is a family-owned and operated affair, and they love to champion Arizona wines and the winemaking community. Their tasting room in Old Town Cottonwood is an inviting atmosphere meant to deliver a winetasting experience, a “journey through the diverse world of Arizona wines”, with a curated selection of flight boards designed to introduce you to a wide variety of flavors and varietals. House specialties include Roussanne, Mourvèdre and a broad selection of blends. Saunter in on a Friday or Saturday evening to enjoy live music.

4. Alcantara Vineyards: Where rivers and wines converge

Picture this: 87 acres of vineyard rolling down to the confluence of Oak Creek and the Verde River. Alcantara is one of the largest vineyards in the region, and it shows in their broad selection—over a dozen varietals that thrive in Arizona’s volcanic soil. Whether it’s Chardonnay, Syrah, Viognier, they’ve got a bottle with your name on it.

But Alcantara isn’t just about the wine; it’s about the experience. Kayak tours down the Verde River end with wine tastings, and their Tuscan-style chapel hosts weddings where vows and vintages are equally sacred.

5. Cove Mesa Vineyard Tasting Room: The center of the Verde Valley Wine Trail

A short drive from Cottonwood in charming Cornville, this family-run tasting room unfolds a laid-back wine-country vibe. The space blends rustic-chic indoors with a dog-friendly patio overlooking the Verde Valley—ideal for sipping a flight of award-winning old-world style wines while lingering in the shade. Cove Mesa Vineyard boasts dozens of regional and international Best-in-Class, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards.

Charcuterie boards, flatbread pizzas and lighter bites are on offer, making it easy to stay awhile. It’s casual, welcoming, and beautifully set in Northern Arizona’s wine country.

6. Page Springs Cellars: Creekside sipping meets community spirit

Page Springs Cellars feels like a bohemian hideaway where wine, art, and yoga mats coexist in harmony. Owner Eric Glomski, one of the architects of the Verde Valley AVA, believes wine should connect people to land, water, and each other—and he bottles that philosophy right into his Rhône-style blends.

The tasting room overlooks Oak Creek, and if you squint, you’ll half expect woodland fairies to flit between the sycamores. On weekends, there’s live music, farm-to-table bites, and enough community spirit to make you forget that you’re technically in the desert.

7. Oak Creek Vineyards & Winery: Laid-back luxury

Right across from Page Springs Cellars, Oak Creek Vineyards invites you to sip in style without any fuss. Their patio overlooks rolling vines, and their tasting flights range from crisp whites to peppery reds that embody the valley’s volcanic soil.

What sets Oak Creek Vineyards apart is the atmosphere: friendly, unhurried, and refreshingly unstuffy. Bring a picnic, grab a bottle of their Sauvignon Blanc, and make an afternoon of it. If wine trails sometimes feel like marathons, Oak Creek is the part where you stop, breathe, and remember that this is supposed to be fun.

8. Javelina Leap Vineyard: Big wines, wild name

Arizona may not have javelinas (technical name: collared peccary) leaping around its vineyards, but that hasn’t stopped Javelina Leap Vineyard from bottling bold flavors with a frontier spirit. Located on Page Springs Road, this winery specializes in robust reds that could stare down a steak without flinching.

The tasting room has a rustic, welcoming vibe, complete with barrel-lined walls and staff who speak fluent “wine nerd” but never in a pretentious way. It’s the kind of place where you can ask, “What’s the difference between jammy and fruity?” and walk away both educated and slightly buzzed.

9. DA Ranch: Heritage and history

The 360-acre DA Ranch was first established in 1876 and was home to the Delta Alpha cattle brand. In 2005, current owners the Petznick family planted Syrah grapevines and so began their Arizona winemaking journey. Over the years, more varieties were added including 100% estate-grown Petite Syrah, Seyval Blanc, Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Malvasia Blanca. Stop here to relax and enjoy the bucolic indoor-outdoor tasting experience.

10. Sedona: Red rocks and rosé all day

No Verde Valley wine tour is complete without Sedona, the mystical red-rock town where energy vortexes, crystal shops, and world-class hiking trails share real estate with sophisticated tasting rooms. Here, the terroir isn’t just soil and climate—it’s spiritual.

Sedona’s winetasting leans toward boutique, artisanal vibes. Try Winery 1912 in Uptown Sedona, which offers Arizona wines from the Dragoon Mountain Vineyards down south. Pair a glass of rosé with a sunset at Airport Mesa and you’ll understand why Sedona inspires poets, painters, and—thankfully—winemakers.

Pro tip: Sedona tasting rooms can be a bit more spread out, so think of them as intermissions between hikes, vortex visits, and spa appointments. Hydration is key, unless you want to discover your own personal vortex the hard way.

Bonus round: The Henry Schuerman Vineyard: Roots that still run deep

Every wine region has its pioneer, and for the Verde Valley, that pioneer was Henry Schuerman. In the late 19th century, Schuerman and his wife planted an apple orchard and 76 acres of zinfandel grapes along Oak Creek near Red Rock Crossing, creating Arizona’s first-known commercial winery. For 25 years, the Schuerman Winery supplied cowboys, loggers and miners from Jerome to Flagstaff with Red Rock Grape Wine.

While the original vineyard no longer operates, its legacy ripples through the Verde Valley AVA. The land where Schuerman grew his vines remains a symbol of possibility—proof that Arizona could grow grapes long before wine country chic ever reached the desert—and many modern winemakers nod to his legacy.

The Final Pour

The Verde Valley AVA isn’t just a wine region; it’s a revelation. It’s proof that great wines can grow in unexpected places, and that terroir is as much about spirit as it is about soil. From the historic legacy of Henry Schuerman to the modern artistry of Arizona’s winemakers, the Verde Valley Wine Trail invites you to sip, swirl, and stay awhile.

One last tip: Arizona wines pair very well with food, and many Sedona restaurants carry them in their cellars. Make sure to ask your server to recommend an Arizona wine and suggest complementary pairings with their favorite dishes.

So pack your curiosity, your hiking shoes, and a healthy dose of adventure. The Verde Valley is calling, and trust me—you’ll want to answer with a full glass.