Setting: A long, wide deck, dotted with low tables and comfy chairs sports a wood-burning chimenia in the corner. Lovely. But the view? GORGEOUS. Sitting low on a mountain, the view of closely distant (can you picture that or is it a lousy description?) mountains is absolutely wonderful. It was perfect for this 65-degree sunny day. And in the summer when it's really hot hot hot in Tucson, it never goes much above 90 here (higher altitude than Tucson proper) and they have misters completely surrounding the seating area.
The Deal: Taste up to 6 wines for $7 including souvenir glass. My friend Sheila had a "Living Social" coupon, which included a 6-oz. glass of wine after the tasting for $2.00. They sell munchies (we had lentil chips and hummus) which was nice to clear the palate between tastings. We were told to bring a picnic or any food (cheese & crackers, anyone) the next time we came.
Wines: There were 14 offered, twelve of which were described on an easy-to-understand handout. Dry wines on the left, sweet wines on the right. Very helpful, and you can take notes on the handout and take it with you...and the handout includes pricing (which seemed very reasonable).
Personel & Service: There were two women serving everyone - and there were probably five or six groups of people being served throughout our visit. We never had to wait and we never felt rushed. Both women were extremely nice, helpful, and knowledgeable enough for me!
The Company: I went with two friends from Maine - all three of us teachers, one of us from Bar Harbor, one from Southwest Harbor, and one (me) from Northeast Harbor. A lot of history. Our kids went to MDIHS together. It was as close to a perfect afternoon as I've had in a long, long while.
This was a GREAT way to spend a Saturday afternoon. My sister is coming in May, and I can't wait to take her here, with a picnic basket of special snacks and a camera.....
Charron Vineyards website.
My choices:
from the "DRY" side:
Blanc De Noir - lite and dry, faintly sweet, but not enough for me
from the "SWEET" side:
Santa Rita Rose
*Tortolita Blanca (this was my full-glass choice, and the bottle I purchased) yup, sweet. yup, yummy
Golden White Merlot - had a bit of a different taste (they said it had a "nuance of sweet sherry or cognac)
Tempranillo Rose - a sweet blush
Rincon Red - the only red wine I had, and very sweet
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