Verde Valley

Sam Pillsbury Answers the Question: Why Arizona Wine?

Why Arizona wine? In 2000 -- the year I planted my first vineyard at the end of a lonely, dusty road in Cochise County, 12 miles south of Willcox -- one of the 10 Best 'How to Lose Money' jokes on Saturday Night Live was: Plant a Vineyard In Arizona. Arizona is all Sonoran Desert, obviously suicid ... More >>

Sam Pillsbury Spills on the Reason He Landed in Arizona, and Launches a Wine Column for Chow Bella

This week we introduce a new, occasional wine column by one of the best-known Arizona winemakers, Sam Pillsbury. Welcome to Spillsbury. When managing editor Amy Silverman asked me to write for Chow Bella and New Times, I had to stop and think how that was going to work. I think that will evolve. I ... More >>

Nobody's Tool: Maynard James Keenan Would Rather Talk About His Other Bands

Maynard James Keenan Discusses Donkey Punch the Night

Right now, there's a Tool fan angrily venting about the lack of a new Tool album in some dark corner of the Internet. Right now, Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan is most likely working on something other than a new Tool album. As detailed in this week's Phoenix New Times cover story, Keenan is a ... More >>

Up On The Sun's 12 Most Popular Phoenix Music Stories of 2012

Is this year over yet? Well, close enough. So in honor of 2012 we've dug through the past 12 months of stories looking for the greatest hits. Below you'll find the stories (minus most of the newsy stuff) that people clicked on each month. And if thousands of other people clicked on these stories, yo ... More >>

Lonely Planet Names Winecentric Verde Valley One of the Top 10 U.S. Travel Destinations for 2013

The Verde Valley -- encompassing Sedona, Jerome, Cottonwood, and Camp Verde -- is going to experience an influx of visitors in the next year because Lonely Planet just named the Arizona vacation spot as one of the Top 10 U.S. Travel Destinations for 2013. The big draw? Not only are the red rocks bea ... More >>

Chow Bella's Gift Guide for the Wine Lover

What? Not done with your holiday shopping? Yeah, neither are we. But we've been making lists -- and checking them twice -- and we've got some suggestions for the nice people on your list. Today, Chow Bella's Gift Guide for the wine lover. See also: - Chow Bella's Gift Guide for the Beer Lover - Cho ... More >>

Why Arizona?

Since the New Times is moving this column to coincide with the print edition, I thought I'd take a moment to re-introduce myself and give you a peek into why I've resided in Arizona for the past 17 years. It has a little to do with the glowing gray area between synchronicity and fate. By this I mean ... More >>

Maynard James Keenan: These Are The "End of Days"

See also: Maynard James Keenan: Up on the Sun's New Columnist See also: Maynard James Keenan (Puscifer, Tool, A Perfect Circle) on The Importance of Keeping It Local See also: Can Maynard James Keenan Put Arizona Wine on the Map? See also: New Film Queens of Country Has a Bizarre Vibe That Is Distin ... More >>

The Festival at The Farm and Kettle Chip Chicken in Today's Eater's Digest

www.mylifeasamrs.com​ Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Weekend Wine Hey Arizona wine lovers -- are you ready for the wine event of the season? This Saturday, November 19th join The Farm at South Mountain for the 3rd Annual Festival at the ... More >>

Blueberry Pinot Noir, Green Apple Riesling, White Chocolate Ale and Other Sips of the Kokopelli Wine Festival

"Going once....going twice...sold!" Kokopelli winemaker Dennis Minchella auctions off one of the 1,000,000th bottles.​We spent more time (okay, all of our time) sipping at grapes rather than crushing them over the weekend at the 10th Annual Kokopelli Krush, a wine festival put on by Kok ... More >>

Eric Steven Glomski, What Are You Listening To?

Eric Steven Glomski​Eric Steven Glomski The director of winemaking at Arizona Stronghold Vineyards is helping host a river trip in the Verde Valley Saturday, July 23, complete with lunch and a wine tasting. For more information, call (928) 639-3004. When you put your key in the ignition and turn ... More >>

Bottling Wine with Sam Pillsbury and Co.

Nicole Whittington and James Waldron​When I went up to the Verde Valley to bottle wine with winemakers Eric Glomski, Tim White and Sam Pillsubry, I kept hearing that "wine making isn't as romantic as everyone thinks." Maybe the guys were afraid that I would find the monotonous assembly of bottl ... More >>

Why Arizona Wine Isn't a Non Sequitur

Growing grapes and making wine in Arizona? Is that even possible? Better question: Is that even drinkable? If you've been around the block to Sonoita, Willcox and the Verde Valley, you know that the answer to both of those questions is an overwhelming affirmative... but if you're like us, we're stil ... More >>

Pavle Milic Pours His Heart Out at Ignite Phoenix 9

Photo courtesy of virtualwayfarer via FlickrIgnite Phoenix 9 happened a week ago, and we at Chow Bella are still aflame about the food-related topics discussed.  As food writers and lovers of fermented liquids, we were most excited about the presentations of Maureen Basenberg, founder of the A ... More >>

This Weekend: Pillsbury Wine Tasting Room Grand Opening

Meet winemaker Sam Pillsbury (above, center) and taste his new releases at this weekend's tasting room shindig.​Looking for a weekend road trip idea? I suggest a jaunt up to Cottonwood, where winemaker Sam Pillsbury is hosting a grand opening party for his new wine tasting room and gallery ... More >>

Sunday: Arizona Stronghold Tasting Room Grand Opening

​Vintner Eric Glomski's Page Springs Cellars winery and tasting room, as well as winemaker/rock star Maynard Keenan's Caduceus tasting room, are two great destinations for a Verde Valley road trip. Three is a better number though, so to complete the trifecta, Glomski and Keenan are ... More >>

Local Wine Wins at Whole Foods

Lauren GilgerVoters tasting the local wines on Saturday at the Arizona Wine Consumer Choice Awards at Whole Foods Market in Chandler.Move over, Napa. Arizona's young wine industry is currently undergoing a growth-spurt akin to a 12 year-old basketball player. For proof, see Michele Laudig's cover st ... More >>

State Recycling Programs in Trouble as Economic Slowdown Hits China

Jill McCutcheon, executive director of Sedona Recycles, says the current state of recycling is the biggest Catch-22 she's ever seen. The non-profit northern Arizona company's education division did a stellar job convincing state residents to drop off cardboard goods at 13 sites around the Verde Val ... More >>

Can Maynard James Keenan Put Arizona Wine on the Map?

Interview with the Busdriver

Solstice Retreat

The Arizona Corporation Commission appears poised to toss solar power into the shadows

Born Again

Business and environmentalists agreed for once, and a beautiful Arizona stream will return to us.

Teen Dispirit

Letters from the week of April 10–16, 2003

Lost Hearts

Arizona's organ donations are in trouble for a reason.

History Lessons

Yavapai children used to call themselves "dumb Indians." Now they know better.

Fair to Middlin'

State fair means music -- and the most toothless people you'll ever see

Revenge of the Verdes

Natives finally glean a few reparations for a legacy of genocide

Going to the Well Too Often

Should boom towns like Prescott let little things like water shortages keep them from growing?

North Forks

Park Rancher

How 84-year-old Paul Webb and a handful of cows have buffaloed the bureaucrats and trampled an Arizona national monument

From Dust to ... Golf?

Phelps Dodge wants to turn a dusty plain of toxic mine tailings into what it says is an environment-friendly golf course near the Verde River. No one can be sure whether the unprecedented plan will work. But that hasn't stopped anyone from fighting abo

Webb Design

The good, the bad and the boring of Del Webb's New River development

Flashes

WELCOME TO PRESCOTT, CALIFORNIAWEST COAST YUPPIES ARE MAKING EVERYBODY'S HOMETOWN TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ITS OWN RESIDENT