Todd and Kelly Bostock of Dos Cabezas WineWorks Share The Best Place For Post-Hike Picnics in Arizona

From now until we publish the 2016 edition of Best of Phoenix, New Times is naming 100 Tastemakers — members of our local culinary community who help shape the way we eat, drink, and think about food in Phoenix. Some you'll know, and for others, it'll be a first introduction, but each person on our list deserves a nod for helping make our city so delicious. Oh, and while you're here, be sure to check out our list of 100 Creatives.

65. Todd and Kelly Bostock of Dos Cabezas WineWorks

Arizona born and Phoenix raised, husband-and-wife team Todd and Kelly Bostock are the "co-WineWorkers" behind Dos Cabezas WineWorks in Sonoita in southeastern Arizona. The Sunnyslope High School alumni purchased the winery in 2006 along with Todd's parents, Paula and Frank Bostock, and have since turned it into one of Arizona's most recognizable labels.

Dos Cabezas wines are produced from vineyards started by pioneer Al Buhl in 1995, and have earned numerous awards, including two awards for Red Vinifera Wine at the Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition in 2015. Last year, the San Francisco Chronicle also named the couple among its 10 Winemakers to Watch and international wine critic Stuart Pigott included the Dos Cabezas 2013 Meskeoli among his five Riesling revelations of the year.

Recently, the Bostocks helped found the Arizona Vignerons Alliance to "promote authentic, quality Arizona wines." They're also partners in a new project, Garage-East, at the soon-to-open Barnone at Agritopia in Gilbert. At Garage-East the couple will help make wine and other fermented drinks. Kelly, Todd, and the couple's two sons currently live down the road from the family's Pronghorn vineyard in Sonoita. 

Today, they dish on the best place for post-hike picnics and the most memorable wine they've ever tried. 

Our go-to place for cottonwood-shaded, wine-soaked, riverside, post-hike picnics in Arizona is the San Pedro River just east of Sonoita – the last undammed desert river in the American Southwest where nearly 45 percent of the 900 total species of birds in North America visit at some point in their lives. It’s fun to dig into a mammoth picnic in the same spot where the Clovis people, regarded as the first human inhabitants to create a widespread culture in the New World, also chowed down … on actual mammoths.

The best-kept secret in Phoenix is the Valley’s agricultural backyard bounty. Our Valley kin manage to produce more delicious fruits, vegetables, herbs, eggs, and beef (yes, beef) in their Phoenix backyards than said kin can quickly consume … oftentimes this urban backyard harvest makes it way into the hands and onto the menus of Phoenix’s most talented cooks.

Three things most people don't know about Arizona wine country are: 1. The best Sonoita wines are as good as the best wines from anywhere else in the world. Evidence: Callaghan’s 2013 “Caitlin’s” brought home a double gold medal from this year’s San Francisco International Wine Competition. Dos Cabezas WineWorks’ 2009 “El Campo” was the first wine outside of California, Oregon, or Washington to be included in the San Francisco Chronicle’s Top 100 Wines in 2012 – both of these wines were grown in Sonoita. 2. As the frequent summer monsoon action paints the rolling hills here green, it also can make for daytime highs up to 30 degrees cooler than the Valley. 3. How quickly you can get to Sonoita from the Phoenix metro area … if you leave after breakfast, you’ll arrive at our tasting room door just as we open for business.

The most memorable wine we've ever tried was ... We have a solid handful of memorable wines, but in recent history, the 1989 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses. As is the case with all of our favorite wine memories, they include the trifecta of people, place, and wine. So for this one, we were in San Francisco eating epoisses burgers at the restaurant Heirloom with our good friends John and Keri Hall when we ordered this bottle of wine, and it all was perfectly memorable.

Our favorite getaway in Arizona is the southeast mountain adventures we find in the Santa Rita Mountains, Ramsey Canyon, Mt. Lemmon, and the Chiricahua National Monument because we love how, with a little effort towards adventure in our unique spot on the planet, you can quickly trade one beautiful high desert landscape for another and warmer temps for cooler temps.

The 2016 Tastemakers so far: 

100. Aaron Chamberlin of St. Francis and Phoenix Public Market Cafe
99. Ross Simon of Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour 
98. Debby Wolvos of DW Photography
97. Anibal and Salem Beyene of Café Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant 
96. Bo Mostow of Uptown Farmers Market
95. Julian Wright of Pedal Haus Brewery
94. Stephen Jones of The Larder + The Delta
93. Eric Glomski of Page Spring Cellars
92. Richard Bock of Giuseppe's on 28th
91. Walter Sterling of Ocotillo 
90. Daniel Sevilla of Angry Crab Shack
89. Doug Robson of Gallo Blanco and Otro Cafe
88. LaDawn Driscoll of Liberty Market
87. Jason Calhoon of The Shop Beer Co. and Side Kick Cold Brew
86. Tim and Kim Cobb of United Lunchadores Street Gourmet
85. Micah Olson of Bar Crudo and Okra Cookhouse and Cocktails 
84. Paola Embry of Christopher's + Crush and The Wrigley Mansion
83. Jared Porter of The Clever Koi
82. Diane Corieri of Evening Entertainment Group
81. Erich Schultz of Steadfast Farm Shares His Go-To Place For Beer That Tastes "Like Arizona"
80. Jeff and Leah Huss of Huss Brewing Company
79. Aaron Pool of Gadzooks Enchiladas and Soup
78. Diana Santospago of The Maine Lobster Lady food truck
77. Gio Osso of Virtu Honest Craft and Nico Heirloom Kitchen
76. Lauren Bailey of Upward Projects
75. Rodney Hu of Arizona Distilling Company and Yucca Tap Room 
74. Jacob Cutino of Homeboy's Hot Sauce
73. Country and Sergio Velador of Super Chunk Sweets and Treats
72. Dean Thomas of Cornish Pasty Co.
71. Jennifer Caraway of The Joy Bus
70. Scott Holmes of Little Miss BBQ
69. Jared Allen of Proof Artisan Breads
68. Steve McFate of McFate Brewing Company  
67. Mel Mecinas of Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North
66. Jessa and Dan Koppenhofer of Gilbert Farmers Market