Merkin Vineyards abruptly closes Scottsdale tasting room and restaurant

Merkin Vineyards, the winery owned by Tool frontman and Arizona winemaker Maynard James Keenan, has suddenly closed its Old Town Scottsdale tasting room and restaurant.

After five years of operating on a busy Stetson Drive in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, the establishment did not reach an agreement on its lease, according to a statement issued by Merkin’s public relations representative.

“Merkin Vineyards Old Town Scottsdale’s lease has ended and we are actively working to relocate the tasting room to a new site in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area,” the statement reads.

The statement encourages guests to visit Merkin’s other locations, located about a two-hour drive north in the Verde Valley.

At noon on Monday, about an hour after the posted opening time, phone calls to the Old Town location were not answered. The voicemail message gave no indication of the closure. However, neighboring businesses confirmed it was closed.

Merkin Old Town Scottsdale’s listing on Google also categorizes it as “Temporarily closed.”

In 2019, the location launched as a tasting room where customers could sample wines made by the Grammy Award-winning rock star, who helms both Merkin and Caduceus Cellars labels, as well as purchase bottles, shirts, wine paraphernalia and edible goods such as handcrafted pasta and gelato.

Over the years, the food offerings expanded from small plates to a full menu of pizzas, pastas, salads and other dishes made with local ingredients plus produce from the Keenan family farm.

Keenan celebrated his 60th birthday on April 17. Merkin Old Town Scottsdale invited guests to celebrate with pre-show wine tasting events on April 16 and 17, before his Sessanta Phoenix concerts.

It was a popular stop along the Scottsdale Wine Trail which is comprised of multiple Arizona winery tasting rooms.