Must-Try Jerome and Cottonwood Wineries in Arizona

I discovered the Cottonwood wineries and wine tasting rooms in Jerome, AZ on my last trip to Phoenix. Heck, I discovered wineries in Arizona during that trip. I had no idea that Arizona had a budding wine scene.

In fact, when I researched for my trip, I noticed no one else really knew about it either! The only things that were coming up were actual wineries. How was I supposed to choose the best wineries in Arizona without some expert opinions?!

So I decided to share my expert opinion on which Jerome and Cottonwood wineries to visit if you’re looking to go wine tasting near Sedona. You’ll find my Arizona wineries map, facts about this emerging wine destination, and which Cottonwood wineries and Jerome tasting rooms must be on your wine tasting itinerary. Let’s just say, there’s a lot of great wine in your future!

Must-Try Jerome and Cottonwood Wineries in Arizona

Old Town Cottonwood is a quaint shopping district near Sedona. I love visiting this area, but to be honest I didn’t love most of the tasting rooms I visited. Therefore this list includes wineries in the greater Sedona area including Jerome, Cornville, and Clarkdale just a short drive from Cottonwood.

Save this to Pinterest for later, as I’ll add more wineries near Sedona as I discover them!

D.A. Ranch

website | location: Cornville, AZ (get directions) | ambiance: a modern ranch

D.A. Ranch had the best ambiance of the wineries near Sedona I visited. It’s set on a large property with a pond, weeping willow, farm animals, and picturesque tree swing in front of a ranch house that has a wrap-around porch.

The ranch is where the tasting room is, but it’s actually a 2-level home that you can rent out for events. Upstairs there’s a game room with pool, foosball, a bar, and TV. There’s even a fire pit in back for making s’mores. Basically, this place is my jam.

I loved pretty much all the wines I tried at D.A. Ranch. This place is a super-small family production — they only produce about 1,000 cases a year! They have 8 acres where they grow all their own grapes, including some varietals you don’t see much in Washington, like tannat and seyval blanc.

D.A. Ranch has a great story. The ranch was originally purchased in the 1800s by a woman named Gertrude and her husband. They ran a cattle ranch and branded the animals with a big D.A. Unfortunately they divorced, but Gertrude kept the cattle ranch going. No one knew what the D.A. stood for, but the rumor is “divorce agreement”. 😂

In the 1950s the ranch was purchased and turned into a rodeo that they called Dancing Apache. It wasn’t until 2002 that the current owners, the Petznick family, purchased the ranch and started planting grapes. They were one of the first to start wine production in the area and even helped establish the viticulture studies in a local college.

If you only have a chance to visit a few of the Cottonwood wineries near Sedona, make sure this one is on your list!

Page Spring Cellars

website | location: Cornville, AZ (get directions) | ambiance: creekside vineyards with various nooks to explore

Page Spring Cellars is another winery in Cornville. There aren’t any sprawling fields like D.A. Ranch, but rather vineyards grown alongside a lively creek. You can choose to have your wine tasting in the tasting room or take a bottle to the various pockets along the property. There are tables scattered along the grounds leading toward a deck overlooking the creek.

I also liked pretty much all the wines we tried at Page Spring Cellars. They grow almost all of their own grapes at a few different vineyards in the area. In fact, one of the vineyards they co-own with the Petznick family of D.A. Ranch. This must be the reason that I loved both of their wines!

Page Spring Cellars is also one of the leading sustainable wineries in Arizona. All of their wineries are no-till, which means they avoid disturbing the soil so as not to release carbon. Instead they plant green cover crops and mow it, using the plant debris as compost to put back into the vineyard. They’re also powered mostly by solar and hope to be 100% solar powered soon.

The one down-side of their sustainability initiative? They only sell in Arizona, mostly out of their tasting room. So make sure to visit this winery near Sedona so you can try some of their wines!

Chateau Tumbleweed Winery

website | location: Clarkdale, AZ (get directions) | ambiance: isolated tasting room on a roundabout most people drive right by

Chateau Tumbleweed is just outside of downtown Cottonwood on the way to Jerome. It doesn’t have the grand grounds of Page Springs or D.A. Ranch, but it’s a quaint tasting room that reminds me of my aunt’s dining room mashed up with a sports bar. There’s also a patio to enjoy wine outside.

What it lacks in vineyard ambiance it makes up for in wine. This was my favorite winery near Sedona. The 2017 sangiovese and Cousin Idd wines I tries were dry and complex. I highly recommend trying these if they’re available during your visit.

I also love Chateau Tumbleweed’s story. It’s owned by 4 friends, 2 husband-and-wife teams. They started creating wines out of Four-Eight Wineworks, which is a winemaker cooperative near Cottonwood. However, they decided to break out on their own in 2014.

Each of the owners plays a different role for the business. One of the wives is an artist and creates all the labels for the wine bottles. I learned that every wine label has a theme, but it changes with each vintage. For example, the Willy wine always has a cowboy on the label but he’ll look different every year.

If you only have a chance to go to a few Cottonwood wineries, make sure this is on the list!

The Original Jerome Winery & Cellar 433

The Origina Jerome Winery: website | location: Jerome, AZ (get directions) | ambiance: tasting room overlooking the valley

Cellar 433: website | location: Cottonwood, AZ (get directions) | ambiance: moody noir glam tasting room

I went to a few wine tasting rooms in Jerome, AZ, but this one was the best of the bunch. It actually used to be the location of sister brand Cellar 433 when I visited, but it’s since moved to Old Town Cottonwood. Because the wines I tried were from that label, this is another great Cottonwood winery to visit!

What I loved about The Old Jerome Winery and Cellar 433 family of brands is that they serve rare grape varietals, all grown on their estate in Wilcox.

For example, they grow the symphony grape. Symphony is the only man-made grape in the US. It was created at the University of California and is a cross between muscat and grenache gris.

They also use the arinarnoa grape, which according to the tasting room manager is only grown in about 500 acres across the world.

Besides really different wines, they also have a gorgeous view of the valley below Jerome. There are large windows overlooking the landscape, which you should try to snag a table at if you can. They also participate in Jerome’s monthly art walk, so you can expect to see beautiful work from local artists lining the walls.

In general, Jerome is a really artsy town and worth a stop. It’s said to be a ghost town, which in traveler speak can mean touristville. While there are definitely tourists, the thing I appreciated about Jerome is that it really is a town of artists. All the shops sell local goods, not tchotchke from overseas. The Original Jerome Winery is the perfect tasting room to refuel before visiting the local shops and supporting the artists.

Information about wineries near Sedona

Now that we got which wineries in Cottonwood and Jerome to visit out of the way, equip yourself with more information to make the most of your trip.

About Arizona wine country

There are 3 regions in Arizona that grow grapes:

• The Verde Valley region in central Arizona near Sedona, where Cottonwood and Jerome are located.
• The Sonoita region in southern Arizona about an hour outside of Tucson and closest to the Mexico border. This was the first AVA in Arizona.
• The Wilcox region located in southern Arizona about 20 miles southeast of Tucson.

You can also find tasting rooms in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tucson, but these are the 3 areas where you’ll find vineyards.

Arizona overall is a relatively young wine region compared to other areas in the US. The state’s wine industry got its start in the 1980s after Dr. Gordon Dutt developed experimental vineyards through the University of Arizona to prove the feasibility of growing wine in the area. He went on to create the first licensed winery in Arizona, Sonoita Vineyards. Now there are about 120 wineries in Arizona!

You wouldn’t think there would be Arizona wineries because, you know, the desert, but it’s the desert climate that makes Arizona fit for growing grapes. The extreme swings in temperature from day to night, wind storms, and varied elevation make it surprising adept at growing grapes because vines produce the best grapes when stressed.

Where are the Jerome and Cottonwood wineries exactly?

Jerome and Cottonwood are towns about 2 – 2.5 hours north of Phoenix and 20-40 minutes west of Sedona. If you’re looking for wineries near Sedona, Cottonwood is closer, but the whole area near Sedona is dubbed the Verde Valley Wine Trail and has about 25 wineries.

What’s the difference between the areas?

The different areas have different ambiance, which may factor into your decision of which Arizona wineries to visit. For example, the wineries near Cornville, AZ (a town between Sedona and Cottonwood) have vast grounds and more of that vineyard feel. They aren’t technically in Cottonwood, but because they’re so close to Sedona many people still include them when talking about Cottonwood wineries.

Actual Cottonwood wineries offer more of a tasting room vibe along a quaint shopping street buzzing with boutiques and restaurants. I’m actually not a big fan of downtown Sedona because I find it touristy, so I prefer heading to this area for both wine tasting and shopping.

Jerome also offers tasting room vibes, but they’re dotted throughout an old historic mining town built on a mountain with beautiful valley views. It also has great shopping from local Arizona artists.

Can you ship wine?

All of the wineries I visited ship wine. However, they wouldn’t ship between April and September. That’s because most shipping companies won’t take the liability of shipping wine from Arizona during warmer months because of the likelihood that the wine will spoil. This also means that putting the wine in your own checked baggage likely isn’t a good idea.

So if being able to bring wine home is important to you, make sure to plan your trip during the winter months or order from them via their website after your visit.

More to do in Arizona

Here’s my Google Map of Arizona, including places to eat, drink, and explore in Phoenix, Sedona, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, and more. The cluster of pins in the middle of the map are the Jerome and Cottonwood wineries, but you’ll also find wineries pinned in Scottsdale if you’re looking for wine tasting near Phoenix, Arizona. I’ll add more pins to my Arizona wineries map as I visit the Grand Canyon State, so pin this guide for later!

My other Arizona travel guides

If you’re visiting Sedona and aren’t from Arizona, you’re likely flying through Phoenix. If you’ll be spending some time in the area, check out these resources:

• How to Spend One Day in Phoenix
• The Perfect Weekend in Scottsdale
• Unique Scottsdale Restaurants

Interested in visiting more wine regions?

Check out my guides to different Pacific Northwest wine regions!

• Willamette Valley Wineries in Oregon
• Eugene, Oregon Wineries
• Lake Chelan Wineries in Washington
• Walla Walla Wineries in Washington
• Leavenworth, WA Wineries
• Columbia Gorge Wineries
• Wine Tasting Rooms in Seattle
• Woodinville Wineries Near Seattle