We just wanted to let our readers know that one of Arizona's oldest wineries,Arizona Vineyards, was destroyed by arson on June 5th. Here is the complete story from Wines & Vines. The winery had been owned and operated since 1984 by Tino Ocheltree. Apparently a nomadic neighbor entered the property while Ocheltree was setting up for a party and poured gasoline on the structure and set it ablaze. Ocheltree and his companions were able to capture the criminal. He had just finished bottling his 2008 vintage, 3,000 cases, which were lost in the blaze as well as all his winery equipment and wine making memorabilia.
Ironically Arizona Vineyards does not grow grapes, so Ocheltree can not fall back on sourcing grapes while he rebuilds the winery. He has created a tax-free foundation to accept donations. To learn more, call him at (520) 313-0226 or e-mail delfinjuly@yahoo.com.
I just found a bottle of 1988 White Burgundy that I got from Arizona Vineyards. I brought it back home when my station changed from Ft. Huachuca to Ft. Bragg. My parents were going through their pantry and we found the bottle. That prompted me to go online to show them where I got it. This put a sad spin on the story for me. I will definitely make it a special occasion when I finally pop the cork.
ReplyDeleteJust found out about the fire. I discovered White Burgundy and Apache Red back in the 1980's. I love them still, even after living in Europe for several years and travelling extensively through the wine regions of France. Please do rebuild.
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