Wine connoisseurs and aficionados alike have a new online tool for unearthing the vineyards, wineries and tasting rooms of Arizona’s burgeoning, multimillion dollar wine industry.

The new Arizona Wine Trails Map, created by the Arizona Experience team at the Arizona Geological Survey, is an interactive and mobile-friendly resource that opens the door to Arizona's unique wine culture.

"Arizona's wine experience is fast becoming one of our state's most popular tourism assets and contributes more than $40 million dollars to the state's economy," said Debbie Johnson, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism.  "The Arizona Wine Trails Map is a wonderful and innovative online tool that can help us further promote this authentic Arizona visitor experience."

The map includes 65 locations, capturing tasting opportunities in Arizona’s three winegrowing regions - Sonoita, Willcox, and the Verde Valley - and urban areas. Colorful icons illustrate whether a location is a tasting room, winery, vineyard, or all three attractions in one. Site popups provide hours, location, website URL, and a directions function that displays the most direct route.

An “Open Now” feature shows all businesses open in real time to facilitate Arizona wine enjoyment whenever the mood hits. 

Wine tourism is a growth industry in Arizona that entices guests and supports local ‘cottage industries’ such as restaurants and hotels. Arizona’s rugged climate and mineral-rich soil produces flavorful grapes and distinctive wines with a character as varied as the terrain.

Winemakers embrace innovation with unique varietals and blends, resulting in a spectrum of tastes from region to region and even vineyard to vineyard. Novice tasters and connoisseurs alike will appreciate the ease with which the Wine Trails Map helps them find a tasting room that suits their fancy. Both residents and visitors will delight in clear directions and easily marked routes to their destinations.

The Wine Trails map is hosted at the Arizona Experience “Arizona Wine Country” page and at the Arizona Office of Tourism’s VisitArizona.com site. The map is complemented by a brief story of Arizona’s wine country and a description of each of the three winegrowing regions.

This is the second interactive map produced by the Arizona Experience to promote agritourism in Arizona. The U Pick Farms Map, released in June 2014, showcases farms and orchards growing specialty crops – apples, honey, grapes, lemons, chili peppers, olives, sweet corn, pumpkins, and more - that allow the public to select their own fresh, locally grown produce.

 

Funds for this program provided by the Arizona Office of Agriculture.

 

About the Arizona ExperienceThe Arizona Experience is a product of the Arizona Geological Survey and over 300 partners in business, industry, agriculture, education and government. Each month over 21,000 people visit the pages of the Arizona Experience. Launched in 2012 to celebrate Arizona’s Centennial, the site has become a platform to showcase the best Arizona has to offer in cultural features, education, innovation, science, agriculture and landscapes.