Learn about Arizona's growing wine industry, the practices and challenges while tasting 10 locally produced wines at the Future of Arizona Wine workshop on Saturday, Feb. 22.
The workshop and seminar are scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Avenue, Tucson.
“This event is a little different than some of the other tastings that go on as this is more of a seminar and lecture that will discuss the environmental, social and cultural topics that relate to the wine industry,” said Arielle DeSoucey, wine educator, distributor and communications expert at Civil Wines.
Civil Wines is partnering with the Tucson Museum of Art to provide the public a chance to learn about the challenges and successes of Arizona's winemakers.
The Tucson Museum of Art hosts a series of artist workshops, and DeSoucey said the museum staff believes it’s important to bring different aspects of culture to the museum. “And so the museum had reached out to me in the summertime … they asked if I could come up with an idea for a seminar that could be hosted at the museum. My thought was because the Tucson Museum of Art is so inclusive and so important as an institution in our city, I wanted to bring it up a notch and explore what's going to happen to our wine industry,” she said.
Attendees can expect to taste locally produced wines, enjoy snacks like a charcuterie board and meet the winemakers after the presentation.
“As I present, I will be speaking to the history, the importance of those relevant cultural topics I mentioned earlier, which includes water, immigration, the economy, tourism and the cultural aspects of Arizona's wine culture,” DeSoucey said.
The event will feature a mix of up-and-coming winemakers and those with a long-standing Arizona winemaking tradition. “I wanted to feature those winemakers who may not have as much press around them or as much media attention around them,” DeSoucey said.
The attending winemakers are Emmett Rahn Oakes and Lily Christopher of Queen of Cups; Kylie Daniels of Meading Room; Torri Feutz of Vinostache; Rob Easter of Subversa; Kent Callaghan of Callaghan Vineyards; Lisa Wagenheim of Sonoran Wines; Michael Pierce of Bodega Pierce; and Timo Geis of Cactus Cru.
Pierce, she said, will discuss how it’s possible to study wine in an academic setting. He’ll feature one of his products as well.
The price to attend the workshop and seminar is $85 for non-members and $75 for museum members. “It includes a complimentary glass of wine at our reception, which will double as a meet and greet to the winemakers,” DeSoucey said.
An American Sign Language interpreter is available upon request up to two weeks before the lecture. To request this service, contact Isai Pacheco at [email protected] or 520-616-2699.
“I hope that attendees can understand that there is higher quality wine being produced in Arizona year after year,” DeSoucey said.
“I want everyone to know that the Arizona wine industry is incredibly important and connected to many other facets of our economy.”
Tickets are available through the Tucson Museum of Art website. The deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, Feb. 21, before noon.
The Future of Arizona Wine
WHEN: 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22
WHERE: Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Avenue, Tucson
COST: $85 non-members and $75 members
INFO: tucsonmuseumofart.org
