Wine Country…in Arizona? Surprising perhaps but true: Arizona is one of the fastest growing wine regions in the US, with not one, but three wine producing regions that are recognized as AVAs (American Viticulture Area). Well north of Phoenix, not far from Sedona, is the Verde Valley AVA. The other two are in the southern portion of the state, Willcox AVA, east of Tucson and Sonoita AVA, south of Tucson. Our travels took us to Sonoita, where we visited Los Milics Vineyards, an ambitious newer winery that is appealing on a number of levels.

Los Milics was established by Mo Garfinkle and Pavle Milic in 2018. Pavle Milic is one of the owners of the terrific FnB restaurant in Scottsdale, where Mo Garfinkle was a regular patron. With wine industry experience gained by working in the Napa Valley, Milic had a long-term plan to establish an Arizona vineyard; the partnership with Garfinkle accelerated the timetable on that plan.

Los Milics is an easy and scenic one and half hour drive from Tucson. Framed by the beautiful Mustang Mountains, the winery main building is designed by Chen + Suchart Studio, based in Scottsdale. Modern and minimalist, the building uses monolithic COR-TEN steel structures to great effect. The long, dramatic entranceway feels like walking through a Richard Serra sculpture. Inside, the tasting room is warm and comfortable. A full menu of expertly made small and large plates is offered, we enjoyed everything we ordered. Suffice it to say the wines are excellent and interesting, often incorporating grape varieties that are not widely cultivated (we aren’t wine experts, but Marsanne, Carignan and Petit Manseng were new to us).

If you really want the full Los Milics experience or want to visit some of the other wineries in the area, consider a stay one of their nine newly opened one bedroom/one bath casitas. Each casita has a private patio with views of the vineyards and the Mustang Mountains, including “The Biscuit”, an iconic peak that is directly upslope from the vineyard.