COTTONWOOD, AZ — The team behind Merkin Vineyards & Caduceus Cellars is set to open three businesses in Cottonwood this fall.
The new development will feature private tastings, tours, retail space a gelateria, and a Trattoria on seven acres of land in Cottonwood overlooking the Verde Valley.
“October 6, all these things are opening up...what connects all of these [concepts] is our owner and winemaker, Maynard Keenan, [who] is the owner and winemaker for Caduceus Cellars. He's also the owner and winemaker for Merkin Vineyards," said Calvin Arnold, director of sales for Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars. "This is kind of a culmination of his vision for Arizona, the industry and our brand; it's kind of the next step in our evolution."
Here’s the breakdown of what’s coming to Cottonwood:
The Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria
“This is where you'll see the greenhouse. We're going to be doing wood oven pizzas, we're going to bring our pasta program,” explained Arnold. “There's also a production facility for Merkin Vineyards, which is an 8,000-case winery. And when you enter the Trattoria, you'll be able to look over and look through a glass wall and see the barrel room including concrete tanks where the wines are actually in the fermentation process.”
The land to build these ventures was bought back in 2016 and the property itself holds a lot of history, especially at the Trattoria.
“This originally was the area's Masonic Temple set up on this up on this property. In fact, at the new Trattoria, we were able to save a few walls from the old Masonic temple. And so we kind of built around that,” explained Arnold. “Well, when you look at this brand, I mean, you know we make wine under several different brands, But the Merkin Vineyards brand itself really is about community. That's where a lot of our agriculture comes in... our food, how it pairs with the wine, our greenhouses, our orchards, all of that kind of comes together and culminates under the Merkin Vineyards umbrella. And so it just makes sense that we're able to kind of incorporate local history as well.”
The Merkin Vineyards Pocket Park Gelateria
This concept will be at the bottom of the hill and can promise unforgettable views. “You'll see a tram that goes up the side of the hill, it takes you from the Pocket Park all the way up to the top where the Trattoria and the Production facility is,” said Arnold.
Caduceus Cellars Hilltop Facility & VSC Ventura Room
According to a company representative, this area will feature a 9,500-square-foot production facility and a 4.5-acre vineyard that includes the VSC private tasting room. The vineyard will consist of Graciano, Tempranillo, and Garnacha grape varieties.
“[For the tours] it's going to be a small group of maybe six to eight people at a time. And that way we're able to kind of have one-on-one experiences and talk to people and answer specific questions. At that point we'll be able to kind of walk to the vineyard a little bit,” explained Arnold.
IF YOU GO
Location: 760 Verde Heights Drive in Cottonwood
- Grand opening: October 6, 2023
- The Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria: Sunday-Thursday from 11a.m. to 9 p.m., then Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.
- The Merkin Vineyards Pocket Park Gelateria: Sunday-Thursday from 11a.m. to 7 p.m., then Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.
- The VSC Ventura Room: Only available by reservation.
