Wine Tour Jerome: Bitter Creek Winery
Located in a spacious room along with a fabulous art gallery and boutique, the Bitter Creek Winery tasting room is the perfect setting to browse. Look not only at the art and other items, but also at the artistically appointed wine bottles carefully racked up on the wall behind the bar.
From the ample view of the Verde Valley on one side to the shot of Jerome on the other, this whole thing is what tourists really enjoy. You can find it just down the hill (240 Hull Avenue) via sidewalk, no stairs, from Main Street in a completely restored building.
The first thing about the wines you will notice is that Bitter Creek Winery produces blends made from fruit cultivated just outside Wilcox, Az. in Cochise County. This is the third Jerome tasting room to show off wine from S.E. Arizona and is run by the same people who operate the Jerome Winery. This tasting room seemed to have more traffic wanting to sample the wares than the others.
One of their most interesting red wines is the “Hangman”. It has an unmistakable bouquet of gingerbread and cinnamon and a soft finish with a trace of sweet. They set up the tasting flight for the red wines so as to progressively become heavier and darker as you move on. This provides the perfect opportunity to compare and decide on a favorite bottle to take away.
For those who like to follow up a meal with another bottle solo or with a light dessert, many of Bitter Creek’s selections are ideal. This is true especially in situations where a fortified sweet dessert wine is not going to cut it with your guests. Many of the Bitter Creek reds could be used to fit this situation, especially since their “biggest red” has an alcohol content well over 15%, near the maximum possible for natural fermentation.
Hmmm, gettin’ the slows, must be that high-country Arizona sun and fresh air! Speaking of which, it’s time to get back down to Cottonwood for a little siesta before dinner.
Article by Tom Peiffer, Phoenix Wine Shopping Examiner at Examiner.com
View more of Tom’s articles on Examiner.com by visiting his writer’s page.
About the Author - Tom Peiffer
Tom has been an avid wine consumer and collector for over 20 years. This pastime has taken he and his family on many visits to wine growing regions, including Arizona. During these excursions, with the accompanying tastings and lectures, it became clear that there is no "magic bullet" wine. For each wine contains its own character, strong points, and weaknesses. Sharing these experiences to help anyone purchase locally available wines is his goal.
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