Feeling a little trapped here in valley and looking for a little high country wine drinking adventure? For a quick weekend of wine enjoyment, look only to the Verde Valley.
Now, in addition to their ever-improving winery tours, there are also restaurants that feature great wine lists, even rivaling those here in Phoenix. Of course Sedona has traditionally filled the bill for fine dining, but Jerome also has its spots and the view back over the Verde Valley from Jerome’s vantage point is spectacular.
If you want to expand your “wine horizons” while enjoying twilight over a unique Northern Arizona horizon, book an evening at the Asylum Restaurant in Jerome. During the fall and winter it’s a perfect way to kick back while looking through chilled windows at the valley floor below and the San Francisco Peaks beyond, like a dream that’s always remembered.
And thanks to their ever updated online menu/wine list, the Asylum Restaurant lets you take a peek at what’s available on the table in advance of your visit. Of course, their theme wines like Orin Swift’s The Prisoner, or local selections from Arizona Stronghold, fit right into the ambience.
However, there are also many other wines to pick from, even appropriately priced special occasion selections. And if you ever get to the bottom of their Pinot Noir page, that would be a story to share with everyone!
The staff at the restaurant always maintains adequate stocks on wines that get repeat requests, but a few of the others may bear asking about on the phone when making a reservation. Why be disappointed after making the trek, and looking forward to a bottle of great stuff, only to find that they’re out? That’s another reason why online wine lists are so great!
Sure, “just for dinner” is kind of a weak rationale to drive up to Jerome. So why not make it a weekend for that high country road trip you have been conjuring up? Any worthy excuse will do.
View more of Tom’s articles on Examiner.com by visiting his writer’s page.
