Weekly Wine Review - White Blend - 2012 Dos Cabezas Wineworks Meskeoli

Yes Virginia, there are wines made in Arizona. In fact the quality of the Arizona wines and the number of good producers has led some area restaurants to feature a good percentage of Arizona wine on their wine lists. In fact one restaurant - FnB in Scottsdale features almost exclusively Arizona wines. Another restaurant - perhaps the most famous one in Phoenix - Pizzeria Bianco features quite a few Arizona wines on their list.  When going to Pizzeria Bianco you are guaranteed two things - amazing pizza and a wait, so after we met up with family visiting from California, we checked in and headed next door to Bar Bianco (hey at least they give you a place to wait in style!).  Since temps are already hovering around 90 degrees in the 'hood, the choice was a white - an intriguing "kitchen sink" blend of lots of varietals, in fact all the varietals the winery grows are represented. The largest percent in the blend is Picpoul Blanc, a Rhone varietal that I have only read about - but not before seen featured in a wine.

Wine: 2012 Dos Cabezas Wineworks Meskeoli

Region: Cochise County, Arizona
Grape Varieties: Picpoul Blanc (29%), Viognier (26%), Riesling (19%), Roussanne (13%), Albariño (5%), Muscat (4%), Malvasia (4%)

Obtained from: Purchased at Bar Bianco, Phoenix, AZ

Price: $28 Retail, $45 at the Restaurant

Wino4Life Category: Weekend Wine

Aeration before tasting: Just a swirl or two, no special aeration.

Cork Condition: Screw Top - no defects or issues.

Appearance: Wine is clear, light yellow in color with a water white rim.

Aroma: Very powerful, and initially very floral - likely from the Viognier.  Also, nice notes of citrus and apples make themselves known after the initial hit of flowers subsides.

Taste: Super fresh and juicy, not at all a subtle wine.  A nice long finish that carries through the fresh fruit flavors with a good amount of sweetness.

The Grade: I give this one a B+. Definitely a tasty wine with more grape varieties than you can count on one hand. Great aromas, and a nice fruity finish. Although the finish was a bit too sweet for my personal preference, this wine would be a great pairing with spicy Thai or Mexican fare.  The only issue I have is the price (even considering retail) - a bit spendy for a fruit forward, slightly sweet white. Please support Arizona winemaking and give this one a try if you like the style and run across it, but for me there are some better priced options out there.