Sonoita AVA
| Wine region | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1984 |
| Years of wine industry | 50 |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | Arizona |
| Other regions in Arizona | Willcox AVA, Verde Valley AVA |
| Growing season | 200 days |
| Climate region | Region V |
| Heat units | 4,918 GDD units |
| Precipitation (annual average) | 20 in (510 mm) |
| Soil conditions | Limestone parent material with igneous rock, quartzite, schist, granite, gneiss and caliche, as well as igneous and metamorphic rock |
| Total area | 208,000 acres (325 sq mi) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 229 acres (93 ha) |
| No. of vineyards | 18 |
| Grapes produced | Aglianico, Albarino,Counoise,Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Malvasia, Marsanne, Merlot, Mission, Montepulciano, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah, Petit Manseng, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Tannat, Tempranillo, Vermentino, Viognier, Zinfandel |
| No. of wineries | 22 |
Sonoita is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in southeastern Arizona adjacent to the Mexican border and south of the city of Tucson. It was established as Arizona's first AVA on October 25, 1984 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing a petition submitted by Mr. A. Blake Brophy, General Partner of the Babacomari Ranch Company, on behalf of himself and local vintners proposing an viticultural area to be known as "Sonoita."
The Babacomari Ranch, an Arizona Limited Partnership, is a major landowner in the Sonoita Basin since 1975. It has been cooperating with the University of Arizona in experiments for the growing of vitis vinifera and the making of wines.
The viticultural area encompasses approximately 208,000 acres (325 sq mi) located in southernmost Santa Cruz County adjacent to the Mexican border. The AVA’s northern and eastern boundaries also expands across portions of Cochise and Pima Counties. There was about 40 acres (16 ha) of cultivation in 1984 with future plans for 360 planted acres (146 ha) and a winery under construction. The reason for proposing the AVA name as "Sonoita" in the petition is because the area encircles the town of Sonoita which is centrally located and the site of the Santa Cruz County Fair. Nogales, to the south, is the county seat of Santa Cruz County.
The Sonoita viticultural area is a basin surrounded by four highly visible and strategically located topographical features: Mount Wrightson Peak in the Santa Rita Mountains on the west, Lookout Knob in the Canelo Hills to the south, Miller Peak in the Huachuca Mountains toward the east, and Granite Peak in the Whetstone Mountains to the north. Its vineyards are 4,500 to 5,000 feet (1,400 to 1,500 m) above sea level and some of the most elevated in North America. The soil is alluvial fans of gravelly loam that retains scarce water well.