Dr. Gordon Dutt, owner and winemaker at Sonoita Vineyards and now retired soil scientist from the University of Arizona, and A Blake Brophy established the first experimental vineyard on the Ignacio de Babocomari Ranch in Southern Arizona back in 1973.  The results of their tests were very compelling.  Dr. Dutt, expected the grapes for red wine to bleach in the intense Arizona sun and produce wines with poor color and low acidity.  But much to his delight, the results were quite the opposite, resulting in red wines with brilliant color and acidity.  Dr. Dutt attributes much of that success to the soil found in the area.  "This part of Arizona is a lot different than most folks imagine--we're at an altitude of 5,000 ft., set in rolling grasslands dotted with white oak, and the soil is nearly identical to that of Burgundy, France.  You'll find the results of our efforts, and what great terra rosa (red clay) soil can produce in our estate bottled wines."

Following his experimental success, Dr. Dutt planted Arizona's first commercial vineyard in 1979 and opened the winery in 1983.  Starting off with an annual production of 300 gallons, Sonoita Vineyards is now producing over 10,000 gallons per year.   The winery is located at the top of a scenic hill in Elgin, Arizona and overlooks approximately 20 acres of vines.  The varieties grown on the estate today are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Mission.  The Mission grape is the newest addition to the vineyard with deep historical roots dating back to the 16th century.  It is the same variety that the Spanish missionaries brought with them to the New World, most likely in seed form, and was eventually planted among the chain of missions throughout Mexico and the California's.  It's a productive and hardy vine, which produces a true ruby colored wine with a distinct cranberry nose and delightful acidity.  The winery is looking forward to it's first public release of Mission in the fall of 2001.

Hard work and determination have produced national and international award winning wines for Sonoita Vineyards.  The 1986 Cabernet Sauvignon was selected for the 1989 Presidential Inauguration Food and Wine Gala for President George Bush.  Jerry Mead, nationally acclaimed wine writer of the "Mead On Wine" column, scored Sonoita Vineyards' 1987 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 95 out of 100 in a blind tasting.  The 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon was a silver medal winner in the 1993 InterVin, North America's top international wine competition.  The 1994 Merlot was a gold medal winner in the 1997 American Wine Society competition.  The Pinot Noir has received a gold, silver and several bronze medals from the National Orange Show, the InterVin and the Taster's Guild Consumer's Wine Competition.  And most recently, the Arizona Sunset was selected as the 2000 Governor's Choice Award winner in the Blush category