Cottonwood, Ariz. – The Verde Valley, the hub of Arizona wine country has a lot to celebrate. It was recently declared an American Viticultural Area (AVA), an official designation identifying the area as a grape growing region by the federal government. To showcase all that the region has to offer, the Verde Valley Wine Festival will return for the fifth year on April 29 and 30, 2022 in Cottonwood, Arizona.

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, festival organizers are excited to announce a new location and date for Northern Arizona’s foremost wine and culinary event. The festival will take place on Saturday, April 30 at the Old Town activity Park (187 E Pima St.) in Cottonwood. Organizers are anticipating more than 20 Arizona wineries, a variety of Arizona brewers and distillers, plus dozens of culinary options and local crafters/exhibitors. The festival will open to VIP ticket holders at 11 a.m. on Saturday and noon to General Admission (GA) ticket holders and end at 5 p.m. In addition to the wine, food, arts and craft vendors, attendees will enjoy live music throughout the day from three local bands.

“We are thrilled to be able to host the event again this year,” said Maynard James Keenan, founder of the festival and owner of Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards. “Guests will be treated to some of Arizona’s best wines, taste some great food in a picturesque setting and be able to learn about our growing viniculture. We look forward to welcoming back old friends and introducing newcomers to this great event.”

To kick off the weekend’s festivities, a VIP platinum winemaker dinner will be held on Friday, April 29 at the Old Town Cottonwood Clubhouse. This special event will include premium wine and culinary options, a live auction and live music. Ticket Holders to the VIP event will have the opportunity to bid on exclusive wine and travel packages, as well as unique items created by local artists and artisans.

Tickets for both the Friday winemaker dinner and Saturday’s events will go on sale in early February. To receive the latest information on the festival, sign up for the Verde Valley Wine Festival newsletter to receive early notification of ticket sales.

The festival organizers are proud to be working in a collaborative partnership with two non-profit organizations this year: the Arizona Vignerons Alliance (AZVA) and the Arizona Wine Growers Association (AWGA). The Arizona Vignerons Alliance aims to ensure the quality and authenticity of Arizona wine and improve grape growing and winemaking across the state. The Arizona Wine Growers Association advocates for growth, change, and opportunities to strengthen all aspects of wine growing, making, selling, and drinking. We share the vision and the passion with both organizations.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for local businesses interested in participating in this event.

For more information on the Verde Valley Wine Festival, tickets, sponsorship opportunities and the AZVA or AWGA visit www.verdevalleywinefestival.com/. For festival updates, follow Verde Valley Wine Festival on Facebook and Twitter or visit verdevalleywinefestival.com/blog.

About Arizona Vignerons Alliance (AZVA)

The mission of the Arizona Vignerons Alliance is to ensure quality and authenticity in Arizona wine, to explore and refine our regional focus and therefore our identity, to gather and share information with each other in order to improve our grape growing and winemaking practices across all wine regions of the state, and to promote Arizona wines so they are recognized, respected, and sought-after both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit http://arizonavigneronsalliance.org/.

About Arizona Wine Growers Association (AWGA)

The Arizona Wine Growers Association serves as a strong advocate for growth, change, opportunities and strength in all aspects of wine growing, making, selling and drinking across the state.  Representing over 100 vineyard owners, grape growers, winemakers and supporting businesses, the AWGA is committed to working together to advance the growth, knowledge, and reputation of Arizona wine. For more information, visit https://azwinegrowersassociation.com/.