I am always looking for new and extraordinary things to do/see on my days off. [and I drag poor Shawn with me all over the place, which I secretly think he likes!! LOL] I search all kinds of different ways and then search again by changing up the words or word groupings. Google is usually my first stop, followed by an app called Roadside. I keep an ear out to chatter, and look through town and local magazines. I also follow numerous travel blogs, and subscribe to various newsletters, etc...
I found this cool looking bridge in Old Town Scottsdale that I wanted to check out… Soleri Bridge. We picked a day that the weather looked nice and went to see it. Soleri Bridge is located along the “Scottsdale Waterfront” [if you’re a local you should definitely go take a look] and it was really cool to walk around, read about the bridge, and actually walk over the bridge!! After our bridge exploration, we decided to find a place to grab lunch. I was as a little surprised [but not at all] to find a winery… Su Vino Winery to be exact, among the waterfront shops, but oh no... it was CLOSED!!
I persuaded Shawn to go back with me on a day they were open, and it was totally worth the revisit!! When you first walk in, the atmosphere is very welcoming and has a very fun vibe going on in tasting room. There are tables all around and a wonderfully inviting bar along the back wall, [we picked the bar seating so I could keep my head on a swivel!! HA] not to mention the many other things to steel away your attention. The appetizers were pretty tasty, but I always forget… are you supposed to eat the white stuff on the outside of Brie cheese!? [I usually try to cut it off, if possible]
So, here's the big reveal… Su Vino means “Your Wine” in Italian and Spanish. [it will all make sense when I tell you about the awesome service they offer here] The open hand is their logo, and it “represents the skill and dedication of the craftsman, the uniqueness of the individual, and the friendliness of an open palm.” I think it’s pretty cool [and it kinda makes me think of aliens.. you know, like from the tv series Roswell!? hahaha] This family owned and operated winery got its start in Grapevine, TX [isn’t this just the perfect place to have a winery… grapevine!?] The Scottsdale location, run by Cory Whalin, is what they refer to as their “winery with a twist” tasting room.
I started walking around, so I could explore this interesting looking room [pictured above] that seriously caught my eye!! This is where the Su Vino [aka your wine] comes into play… they are the first winery in the Scottsdale area that offers us wino’s the chance to participate in the winemaking process!! They will customize and formulate a wine that is made just for your taste buds, with your input!! Then you can help bottle and cork it, and even design your own label!! I did take a wine making class one summer [I’ll tell you about that later, but I'll tell you this now... it is the coolest feeling!!] and being able to help bottle and cork a wine that you were personally involved in the process of making... well it's just EPIC!!
Ok, so let’s fast forward a number of years to a wine lunch date I made with one of my most favorite wine friends, Aimee Aldous. [pictured below] I thought we made a date for a "new" winery, a place that we had not been to before but... [cause isn't that the goal... to find new wines and wine places to hang out!?] once we got to the entrance, and I saw the open hand logo, I had a very familiar feeling. [even though I knew I had never been in this particular tasting room before!!] I honestly didn’t make the actual connection until writing this blog, but it turns out that Su Vino Winery had changed locations since Shawn and I visited them after our Soleri Bridge adventure!!
Su Vino Winery... offering the same great wine and exciting atmosphere, [though some of that could have just been due to Aimee’s company] just in a different building and location. However, I do feel like they really upped their game with the menu... it was almost too difficult to choose and once delivered, our food was totally on point!! The staff was super friendly and very helpful in picking out the best wines to go with our snacks and boards. They had many games sitting around to play during your visit, as well as, a fun selection of gifts you could purchase to take with you.
Isn’t it funny, as time goes by [and we start getting older] the things that we forget?? This is probably one of the biggest reasons I decided to start this blog… what an amazing walk down memory lane it’s turning out to be!! Writing about Su Vino Winery makes me want to go back to help make own tastebud pleasing wine!! I wouldn’t mind attending one of their educational sessions about wine, either!! In fact, I just subscribed to receive their newsletter so I can stay in the know!!
Next Wednesday, Wine with Wixy is heading up to Colorado Springs for the first of three summers!! Let’s see what kind of “wine” we can get ourselves into!! HA!!
Cheers to you my wine loving friends, and TTFN!!
I am definitely putting this on my bucket list for when I return back to Arizona. Thank you Sharon!
Love you and all the adventures we have together!!! ♥️