Beer, Wine & Spirits in Tucson

When enrolling in U.C. Davis's renowned Winemaker's Certificate Program in 2004, Karyl Wilhelm only knew how to drink wine, not make it. But her experience as a biomedical engineer helped her with the chemistry required to complete the program, and soon enough, she received her certificate and opened her very own vineyard. Spread out on 20 acres of fertile land—with traits comparable to Rioja in Spain, France's Rhone region, and Saturn's seventh ring—Wilhelm Family Vineyards yields an assortment of grapes that produce wines such as the tempranillo-based Kevin's Choice, an award-winning blend named after Karyl's pilot husband. Each bottle of wine is vegan-friendly and leaves the grounds with a stamp of approval in the form of Karyl's signature, which is written directly on the bottle in eye-catching metallic ink. She also employes eco-friendly practices, most notably running the winery's water on its own septic system. This allows the H20 to be recycled for watering the vines.

Guests who enter the tasting room enjoy a warm welcome from a 95-pound weimaraner named Chancellor, who muses over the earthy notes of his rawhide bone while patrons sample the winery's selection of red, white, semisweet, dessert, and seasonal wines. As veterans of the first Gulf War, Karyl and Kevin celebrate each Veterans Day by hosting a Patriot Salute Festival, whose proceeds go to support the Wounded Warrior Project. They further contribute to the community by manning their own bike and triathlon team, the Wilhelm Winers, which races to benefit a wide range of causes, from autism to breast cancer.

After being told multiple times that opening a winery is a dream "that will never work," sisters Megan and Shannon did the impossible. While living together under one roof with six kids, six dogs, five turtles, and 10 chickens, the sisters decided to prove the naysayers wrong and pursue their dream of opening a winery. And today, they own and operate Arizona Hops and Vines, which yields six varietals ranging from a sparkling brut wine crafted from muscat grapes to a bold 100% California petit verdot. Arizona Hops and Vines hosts weekend tastings for of-age adults, and invites kids, nondrinking guests, and pets to check out the Sober Shack or practice animal-whispering skills with the farm's resident pets.

Upon planting their first vineyard in 1990, the Callaghan family found their efforts tested by a harsh heat wave that killed thousands of their young vines. But instead of sowing sour grapes for the winemaking business, the Callaghans took it as a learning experience, planting and replanting until they found tempranillo, riesling, and bordeaux varieties perfectly suited to the arid Arizona climate. The hard work in the field also pays off later, as the high-quality grapes require lots of barrels and little else to mature into wines that have been served at three White House dinners and led former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to dub the winery a state treasure. Since 2008, Callaghan Vineyards has also earned more than 10 medals in the Jefferson Cup Awards, which honors the best US wineries, and—like the party-hosting leg of a triathlon—includes competitors on an invitation-only basis.