Winemaker of the Month
Wine Business Monthly names Joe Bechard Winemaker of the Month in May 2022!
“Working in a wine “frontier” can get lonely sometimes. Seeking advice, finding information, making smart purchases, forming relationships with suppliers: everything is more difficult from a distance. Wine Business Monthly is one of the best resources I have to keep up on new research, products, equipment, market trends and to stay connected to the greater industry.”
ANNUAL CASE PRODUCTION: Currently 5,000 cases for Chateau Tumbleweed (growing annually) and 1,500 cases for our partners at D.A. Ranch Vineyards.
PLANTED ACRES: We source fruit from 10 to 12 vineyards every year. Mostly from the Willcox AVA in southeastern AZ, but also from here in the Verde Valley AVA when we can. We need to get to work on a vineyard ASAP – fruit is scarce in Arizona. We’re very lucky to have some great relationships.
CAREER BACKGROUND: I fell in love with Oregon Pinot and wine more broadly while in journalism school at the University of Oregon, but never planned to work in the business. When I moved to Sedona for my first newspaper job in 2004, I discovered that Arizona had a tiny wine industry (fewer than 10 bonded wineries at the time). I left the newspaper before the 2005 harvest and became a cellar rat. I spent the next 10 years working for several wineries in the Verde Valley (most notably Page Springs Cellars and Merkin Vineyards/Four-Eight Wineworks) before opening Chateau Tumbleweed in 2015 with my wife and two of our best industry friends. We are also partners with the Petznick family, owners of D.A. Ranch Vineyard. (There are now more than 100 bonded wineries in our state.)
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGE? Operating a small winery with fairly shallow pockets in an upstart wine region brings new challenges every day! It’s humbling. Luckily wine teaches patience, perseverance and gratitude for the little things. We’re fortunate that we get to be ourselves and have a good time while also making wines we’re immensely proud of.
VARIETALS THAT YOUR WINERY IS KNOWN FOR: We’ve had more than 30 different varietals pass through our doors. The experimentation and discovery is a huge part of what draws me to Arizona wine. We make several larger blends and a wide range of vineyard and varietally designated wines. Picpoul Blanc, Graciano, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese and Mourvedre are probably some of our favorites right now.