Bear Track Winery

When my sister was here visiting about a month ago, we went and tried out Tucson's one and only winery in town - Bear Track Winery.  We had such a great experience, from the delicious wines to the knowledgeable yet down to earth staff, and the cozy atmosphere. I just knew I had to go back, and soon.  I worked in another trip for my birthday with Virgil, and went this past weekend.  Virgil and I love Indian food and on Saturday nights Bear Track hosts the Twisted Tandoor food truck in the back of their place, so we made sure to have our date on Saturday so we could get some of Tucson's best Indian food along with some excellent wine (Bear Track has a white and red wine specifically to pair with food from the Twisted Tandoor so you can't go wrong). Pictured on the right are veggie samosas, Kofta curry and the Twisted Tandoor red pairing.

I love wine, but I am by no means a wine expert. One of the most wonderful aspects of Bear Track for me is that I don't feel out of place, or silly talking to their staff.  The owner (Rick Riddle) has a quirky sense of humor, and he is easy to talk to.  In fact, you'd think he was just a fellow guest if you didn't know he owned the place. He offers his knowledge about wine, and wine making, but will talk to you about anything if you want.  He makes you feel welcome and at home immediately.  In fact, when my sister and I went, we got there before they opened but he saw us peering in the window and he ran after us to let us know he would open up early. Just for us! He then served us personally for almost an hour until his staff got in. He was just spectacular! The rest of the staff is just as welcoming and knowledgeable. They offer guidance through wine tastings, recommend pairings and chat with you as if you are a regular. I'm telling you, even if you have never tried wine before, these guys will make you feel like a wine-pro by the time you leave. 

So on top of having a great staff, one of the great things about Bear Track is that they are a local business, and they are very strong supporters of the Tucson Community.  One of the really cool things about Bear Track wines is that Rick created an entire 'artist series' where he features local artists on the labels for his wines. Many of his wines have very beautiful, unique and clearly southwestern artwork on them. Rick loves being a community involved business owner, so he tries to get as many aspects of the community in his small business as he can. Not only does he reach out to local artists, but he also has his wine in a few restaurants around town, including having his wine at the U of A stadium this year (so cool!!). As if being a U of A fan isn't enough, Rick is also very involved in two non-profits here in Tucson: Therapeutic Riding of Tucson (TROT) and Gabriel's Angels. He holds special fundraisers for them periodically and when he talks about them, you can tell he loves supporting both organizations. He just raised $12,000 for Gabriel's Angels, and Rick will be creating three new wines, each featuring the picture of one of the animals from GA. Buying a bottle of wine is so much more enjoyable when you know you are supporting local business, while also supporting organizations aimed at providing therapy through animals to children and people who need it.

If you still aren't sold, I have few other perks that might get your attention. Beer drinkers: they have Dragoon on tap! And foodies: they have some delicious food trays (think antipasto) with wonderful fresh cheeses and meats, like hatch chile cheddar cheese, dried salami and in-house candied walnuts.  They also have a wide range of flavored oils and aged balsamic vinegars (to-die-for).  Oh, and of course there's mead for you mead fanatics (rumor has it there might be a green chile mead coming in the future).  Rick's winery hails from New Mexico which is why the Hatch Green Chile has such influence in the food and wine.  I mean, the two signature wines of Bear Track are chile-infused. Besito Caliente, his white wine, is actually a beautiful green wine, as pictured right. It has the most interesting nose of any wine I've tried, but I personally love the red he created, "Beso del Oso." It is a sweeter red, but at the end it has heat from the chile. Not too hot, just enough to add character to the wine.  I could easily finish a bottle by myself. 

I could continue, for a while.  But I'll stop here and let you see, taste and experience the rest for yourself. I encourage you to check them out, especially on a Saturday night if you like Indian food.  Make sure you get added to their email list as well so you can stay up to date on some of their fun special events, like crawfish boils and gluten free nights!  Now, go! Support local and drink wine!

 Cheers!