Rooted in the Desert: How Skyhaven Took Shape in Arizona Wine Country

By Chris Brinkmeyer, Winemaker & Co-Owner

I’ve always loved wine. For as long as I can remember, the idea of growing grapes and making wine was something I dreamed about, but it took a winding road (and a few a-ha moments) to realize that dream in the Arizona high desert.

Years ago, long before I picked up a pair of pruning shears, I remember standing in southern Arizona thinking, Why aren’t we making wine here? Our temperatures were 15 to 20 degrees lower than Phoenix's, with a 30 to 40-degree daily high-low temperature range, allowing vines to recover overnight like most established growing locations. We should make wine here.

Fast forward a few years, and I stumbled upon Arizona wine, and that changed everything.

I’d spent years drinking Napa wine, thinking all red wine had to taste like oak, full of tannins. Then I tried a barrel sample that hadn’t seen any oak yet. It was vibrant, fruity, and honestly, kind of magical. That was the moment I realized: this is what I want to make—wine that’s approachable, fruit-forward, and true to its place.

That realization led me to Yavapai College’s hands-on viticulture and enology program. I didn’t go in with a solid plan, just passion and curiosity. But once I got in the vineyard and got a feel for the terroir, the fruit, and the potential here in Arizona, I was hooked.

Why Willcox? It’s the Dirt.

When I started seriously scouting vineyard land, I explored Arizona’s wine-growing locations. Northern Arizona and Sonoita, near Tucson, had tourism and buzz, but they generally had rocky soils that were hard to cultivate and volatile climates. I kept coming back to Willcox.

Here was the clincher. When I did soil assessments, I noticed that most vineyards here have a soil type called Sonoita gravelly loam. It drains well and imparts a distinctive earthy note that shows up in all the best wines from this region. I could taste it in the vineyard, and that earthy fingerprint is now something I look for in every bottle I make.

Add in the high elevation (about 4,300 feet), intense sunlight, and steady winds to keep fruit clean and dry, and you’ve got great growing conditions. I passed up flashier locations to follow the one thing that matters most to me: quality.

Crafting the Spice Rack

I spent years agonizing over what to plant. My original list changed a hundred times before settling on the varietals we now grow at Skyhaven. I wanted grapes that thrive in our climate, work well on their own, and blend beautifully together—what I like to call my “spice rack.”

On the red side, we’re growing Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, and Graciano. For whites, we’ve got Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Viognier. They all bring something unique to the table, whether it’s brightness, structure, earthiness, or fruit. The goal is balance, not just in the vineyard, but in the glass.

My Winemaking Style

I’m all about clean, approachable wines that are a joy to drink. That means neutral oak, low manipulation, and letting the fruit and the terroir speak for themselves. I’m not into trendy techniques like amphora or orange wine—they’re just not my style. I want you to take a sip of Skyhaven wine and think, wow, that’s delicious, not I wonder what this is supposed to taste like. I make the kind of wine I like to drink, and I hope you’ll love it too. I also believe that attention to detail is everything. No shortcuts. No gimmicks. Just honest, carefully made wine that reflects the land it comes from.

The Skyhaven Dream

In 2021, I teamed up with my partner, Bridget, who shares my love of wine, storytelling, and all things medieval (castles, swords, the works). Together, we’re building Skyhaven not just as a vineyard and winery, but as a destination. A place where you can escape the everyday, connect with the land, and discover the magic of Arizona wine.

From the first vine planted to every bottle we release, this journey has been driven by passion and a belief that Arizona has something truly special to offer the wine world.

And we’re just getting started.