Elizabeth Krecker

When she was 12, Elizabeth Krecker’s parents fell in love with California wine. It was 1969 and they piled all four of their children into their car each weekend to visit Napa Valley. At the time, Napa Valley wineries were tiny, rustic places in the middle of vineyards where winemakers personally served everyone in the tasting room. This was her first introduction to wine and it has been her passion ever since.

As Napa Valley wine became a worldwide sensation, her family moved to Arizona and, forty years later, she was introduced to Arizona wine. With a geology, climate, varietals, and winemaking style that bears little resemblance to Napa Valley, Arizona’s winemakers have created a world of their own. Here, wine is still made in tiny, rustic wineries in the middle of vineyards where tasters might be served by, yes, the winemaker.

A professional writer and sommelier, Krecker has published stories about wine in Cuisine of Arizona: The Premier Culinary Guide to the Grand Canyon State, and on her blog, Grape Exploration. She has appeared on the podcasts The Wine Monk and Make America Grape Again.