Blazing the trail ... Winemaker Jon Marcus
by Louis Palma
Photos by PetroGraphics
I’ll never forget the first time I took that long, treacherous drive – down a single lane, dirt road, high above Oak Creek – to Echo Canyon Vineyard and Winery.
Having moved to Sedona from the well groomed and easily traveled Napa Valley; I was quite unprepared for the jarring, two-mile washboard drive to the vines.
But I had to go - the place was legend. Nobody had commercially farmed grapes and sold wine in northern Arizona for eons. And Echo Canyon was making a go of it.
And I had tasted a surprisingly delicious and complex Echo Canyon syrah in a Sedona restaurant.
I trekked on, stopping from time to time to take in the splendid views over the cliffs that dangle above the magnificent blue ribbon that is Oak Creek. The land seemed awfully rough for winemaking.
My thirst grew with my curiosity. As I began the final, bumpy descent to Echo Canyon’s gate, I wondered aloud, can anybody really grow grapes, no less make wine, in a place like this?
One final turn, and I had my answer …… thick vines, as far as the eye could see, and a large, picturesque barn, with spectacular wooden doors – it was a scene straight out of a Tuscan fairy tale.
Everything is on a grand scale out there; from the large, full-bodied red wines, to the three-story barn, to the 6-foot-5-inch winemaker/proprietor Jon Marcus.
As the wine poured, Marcus opened up – his history is as big as his wine. He protested the Viet Nam war in the late 1960s, and played football for the University of Michigan under famed coach Bo Schembeckler. Then, he went on to a successful legal career, notably serving as an attorney on the legal team that successfully defended Dr. Jack Kevorkian.
That’s all before 1993, when he purchased the 32 acres that grew into Echo Canyon Vineyard and Winery.
My first visit was about 10 years ago. Since then, nearly everything involved with Marcus’ winery has grown.
Except for Marcus, that is. Since I first visited Echo Canyon Winery, Marcus has dropped at least 150 pounds, has gained a ton of energy, and is, I guess, a testament to good wine.
Echo Canyon’s offerings have continued to improve, as well - along with the business.
In 1997, Marcus purchased 80 acres of farmland in Wilcox, Ariz. Crop Circle Vineyards was born. Over the decade since, the area has become one of the most significant wine-growing regions in the country.
Obviously, Marcus has a good eye for this stuff.
“Wilcox has plenty of water, great soil, and level farmland, which makes it much easier to work than in Page Springs,” said Marcus. “And, it’s very easy access off the interstate.
Located just off exit 340 of Interstate 10, about 75 miles east of Tucson, the area is known for its U-Pick-It farms, and fresh vegetables.
Marcus started working Crop Circle in 2004, and this year, the vineyard will grow 20 varieties of grapes, 12 red and eight white, including the highly sought-after pinot noir. Twenty-seven acres of the property is planted in the design of a crop circle.
And, the tasting room is very busy, said Marcus.
Meanwhile in red rock county, Marcus’ Echo Canyon wines have become known for their excellence, even garnering a spectacular review in The Wall Street Journal (5-27-2007).
In 2000, Echo Canyon produced its first six barrels that were made exclusively from Sedona grapes. Since, the vineyard has produced a number of fantastic varietals (wine made from at least 75 percent of one grape), including outstanding syrahs, cabernets, and merlots.
“I’ve got some really good ones in the bottle right now,” said Marcus, “some of the best wine I ever made.”
Marcus and I sat at the new tasting room, located right on Page Springs Rd., enjoying a delightfully chewy petite syrah from his Crop Circle selections.
The tasting room is not really new. Situated at the entrance to Oak Creek Vineyards, tastings have been held there for years.
But, with the recent addition of Marcus’ wines, including his Echo Canyon and Crop Circle offerings, plus the extraordinarily popular and artful Zodiac series, the tasting room has transformed into a wine-lover’s paradise.
The ride there is a pleasure – no bumpy dirt road, no death defying drops if you make a wrong turn. And it’s very comfortable, a huge step up from the tasting table in the middle of the barn.
If you haven’t been there, it’s only 15 minutes from Sedona, and well worth the trip. Marcus is a wealth of information about wine, has some fantastic stories to tell - and your taste buds will thank you.
The tasting room is opened seven days a week, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information, call Echo Canyon at (928) 634-8122, or the tasting room, at (928) 649-0920.