Sonoran Spritz is the wine cooler you need
Earlier this summer, the Internet debated the merits of the Aperol Spritz after the New York Times shocked the cocktail-loving world with an article calling the summertime classic “not a good drink.”
Controversial opinions aside, the spritz has been a favorite late afternoon beverage of Italians for decades. Made with equal parts sparkling wine and the bitter aperitif Aperol, the cocktail is served over ice, topped off with a splash of soda and garnished with an orange slice.
One local winemaker wanted to bring the Spritz home to Arizona and so created a perfect cocktail for beating the desert heat. Meet, the Arizona-made Sonoran Spritz.
The idea behind the Sonoran Spritz
Brian and Megan Ruffentine own and operate Garage-East, a wine tasting room located in Gilbert. The couple partners with Arizona winemakers to source grapes and base products, and finish production at the Gilbert facility.
Once the idea for the Sonoran Spritz
Garage-East
Garage East, 3000 E. Ray Road, Building 7. 480-493-7151. garageeast.com.
4-10p.m. Monday through Thursday until August 11 for harvest season; 11a.m.-11p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11a.m.-9p.m. Sundays.
struck the Gilbert locals, they traveled to Italy for research and discovered they prefer the slightly more bitter Campari Spritz to its more popular cousin.
An excess of white wine and a penchant for innovation inspired the Ruffentines to experiment with herbs and spices until they found the perfect recipe utilizing many local ingredients.
Thus, the sunny-orange Sonoran Spritz at Garage-East was born.
What’s in a Sonoran Spritz?
The Sonoran Spritz starts with a base of white wine. It is then combined with herbs and spices and left to mull for four days. A quick stir each day helps infuse the flavors of 19 different ingredients including rosemary from the bush in front of the tasting room, bay leaves from the Agritopia community farm, kola nut, wormwood, cocoa, marjoram and vanilla ❚ Glass served at Garage East: $9. ❚ 187 mL individual bottle: $6.50. ❚ 375 mL can: $11. ❚ 750 mL wine bottle: $22. ❚ 1000 mL crowler: $30.
beans into the wine.
Next, natural dark red dye is added from cochineal bugs that turns a vibrant sunny orange when it hits the wine. Cochineal, which some might remember from when Starbucks announced it would color their strawberry Frappuccinos with the natural dye, is an FDA-approved way to color food and makeup.
But don’t be put off by the cheery Fanta-esque color. This is no syrupysweet drink. Served in a large wine glass, the bubbly drink greets you with its smoky and earthy scent. Served over ice with a slice of lime, orange and an olive, this summertime sipper is both refreshing and complex.
One of the best parts about the Sonoran Spritz? If you love it, you can take some home with you.
“We 100 percent believe that wine should be able to go wherever beer goes, whether that’s the lake or the mountains,” Ruffentine says.
Customers can purchase individual bottles; cans, which serve two; a traditional wine bottle; or a large can called a crowler, which holds one and a half times what you can fit in a wine bottle.