Drop Down South to the Wine World of Willcox, Arizona

Go ahead and pick a juicy grape straight off the vine at Pillsbury Vineyard in Willcox, Arizona and be amazed at the flavor in such a small size.

With more than 20 wineries in the Willcox, Arizona area, there are seemingly endless wine tastings and other area activities to chew on. Located in Cochise County near the border of Mexico, this small city is surrounded by picturesque mountain ranges, such as the Pinaleño, Dragoon and Chiricahua mountains. Surprising to most out of state visitors, the desert climate offers an ideal climate for winemaking including monsoons in the summer that gives that precious moisture to the earth to make the flavorful magic happen.

But wine is not the only thing this small town but actually a city has to offer! We connected with the Cochise County tourism board for a whirlwind weekend of exploration of Southern Arizona and ended up with some great stories, new friends and amazing connections. One of the best parts of traveling is the people you meet along the way after all!

I headed down a day earlier than planned because my scoliosis fusion was sending shooting stabs of pain down my spine and I knew that meant a day of leisurely driving and rest was in order before tackling a whole day of a jam-packed itinerary. So I booked a room at the OYO Hotel Rose’s Willcox on North Haskell Avenue which had great ratings. It turned out to be a hidden gem indeed!

Rose’s OYO Hotel was named after the owner Shelly’s mom after she renovated the roadside hotel back to life three years ago. Submitted Photo

Checking in is easy and you can drop your keys in a box outside to checkout. There’s no breakfast or thrills to this budget hotel but who needs that when there’s lots of local places to explore! Submitted Photo

They offer double beds and rooms with work stations if you are staying a while. Submitted Photo

A basic room to sleep was all I needed like this one and the bed was like sleeping on a cloud. Sheets, bedding and pillows were certainly luxury at a budget price! Submitted Photo

First stop was Bowlin’s The Thing Travel Center right above Willcox, Arizona.

It’s all about the aliens and weirdness at Bowlin’s The Thing Travel Center. You can buy anything at this place including ice cream!

Spend the $1 to get your Mexican alien reading. Mine is on TikTok if you’re curious, just look for the big green alien head!

Another Pennsylvania transplant welcomed me to enter into the exhibit.

What if aliens rode mind controlled dinosaurs?

What if they co-existed at the same time on Earth?

What if aliens are actually this big? You can’t tell in the pics but these guys were like 6 feet or taller!

And then the aliens had a war with the dinosaurs?

An alien chauffeur? Yes please at Bowlin’s The Thing Travel Center. The rest of the exhibit takes you through time including aliens being part of the history of the world.

And last but certainly not least, The Thing! What is it? You’ll have to take the tour to find out.

Since I got some of the weirdness out of my system, it was time to wine down on a Friday night on a Willcox, Arizona vineyard.

I have been talking to owner Sam Pillsbury for years about visiting and we finally made it happen!

The monsoons were popping that night and made for glorious images at Pillsbury Wine.

Sam made his own cooling system and temperature control for his barrels at Pillsbury Wine.

Barrels ready for some rain at Pillsbury Wine with eye-catching views in every direction.

Owner Sam Pillsbury and new winemaker Shane Brannan pose for a photo after a hard day’s work at Pillsbury Wine.

Getting lost in a sea of grapes, these beauties are bubbling and fermenting at Pillsbury Wine.

The mad scientist lab where Sam and Shane create the perfect pairing of science and flavor that makes up Pillsbury Wine.

Inside the tasting room at Pillsbury Wine looks like a living room because it is! Sam and the crew all stay in this house during harvest season and want their guests to feel like they’re at home at Pillsbury Wine.

We started getting hit hard with some dust and wind at Pillsbury Wine looking out over the small garden.

A taste of some delicious rose was in order at Pillsbury Wine in front of his son’s artwork as talent runs in the family. Sam also has an impressive history of producing thought-provoking films also leaving his mark on the world in more ways than one!

We then jumped in Sam’s truck and did a vineyard tour with these juicy reds waiting to be devoured at Pillsbury Wine.

When back inside as Sam prepared dinner (he’s also an amazing cook and host), his intern reminded us of the sunset and I ran to greet it with my glass in hand at Pillsbury Wine.

If you are a sunset lover like me, these views are breathtaking at Pillsbury Wine. The pink trim is the rain touching the sunset.

Every direction has its own awe at Pillsbury Wine.

Such a nice break from the city life as well, you are miles from anywhere at Pillsbury Wine.

Most people don’t think of Arizona as a lush land but it’s a field of wildflower dreams at Pillsbury Wine.

That night at dinner was an amazing and magical experience sitting among everyone talking about everything under the stars as rain poured around us but not on us, lightning cracked the sky and laughter filled the air. If you ever get the chance to go to one of Sam’s dinners, go. Just make sure you eat a lot and drink a lot of water with each cork pop!

The next day was back to another kind of farm, Apple Annie’s Orchard, a family farming space owned and operated by John and Annie Holcomb, son Matt and wife Alicia, daughter Mandy and husband David Kirkendall and John’s father, Don. The 4,300 elevation offers perfect weather for pick your own fruit and vegetable growing area in Arizona for pumpkins, delicious sweet corn, melons, pumpkins and many other vegetables.

Fortunately for me, the next morning was a late start at Apple Annie’s Orchard.

Ripe apples for the season ready for the picking at Apple Annie’s Orchard.

Apple Annie’s Orchard is an experience not just an orchard. There are smaller markets for those that just want to grab a few things and even more space to roam on another farm down the road.

It was packed by 11 a.m. at Apple Annie’s Orchard!

You can pick your own apples or buy them pre-picked in the shade at Apple Annie’s Orchard.

The Orchard Grill offers apple wood smoked bacon burgers and this gooey pile of yum hit the spot at Apple Annie’s Orchard. There’s also hot dog meals but make sure you get some pie too!

Apple cider donuts to die for at Apple Annie’s Orchard, sometimes lines snake down the parking lot!

We soon found Mandy who walked us through the orchard, I had no clue there were apples named Jonathan like my nephew!

Mandy picked some peaches for us at Apple Annie’s Orchard.

Not only just farm items, they have created a huge brand at Apple Annie’s Orchard.

Any pickled item you can think of at Apple Annie’s Orchard farm store. I would eat all of this!

The spreads look amazing as well at Apple Annie’s Orchard.

Don’t forget to try the apple pie… it was next level and took me back to my gramma Hepler’s pies as a child at Apple Annie’s Orchard! The fall and autumn everything is huge here as well, it’s a corn maze and pumpkin patch picture oasis, certainly worth a visit with the friends and fam.

After I stuffed myself silly, it was time for the Rex Allen Museum. You will notice his name and street name everywhere in Willcox, Arizona. He is a legend so much so there’s a whole building dedicated to him and cowboys and cowgirls like him! According to the website, “born Rex Elvie Allen (1920-1999) to Horace Allen and Faye Clark, Rex grew up on a homestead 40 miles north of Willcox. Rex was a real cowboy who became the last of the singing cowboys of Western movie fame.” Inside the museum, opened in 1989 to honor the famous home-town boy, you’ll see memorabilia from his lifetime success in rodeo, radio, movies and television.

Make sure you head here earlier in the day as they close early at 3 p.m. at the Rex Allen Museum. You’ll hear him crooning down the street on the outside speakers!

Quite the showman as you walk through the front door to this painting at the Rex Allen Museum.

A beautiful beginners guitar, he started playing as a teenager.

And soon found fame and fortune with all that talent at the Rex Allen Museum!

Rex Allen was a fan of blinged out over the top costumes and of course designer cowboy boots.

Across the street from the museum is a larger-than-life bronze statue of Rex, created by sculptor Buck McCain. Inside the statue is a molded bronze heart with arteries, symbolizing that Rex’s heart will always be in Willcox. Rex’s horse, KoKo, is buried at the foot of the statue.

The heat was hitting me hard that morning so after checking in at the nearby Days Inn Willcox, I took a much needed power nap to continue the day’s explorations in the wine world! It’s a tough job but someone has to do it.

Also with a vineyard located near Pillsbury Wine, Carlson Creek Vineyard has a tasting room in town.

The tasting room at Carlson Creek Vineyard included some neighbors of mine, so random!

When on a tasting tour, just give the pourer flavors you like and dislike so they can take it from there at Carlson Creek Vineyard.

Went with some whites first like this clean riesling and just a barely there tasting at Carlson Creek Vineyard.

Soon she talked me into reds and this award winning Rule of Three was excellent at Carlson Creek Vineyard.

This desert wine Sweet Adeline was a great way to end my tasting at Carlson Creek Vineyards. They were super generous with their pours and weren’t expecting me but accepted me with open arms. And they are still sharing social media posts I made because teamwork makes the dream work, thanks gang. Let’s connect further next trip down South!

There’s always time to get each town’s mural in Willcox, AZ. I think it’s my new thing!

Right across the railroad tracks and street is Keeling Schaefer Vineyards tasting room.

Loving the interior of this space, it’s open and airy like an art gallery at Keeling Schaefer Vineyards.

A seating area if you’re more of a couch wine drinker at Keeling Schaefer Vineyards.

Beautiful display of wine at Keeling Schaefer Vineyards.

These sticky sweet wines honoring kokopelli also hit the spot at Keeling Schaefer Vineyards.

This building alone is a pastel loving vibe in Willcox, AZ and houses multiple wine tasting options.

When you walk inside with the original walls in Willcox, AZ.

To the left is Golden Rule Vineyards owner Dale who was expecting me!

Back to blanc (white) wine at Golden Rule Vineyards, this was light and refreshing.

Also digging on this Manzoro Red and the label at Golden Rule Vineyards.

He also grows and sells these delicious pistachios that make a great palate cleanser at Golden Rule Vineyards.

Right across the way was Copper Horse Vineyard owner Eric Desfachelles who asked us to try his French style wine. Being my favorite kind, I was curious.

Eric has a very small vineyard but offers amazing flavors at Copper Horse Vineyard. Not a basic bitch chardonnay by any means, this bottle just tastes like Paris.

Another outstanding flavor balance with a bottle of rose at Copper Horse Vineyard.

And the most decadent cabernet sauvignon at Copper Horse Vineyard. We’re glad Eric nabbed us as his tiny vineyard is certainly a hidden gem!

After all that wine tasting, I was starving and right down the street was this can’t miss BBQ jawn in Willcox, AZ.

Big Tex BBQ is a great place to soak up all that delicious wine in Willcox, AZ!

Battered green beans sounded good at Big Tex BBQ.

And the Big Tex Super BBQ plate was enough for two or more but I did it partial justice until the monsoon came and rained me inside! With a huge iced tea, this will really fill you up for only $20.

It was back to the Days Inn Willcox hotel that night for a good rainy night’s sleep (the best ones) before exploring some more the next morning. After all that gluttony, I really needed some exercise so wanted to make sure I was well rested for my adventures at Chiricahua National Monument. I was up and at ’em (kind of, as much as not a morning person can be) full of caffeine and ready to explore the grottoes.