Sonoita is an elevated grassland wine-growing area in southern Arizona.
Sonoita’s growing environment is far removed from the hottest low desert. The regional association places it at roughly 4,500-5,200 feet, surrounded by several mountain ranges. Reddish-brown gravelly loam is characteristic of the area described by the association. The AVA is legally located across portions of Cochise, Pima and Santa Cruz counties. No statewide grape list is substituted for an AVA-specific planting survey.
Regional facts reviewed 12 September 2026.
Classifications.
- American Viticultural Area (AVA)
Sources and local evidence.
- Wine Regions (Arizona Wine Growers Association). Sonoita-specific elevation, surrounding mountains and gravelly loam; statewide grape lists excluded.
- Sonoita AVA: Climate, Soil and Topography (University of Arizona Cooperative Extension). AVA-specific climate mapping; growing-season temperature is a 1981-2010 baseline, not a current forecast or recent-vintage measurement.
- Established American Viticultural Areas (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau). Official AVA names, states, county membership and containment only; geographical boundaries do not establish grape varieties.
More from here: every wine region in USA, or the wider Arizona guide.
