Wine

Item Description

Kief-Joshua Vineyards
370 Elgin Road
Elgin, Arizona 85611
kjvineyards@gmail.com.
(520) 455-5582

(1) Gift Certificate for a Private Tasting for 8 People at Kief-Joshua Vineyards

Make a reservation with your friends and head to Kief-Joshua Vineyards to sample their locally crafted wines.

About the Vineyards

Our History
Kief-Joshua Vineyards is a small family business with 20 acres in beautiful Elgin and 40 acres in Willcox Wine Country. Our Elgin tasting room is open daily and is situated right in the middle of what is know as "winery row." The Sonoita Arizona Wine Tour boasts of ten different tasting rooms and was selected by USA Today as one of the top ten wine trails in the United States.

Our first planting was in 2005 and we have about 15 acres under vine, consisting of such varieties as Tempranillo,Mourvedre, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Syrah, Zinfandel, Reisling, Semillion and Viognier. Our first harvest and Estate wine release from our vineyard in Sonoita was in 2008. We will be planting on our 40 acre vineyard, located in Kansas Settlement in 2012.

The idea to start a vineyard and winery stemmed from a long standing hobby of winemaking and gardening at home. "Kief was making wine in his home in Tempe," said Jeff Manning, Wine Sales Manager. "The day we tasted his lemon wine, which was made from fruit off a tree in his backyard, I knew he had found his passion."

In 2002, after the decision was made to open a winery, the house was sold, the property purchased and Kief Manning left Arizona State University, to pursue Viticulture studies in Australia, where he earned both a graduate and undergraduate degree in Viticulture and Enology.

Kief practices traditional winemaking methods of minimal interference, open fermentation and barrel aging. In 2006, Kief eliminated the use of herbicides and pesticides in the vineyard. "We strive for excellence in winemaking and sustainability in our vineyard," says Kief. "With time, I hope to produce outstanding Arizona wines that demonstrate the intensity, richness and complexity of the area."

Kief-Joshua Vineyards is a winery defined by family, passion and enthusiasm. We're committed to winemaking that will exceed your expectations.

Our Vineyard Philosophy
At Kief-Joshua Vineyards we specialize in dry, full-bodied wines, that are crafted by hand using traditional methods of barrel aging and gentle handling to produce top quality wines for any occasion.

Our Vineyard practices are customized to match the particular characteristics of the soil to help the vines produce the best fruit possible, and to in turn, achieve the best wine possible. Directed by Kief Manning, his team implements irrigation and nutrient regimes, trellis system and canopy management, rootstock and clone combinations, and pruning and cane selection for each block within a vineyard. Because of the land’s diverse geological makeup, even within one vineyard parcel there may be several different types of soil with different degrees of nutrients for vines and water-holding capacity.

In addition, Kief practices sustainable farming techniques, such as composting, planting cover crops and other plant species to avoid soil erosion, add desirable nutrients back to the soil and to attract desirable insects, and integrating animals to naturally enhance biodiversity and nutrient recycling.

Striving for Environmentally Friendly Vines
Kief-Joshua Vineyards is practicing sustainable farming techniques to help protect the land. Kief realized early on that to achieve his goal of producing memorable wines of outstanding quality, he needed to start in the vineyards and not focus solely on the winemaking. Inspired to meet present goals while preserving the land for future generations, Kief made the commitment to implement sustainable farming techniques from vineyard to bottle. The vineyard is free of herbicides and pesticides, and this environmentally sound approach will continue to be implemented over the years.

Weed Control
Kief-Joshua uses Kimko equipment to eliminate the weeds effectively without the use of herbicides. Baby Doll sheep, an ancient breed measuring only two feet tall at maturity, have been integrated into the vineyard rows to graze on the green grass and weeds, enhancing both biodiversity and nutrient recycling. This practice will decrease the use of harsh pesticides to eradicate weeds and grasses, as well as the cutting down on emissions to the air.

Integrating Wildlife Into the Vineyard
The addition of nesting boxes, hawk perches and bird houses for various species will be situated around the vineyard, and will be an integral part of the sustainable program. Attracting desirable owls and bird species to patrol the vineyards will also decrease the amount of gophers and rodents that can pose a problem in the vineyard. We are also hatching praying mantis to aid in the elimination of unwanted creatures.

Organic Recycling and Crop Nutrition
Kief-Joshua Vineyard ensures natural crop nutrition by recycling organic matter, such as discarded and collected grape stems, for use as mulch in the vineyards, and the use of naturally occurring cover crops. These practices have many benefits: use of mulch in the vineyard and planting of cover crops adds back desirable, rich, moist and long lasting nutrients to the soil and helps prevent soil erosion; the integration of desirable plants throughout the vineyards attract advantageous insects which helps to naturally resist pest and disease attacks from undesirable species.

Recycling Wine Barrels
In lieu of discarding the wine barrels, Kief and Jeff are turning the old barrels into high-top barrel tables, end-tables, candle holders, bottles racks, clocks, chandeliers and baskets. All are reasonably priced and for sale in our tasting room.

About the Proprietors

Kief Joshua Manning, Winemaker
Kief grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona and first started making beer and wine in his closet while attending classes at Arizona State University. When he finally made lemon wine from a tree in his backyard, it was so delicious that plans to start a vineyard in Arizona Wine Country were inevitable. From the moment he decided to open Kief-Joshua Vineyards, Kief immersed himself into every aspect of the business. His firsthand experience was complemented by a graduate degree in enology and viticulture at the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Kief, who also earned his undergraduate degree in Australia in Wine Technology and Marketing, is working full-time in his vineyard South of Tucson. Inspired by the dream to sustain his vineyard for hundreds of years, Kief is determined to grow vines that are virtually free of all pesticides and herbicides. He is and avid reader and is focusing his attention toward a holistic farming approach developed in the 1920s by the Austrian scientist-philosopher Rudolf Steiner. While this philosophy encompasses many principles of organic farming, such as the elimination of all chemicals, it goes further, requiring close attention to the varied forces of nature influencing the vine. It also emphasizes a closed, self-sustaining ecosystem.

Jeff Manning, Wine Sales Manager
Jeff, an Ohio native, moved to Arizona in 1983 in order to pursue a degree in International Business and Marketing from Arizona State University. He worked in private label, food and alcohol distribution, prior to operating a shutter manufacturing business in Phoenix. When Jeff’s father, William Manning (who sadly died just before Grand Opening), started asking questions about vine spacing and canopy management, Jeff was surprised to learn his father worked on a vineyard in his youth.

Charlene Manning, Press Relations
Charlene earned an undergraduate degree in Journalism and a master’s degree in Mass Communications and Marketing from Arizona State University. She has volunteered for the Arizona Adopt a Greyhound Organization since 1992 and is an avid pet lover. At many times, tasters may see numerous dogs at the vineyard thanks to Charlene, who is now in love with Baby Doll Sheep. Luckily for Jeff, her plans to buy wallabies fell through. Her Grandfather grew grapes in Leetonia, Ohio and in Calabria, Italy.

Carly Manning, Arizona Wine Sales
Carly grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona and earned a degree in Communication from Arizona State University and an associates degree in Respiratory Therapy. Carly also works for Scottsdale Healthcare-Osborn Campus. She loves her brother's wine and it is her passion to see it on store shelves.

Dizzie Gillespie, Wine Blog Star
Born on January 13, 2006, Dizzy has enjoyed prowling the vineyard and visiting tasters whenever he is not asleep on the couch. He is a listed as a tasting highlight on the Seattle Wine Blog. Dizzy’s favorite pastime is smelling the vines each morning before he starts his day.

Item Special Note

Winery Tour Reservation Required. We are open seven days a week, from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm. Private functions and group tastings are available by appointment only. Please call 520-455-5582 or email us at kjvineyards@gmail.com for details. Winning bidder will receive a ticket and must make arrangements with winery.

Winner must pick up at our main studios during regular business hours, 220 S 4th Avenue, Tucson AZ 85701, or it can be mailed at no charge.