Cottonwood: The Heart of Arizona Wine Country

Old Town Cottonwood

Cottonwood, Arizona

Heart of Arizona Wine Country

By Kyla Allen, City of Cottonwood

The city of Cottonwood, once a sleepy town which travelers passed through when visiting the nearby communities of Sedona and Jerome, is now a tourist destination. In the heart of Arizona, nestled in a green valley near the base of Mingus Mountain, Cottonwood—once one of the best kept secrets in Northern Arizona—is now a successful bustling destination.

Cottonwood was one of the few communities in Northern Arizona where the commercial industry actually grew during the recent recession. That is directly attributed to a forward thinking City Council, a visionary City Manager and an Economic Development Director who had what it takes to get it done.

Focusing on the Old Town, city staff made it a goal to revitalize the area, with the first milestone being the wooing of entrepreneur Eric Jurisin, the owner of the Old Town restaurants Nic’s Italian Steak & Crab House and The Tavern Grille. These two establishments gave Old Town the credibility needed to court other businesses. Then, seeing the potential of this diamond in the rough, local wineries began opening wine tasting rooms and retail establishments followed. 

With natural destinations such as the Verde River, state parks, national monuments and wilderness areas, plus the added attraction of Old Town Cottonwood with its historic feel and wine tasting rooms—serving award winning wines produced right here in the Verde Valley—Cottonwood now attracts thousands of visitors each year.

The city of Cottonwood also recently went through an extensive rebranding process and is now known as the “Heart of Arizona Wine Country,” with a new logo and renewed commitment to the community. Cottonwood is the economic heart of the Verde Valley. With an array of businesses, county offices, a transit system, major hospital and numerous medical facilities. Cottonwood also opened a new Recreation and Aquatics Center with state of the art equipment, a dance studio, indoor leisure pool, community events hall, gymnasium, climbing wall, and electronic game room for the entire family. This facility attracts visitors from throughout the Verde Valley and is a quality of life attraction for those looking to relocate. In addition to this facility, the outdoor pool was also renovated and is now an Arizona Interscholastic Association officially sanctioned venue for state swim meets.

Annual events include the Old Town Main Street Holiday light show, the Independence Day Fireworks Extravaganza, Walkin’ on Main Street community event, Thunder Valley Rally motorcycle event and the Tilted Earth Wine and Music Festival. Other annual events included the Brian Mickelsen Memorial Marathon, annual Easter Egg Hunt, Verde Valley Fair, Verde River Day, Farmers’ Market & Jamboree, and the annual Chocolate Walk and Christmas Tree lighting.

One of the lesser known facts about Cottonwood is that it was once the bootleg capital of Arizona. In the 1920s Cottonwood was known as the “biggest little town in Arizona.” Speakeasies lined Old Town Main Street, and underground tunnels ran below the street allowing nefarious activities to go on unseen. Though the tunnels have long ago been sealed, many of the structures remain and the colorful history is ever present. Galleries, antiques, shops, amazing cuisine, an olive oil tasting business, wine tasting rooms and the Cottonwood Hotel line Main Street, providing a wonderful ambiance in the Old Town historic district.  

Cottonwood is a diverse, growing community nestled in the beautiful high desert of Arizona. We invite you to come and explore the many benefits Cottonwood and the Verde Valley have to offer.  To learn more, visit www.cottonwoodaz.gov, or http://cottonwoodchamberaz.org/, http://www.vvwinetrail.com/.