Joe Bechard fell in love with wine way back at the turn of the century while attending the University of Oregon in that state’s famed Willamette Valley.
Upon completion of journalism school in 2004, he accepted a reporting job – sight
unseen – at a small newspaper in Sedona, AZ. On this job, Joe got to know a few people
around the Verde Valley, including a few folks who were in the process of planting
vineyards and opening wineries. He immediately took an interest (maybe a little too
much interest) in the prospect of wine growing in Arizona’s high-
After 16 disenchanting months as a reporter and after weaseling his way into the periphery of the Verde Valley wine scene, Joe forever abandoned journalism in 2005 and went to a local winery to beg for a job in the cellar.
He has now done six harvests in Arizona and had the good fortune to work with grapes from at least seven vineyards in Southern Arizona and six vineyards in the Verde Valley. He has also seen fruit from more than 15 California vineyards all the way from Northern Napa Valley down to Santa Barbara and Paso Robles.
In his short career, Joe has, in some way or another, been involved in the wine making efforts of at least 10 Arizona wineries. His wines have won numerous awards and even garnered national attention.
A true wine geek who can find appreciation for almost any wine, Joe holds a special
place in his heart for Arizona wines. He believes our high-
“I’m most moved by wines that have some sort of mystery to them – wines that offer some sort of secret to unlock and that take a little thought.” he said. “Arizona fruit allows me to make the kinds of wines I truly love. These wines have the power to cause us to question what we think we know.”
Joe had worked with the Predmore’s and Alcantara Vineyards on a couple small projects in the past, but in December 2010, he became a permanent fixture in the winery.
“I’m excited to be working at Alcantara Vineyards,” he said. “This vineyard is poised to be one of the premier sites in the state. My job is simply to make sure that the beauty of this place is captured in its wines. We’re going to do some really cool things.”
Joe presently lives in Cottonwood with his wife Kris (who he met and fell in love with in Oregon), their two cats, Peetner and Dinto (who he also met and fell in love with in Oregon) and their puppy Ugni Blanc (who had no say in being named after grapes).
Joe Bechard
Wine Maker
Alcantara Vineyards and Winery
Verde Valley, Arizona
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