Red rocks and red wine in Sedona

I was sitting on the shady deck of Page Springs Cellars near Sedona when the guy with a guitar launched into another John Prine tune. My wife stroked my arm -- she knows I'm a fiend for Prine -- and somewhere in the vineyard, a peacock screeched harmony. I sipped a wine called Mule's Mistake, that rolled across my tongue like clustered fruit on spiced wheels, and suddenly, the rest of the world just vanished.

Now this, I thought, is a wine tour!

Say Arizona and most people envision cactus, not cabernet. Yet between heat-spanked desert basins and soaring mountains, pockets of microclimates exist that echo some of the most famous wine regions of the world. Sedona's abundant sunshine and dramatic nighttime cool-downs, combined with rich volcanic soil and a good water source, create an ideal environment for hearty varietals. Page Springs Cellars, for example, focuses on varietals from the Southern Rhone, such as syrah, petite sirah, grenache and mourvedre.

Winemaking may seem like a trendy tourism wrinkle in Arizona, but actually dates back to the late 17th century when Franciscan missionaries planted the first vineyards in the state. One of Sedona's earliest settlers got the grape rolling in red rock country; Heinrich Schuerman arrived in 1884 and planted an orchard and vineyard. A few years later he was selling apples, peaches and wine to the logging camps of Flagstaff and miners in Jerome.

As wine novices, my wife and I set out to learn the intricacies of swirling and sniffing. We began our tour amidst the elegant shops of uptown Sedona. Art of Wine serves as the urban nerve center for all things grape-related and is the official tasting room for four different vineyards. Owner Scott Gisborne, generous with information and his pours, provided details of every wine's origin in a fast-paced friendly patter as we sampled a tasting flight of local creations.

"We travel the state and try all the wines, selecting the very best. So visitors can experience the ultimate of what these vineyards offer in one location," said Gisborne. "There's incredible things happening statewide but this area around Sedona is poised to become Arizona's version of Napa Valley. You've got the beautiful landscape, great weather and fabulous wines garnering national acclaim. It's a natural."

We drove south on Highway 89A for 10 miles before turning onto Page Springs Road. A handful of estate vineyards huddle along this winding country lane, three with public tasting rooms. Oak Creek inspires a lush greenbelt along the sloping flanks of House Mountain and it's easy to forget that you're anywhere near a desert.

After three miles, we pulled into the driveway of Javelina Leap, where owner Rod Snapp handcrafts an array of red wines, most prominently a big bold zinfandel. Why zinfandel? Because, that's the flannel-soft, jammy beast Snapp adores.

One of the beauties of the Sedona tour: All the wineries are small production facilities so what you experience are the passions of the winemakers. Every bottle has been doted over. Snapp makes no bones about the fact that he's just making the wine he likes to drink and we're welcome to come along for the ride.

He must have exquisite taste. His 2005 zin finished in the top five at the prestigious ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers) Festival in San Francisco last year.

Yet despite the accolades you'll find no evidence of wine snobbery. Before I knew what was happening, Snapp took me to the chilled cellar where we sampled one barrel after another, each swallow eliciting a shaggy grin from Snapp, thrilled by the character arc of his juice.

Right next door to Javelina Leap, the comfortable tasting room of Oak Creek Vineyards beckons. A gift shop overflowing with work by local artisans, a well-stocked deli case and picturesque wraparound porch make this an easy place to settle in for an afternoon. Oak Creek Vineyards specializes in crisp lean whites, aged in stainless steel to keep oaky notes from muscling in on the final product. The reds are velvety and full-bodied, just as owner Deb Wahl intended.

A half-mile down the road sits Page Springs Cellars. The small tasting room quickly fills up and crowds spill onto the two decks overlooking the achingly beautiful grounds. Crystal-throated Oak Creek carves a verdant slash through the property that is cradled by majestic cottonwoods, sycamores and Arizona ash.

My wife and I wandered the vineyard, carefully closing the gate behind us to keep the resident pest controllers from waddling off. Owner Eric Glomski employs ducks, chickens and weeder geese as part of an eco-friendly approach to nourishing and protecting the vines. Instead of petro-chemicals he uses cover crops, animal manure and ever-vigilant poultry.

It's part of Glomski's philosophy of respectful stewardship. As he outlines on his Web site, "We feel strongly that growing grapes, making wine and raising a glass is a cultural ritual that fosters friendship, brings together families and unites communities."

On Sundays, local musician Jon Weekly entertains with a set list guaranteed to transport anyone of a certain age. As he dipped repeatedly into the soundtrack of my vagabond youth, I sat, sipping -- utterly paralyzed with contentment.

It was explained the following day, when we visited the largest winery in the area.

Alcantara Vineyards sits at the confluence of the Verde River and Oak Creek in Cottonwood, where bald eagles nest and ancient petroglyphs adorn limestone caves at water's edge. The tasting room is an elegant Tuscan-style farmhouse overlooking rows of carefully tended vines. Owner Barbara Predmore, an exuberant self-proclaimed farmer, summed it up.

"With fine wine, everything slows down. You taste, you smell, you allow all your senses to become part of this. Hopefully, you're creating an emotion or experience that stays with you."

Mission accomplished. A little wine, a little Prine and lots of sunshine -- not a bad way to spend a Sunday in Sedona.