Music, Wine and Good Spirits at 2017 Sonoita Wine Country Harvest Fest Today

Kief-Joshua Vineyards (KJV) will host its eighth annual Magdelena Bash & Harvest Festival on August 26, 2017, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at their Elgin tasting room, located at 370 Elgin Road. This festival will feature live music all day long, food vendors and artwork, henna tattoo artists and more.

KJV will be releasing several new wines including the 2015 Barrelhead Merlot, which is named in honor of the single barrel that fell off the rack, injuring and almost killing winemaker, Kief Manning.

"Only 270 bottles of the Barrelhead Merlot have been made," says winemaker, Kief Manning. "After all that happened, the wine turned out to be rich, dark and fruity with a dusty tannin. It truly displays the earthy characteristics of the Arizona terroir."

Since this accident lead to a series of events, such as a head-on auto accident that eventually led to a diagnosis of a rare lung cancer in December 2015, Kief decided that a portion of the proceeds from the 2105 Barrelhead Merlot will go to the non-profit organization carcinoid.org.

"The doctors told me that I most likely developed this rare cancer when I was 26 to 28 years old," said Manning. "I truly feel this wine barrel started the cycle that saved my life. I am forever grateful to Barrow's Neurosurgeon Brian Fitzpatrick, Md. for scanning below the neck and Doctors Kim Parker and Amir Awan of the Pulmonary Clinic of Scottsdale for their services."

This year's harvest festival will feature:

New wine releases include:
* 2015 Barrelhead, Merlot
* 2015 Magdelena, 80-percent Barbara 20-percent Cabernet Franc
* 2016 Viognier
* 2015 Late Harvest Zinfandel.

Live musical performances include:
- Caiden Brewer, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m .
- Cat Daddy & the 12 Barz Blues Band, 2-5 p.m.

Several Vendors include:
Henna tattoo artists, caramels & chocolates, pistachio farmers, goat milk soaps, photography artists, relishes, food trucks and more will be here for the enjoyment of the entire family.

Tasting fees:
$10 grants customers a souvenir glass and 5 (1oz) pours Or $7 if you bring a wine glass. For more information, please visit http://kj-vineyards.com/ or call 520-455-5582.

From Phoenix or Tucson: From Highway 10, take exit #281 - Rte 83 to Sonoita. Stay on 83 until you come to Elgin Road (mile marker 28) and turn left. Kief-Joshua Vineyards will be 3.7 miles on your left.

From Sierra Vista: I 90 to Rte 82 West, turn left on Upper Elgin Rd., the winery is 1 mile past the bridge on the right.

Save the dates:
*KJV is also celebrating the grand opening of the new vineyard and tasting room on September 16, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., located in Willcox Wine Country at 4923 E. Arzberger Road (a paved Road) in Kansas Settlement at the vineyard.

*The Southeast Arizona Wine Growers Festival, featuring 15 Arizona Wineries on March 10 and 11, 2018 at Kief-Joshua Vineyards-Elgin.

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