SONOITA — A friendly bit of advice if you trek down here to Arizona Hops and Vines: Watch out for Bob.
He bites.
Bob Marley the goat has these cool, rasta-colored balls covering the poke-y ends of his horns, but those aren’t what you have to look out for. Beware those blunt chompers. Oh, he’ll act friendly. Do not be fooled.
Bob’s sociability issues aside, the rest of the four-legged crew at Hops and Vines is incredibly charming. Lola the Australian shepherd is lovely. Elton John the rabbit, Harriet Tubman the turtle and the chickens are all quite chill.
A petting zoo at a winery? Yup, that’s pretty unusual, but then, so is Arizona Hops and Vines.
This is a place that takes the “h” out of wine — kids are not only welcome, they’ll actually have a good time.
When sisters Megan Austin Haller and Shannon Austin Zouzoulas, along with their friend Summer Cantu, opened the winery in March, they wanted something family-friendly. After all, they didn’t discover the wonders of wine until they became moms.
“Nothing makes you want to drink more than children,” Haller said. “We figure we’d better keep ’em busy while you drink.”
Hence the petting zoo. And the games — cornhole, tetherball and horseshoes are scattered outside the tasting room, a remodeled home on the 10-acre property. The grounds are landscaped with a trickling fountain and small pond, surrounded by chairs and benches, all perfect places to sit and sip and take in the rolling green hills of Arizona’s wine country.
Read the full story in Thursday's Caliente.
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