VERDE RIVER VALLEY PADDLE TO WINE DAY TOUR ADVENTURE

Discover & Explore the Pristine and Picturesque Verde River Valley on a Kayaking to Vineyard Journey Through the Heart of Arizona’s Wine Making Region…and Enjoy a Great Day of Paddling, Wine Tasting and Fun & Adventure in Nature & the Outdoors in Cottonwood, Arizona!

Located just 1.5 hours north of Phoenix and just south of Sedona in Central Arizona is the beautiful and picturesque Verde River which meanders through the heart of the Verde River Valley with stunning scenery rich in natural beauty and rugged mountain vistas offering paddlers a spectacular outdoors journey. However, the Verde River Valley, which is comprised of up to 10 small towns and communities, there is much more to discover and explore!

Wine making and growing grapes is not at all new to Arizona. In fact, Arizona has a long history of wine production dating all the way back to the 16th century. It was the Spanish missionaries who first discovered planting grapes for the purposes of sacramental wine production for the Catholic Church. While grape growing continued throughout later centuries, according to historical information, it was the prohibition era that ended any significant wine production up until the 1980’s when after the Arizona Farm Winery Act of 1982 allowed for Arizona’s first winery to open in Sonoita, in southeastern Arizona.

It is Arizona’s rich volcanic soil and high desert climate similar to California and Argentina that makes it ideal for grape growing. Today, the Verde River Valley is one of Arizona’s three largest wine making regions with local vineyards each growing and producing their own unique variety of high-quality wines ranging from reds, whites, blended and sparkling that in the past few have gained popularity and recognition to Arizona one of the top regions for wine production in the world!

For adventure travelers like us, we can visit any one of Verde Valley’s vineyards & wineries that located along the “Verde Wine Trail” and sample Arizona’s wines on a wine tasting & vineyard tour while also enjoying nature & the outdoors through activities such as hiking, biking, kayaking & tubing, horseback riding, or wagon or jeep riding, making for a great day of travel, fun and adventure discovering and exploring the beautiful and amazing Verde River Valley Region of Central Arizona!

You are cordially invited to come join us for a great day traveling to Alcantara Vineyard & Winery located on the Verde Wine Trail, along the confluence of Oak Creek and the Verde River, where we’ll enjoy a ton of paddling fun and adventure discovering and exploring the beautiful and amazing scenery while kayaking on the Verde River, then upon our return 1.5 hours later, we’ll tour Alcantara Winery & Vineyard afterwards for a whole lot of fun, food, wine and adventure in the Verde River Valley, in Cottonwood Arizona!

For more information about Alcantara Winery & Vineyard, go to
Home - Alcantara Vineyard

For more information about the Verde Valley Wine Region, go to
The Best Insider's Guide to the Verde Valley Wine Region | Wander With Wonder

For a map of the Verde Wine Trail go to,
Printable Trail Map - Verde Valley Wine Trail - A Flavorful-Journey

VERDE RIVER VALLEY PADDLE TO WINE DAY TOUR ADVENTURE:
For this combination kayaking and vineyard tour, we will plan to meet Verde Adventures Tours at the Alcantara Winery & Vineyards parking lot in Cottonwood, Arizona where a shuttle will be waiting to transport our group to the put in point on the Verde River. After a brief orientation and getting our gear, we’ll launch onto the river for a pristine and scenic 1.5-hour journey down the Verde River. After reaching the take-out point at the confluence of Oak Creek & the Verde River, we’ll hike up shore to Alcantara where we’ll begin the vineyard and wine tasting tour from there.

WHATS INCLUDED:
For the unguided, Verde River kayaking part of this adventure with Verde River Adventures, the following is included:

-Individual inflatable kayak
-Personal flotation device (PFD)
-Paddle & Helmet
-Experienced guides
-Round trip shuttle transportation
-Tons of fun, fun, fun!

For the guided vineyard & wine tasting part of the tour at Alcantara Winery & Vineyards, the following is included:

-Vineyard tour with wine tasting
-Charcuterie, appetizers, and food items
-Additional $20 wine tasting credit per person good for wine tastings, food or gifts
-Knowledgeable guides
-Taxes & fees

WHATS NOT INCLUDED:
- RT Gas/transportation to/from Phoenix to Cottonwood
Gratuities for the guides (10-15%)
-Water, snacks & electrolytes for kayaking on the river
-Dry sack/bag
-Sun protection/hat, wiki/quick dry protective clothing
-Water shoes/sandals

SIGN UP & REGISTER:
To sign up and register for this special event, 1) RSVP, then 2) confirm your reservation and make your payment by contacting Laura Halik, group organizer.

PAYMENTS & DEPOSITS:
The total cost for this amazing combination river kayaking & vineyard wine tasting tour adventure is $181 per person. Payments can be made by Zelle, Venmo or PayPal to Laura Halik. Payments are fully refundable and must be paid in full by March 31st.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
-Please plan to meet the group at the meet up location to participate in this event.
-Car-pooling is highly recommended and can be arranged prior to the day of the event.
-As carpool riders, please be sure to bring extra cash for gas money for carpool drivers. Minimum $15-$20 is recommended.
-Air temps will be cooler in the early am, highly advisable to dress in layers.
-You will be getting wet and muddy on the river portion of this trip: Synthetic/quick dry clothing and river shoes/sandals with neoprene socks are highly recommended. Neoprene gloves to protect your hands are also recommended.
- Be sure to pack/bring plenty of water, energy snacks and electrolytes, plus hats and sunscreen for protection.
-Pack anything you need to bring with you on the river in a water-resistant dry bag/sack, ie your car keys, phones, and any other electronic equipment. Also to secure your pack within the kayak, it is advisable to bring a carabineer.
-Bring a change of dry clothing as there will be a private changing area available for you at Alcantara Winery & Vineyards.

***IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE***All participants must be at least 21 years old with a valid driver's license/photo ID. During the wine tasting & afterwards, highly advise to please remember to drink responsibly in accordance with Arizona law and have a designated driver for the ride home, if possible.

-Non-alcoholic beverages and food/menu items will be available to order.
-We will return to Phoenix by late afternoon. However, we will be allowed to stay for as long as we like at Alcantara Winery & Vineyards, which closes daily at 5 pm.

If you have any further questions regarding this special event, please let the event organizer know.

I hope you will come and join us for a great day of kayaking and wine tasting, fun and adventure and a spectacular discovery and exploration of the beautiful and pristine Verde River Valley, in Cottonwood, Arizona! 😊 Cheers, Laura Halik