RUNE WITH A VIEW

In history books, a rune is a letter of an ancient Germanic alphabet. In Southern Arizona, it's the name of a new winery – one that pairs award-winning viogniers and mourvèdres with spectacular views of the Mustang Mountains.

On a patch of high-desert grassland along State Route 82, James Callahan (pictured) has been crafting Rune Wines, one of the latest additions to Sonoita's winemaking culture, since 2015. In 2016, he built a tasting room, but given the stunning scenery, it's no surprise that visitors usually sample Rune's offerings at an outdoor sitting area. This year, Callahan plans to add a vineyard and start growing grapes in the moisture-retaining Sonoita soil – a big part of why the region was named Arizona's first American Viticultural Area in 1984. Callahan, who grew up in the Phoenix area and worked as a server before getting into winemaking, clearly has a knack for the craft: In the past two years, Rune wines have won awards for best mourvèdre, grenache, shiraz and viognier. If you'd like to try them for yourself, the tasting room is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Rune Wines is located at 3969 State Route 82, between mile markers 39 and 40, in Sonoita. For more information, call 520-338-8823 or visit www.runewines.com.AH