Cornville

Founded: Mid-1880s (post office established)
County: Yavapai
Population: 3,362
Elevation: 3,455 feet
High School Mascot: Marauders (Mingus Union High School)

If you believe in local lore, Cornville was misnamed. As the story goes, Verde Valley pioneers intended to name the community either Cohnville or Coneville, after one of the families living there. When the paperwork returned from Washington, D.C., though, the pioneers’ submission had been read as “Cornville,” and the name stuck.

The Cornville post office was established around 1885, and today, the community is known for its terroir — which helps boost the region’s status as a major Arizona wine destination — as well as its access to the Verde River and the recreational opportunities that go along with it.

Judy Miller, a 28-year-resident of Cornville, moved to the community after retiring from a career in the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Now, she’s leading the effort to create a series of public murals for the Cornville Community Association. Most importantly, Miller is grateful for the opportunity to live in a place she calls “a little winding place of green.”

She says: “We’re like a little separate world. You drive out of Cottonwood, and you don’t even hardly know we’re there until you go over a certain hill and wind down certain roads, and then you see it. A lot of people call [Cornville] an oasis, because it’s green down through the valley. Oak Creek is a meandering creek and goes back and forth, back and forth, 23 miles through our postal area.”

That water nourishes the grapes that Verde Valley neighbors such as Maynard James Keenan — of rock band Tool and Caduceus Vineyards fame — and beloved Page Springs Cellars winemaker Eric Glomski use to highlight Arizona’s wine industry.

“We don’t have hotels or a grocery store or anything in Cornville,” Miller says. “We just have a couple of restaurants and a couple of gas stations nearby. And, of course, the vineyards. We’ve got five tasting rooms now. That’s been a new phenomenon. … It’s a simple life. People long for that.”
 

WHERE TO STAY

Taawaki Inn
This nearby hotel is the first Hopi lodging venture constructed off tribal land, and it features design elements that mimic traditional Hopi architecture: beams with wooden slats; a whitewashed look to the walls, to reflect the tribe’s seasonal cleansing rituals; and an extensive collection of original artwork, including a Duane Koyawena mural behind the reception desk. It’s located in Clarkdale, approximately a 15-minute drive from Cornville.
441 S. Broadway, Clarkdale, 928-365-9668, taawakiinn.com

Acoustic Cellars Lodge
Owned by Blues Hall of Fame musician Jay Morton, Acoustic Cellars Lodge is a boutique bed and breakfast. The property features lush gardens, walking paths, firepits, pickleball courts, and pastures with cows and alpacas. Five suites are available to guests, and the lodge is home to AZ Wine Crawler, a private tour of the area’s top wine destinations.
10580 E. Swinging Bridge Lane, Cornville, 833-225-6343, acousticcellarslodge.com
 

WHERE TO EAT
Up the Creek Bistro & Wine Bar
Located in a former gas station with  sweeping views of Oak Creek, this charming restaurant features a menu heavy on steak, elk and lamb dishes, as well as a wine list reflective of the neighboring vineyards. Chef and owner Jim O’Meally is also a mean piano player, entertaining guests with renditions of melodies, from Chopin, the Grateful Dead and more.
1975 N. Page Springs Road, Cornville, 928-634-9954, upthecreekaz.com

Manzanita Restaurant
The Manzanita has been serving traditional German food in the Verde Valley since 1991. Known for its unique menu — which includes sauerbraten and Wiener schnitzel, along with bison tenderloin and chicken Marsala — the restaurant is a Cornville staple. And, as you’d expect, it, too, has an extraordinary wine list.
11425 E. Cornville Road, Cornville, 928-634-8851, themanzanitarestaurant.com
 

ATTRACTIONS

Page Springs Cellars
In addition to a selection of its own wines, Page Springs Cellars offers an extensive menu of fresh, local cuisine, as well as tours of its vineyards and production facilities. The sustainable winery is also the host of the Tilted Earth music festival, which takes place each summer and benefits Friends of the Verde River and Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters.
1500 N. Page Springs Road, Cornville, 928-639-3004, pagespringscellars.com

Bubbling Ponds Fish Hatchery
Birders delight in the Bubbling Ponds Fish Hatchery, where it’s common to see western tanagers, cedar waxwings, northern cardinals and more. Of course, the hatchery, managed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, produces fish as well. Up until 1980, the hatchery raised trout; today, you’ll find endangered razorback suckers there.
1970 N. Page Springs Road, Cornville, 928-649-1297