Rune Wines

The scenery of the Sonoita area includes the Mustang and Whetstone mountains, along with panoramic views of high-desert grasslands dotted with yuccas. Those views are what drew James Callahan (above, left), winemaker and owner of Rune Wines, to literally put down roots in the area, opening his off-grid, solar-powered tasting room focused on celebrating the unique topography of Southern Arizona.

Callahan grew up in the Phoenix area and graduated from Arizona State University. He worked as a restaurant server while building his interest in wine. He says he loved the opportunity to share and pour bottles for customers, but his passion grew even more in 2007, when a winemaker walked into the restaurant and offered Callahan the opportunity to work his first harvest. “I had already been thinking about it, but it happened serendipitously,” he recalls.

After the harvest in Tempe, Callahan worked at wineries in Washington’s prolific Walla Walla wine region; spent time in New Zealand, where he focused on pinot noirs and sauvignon blancs; and worked at Kosta Browne Winery, on California’s Sonoma Coast. There, he quickly transitioned from harvest intern to cellar master — and earned recognition for a top-scoring pinot noir the same year.

From the get-go, though, Callahan knew he wanted to be making wine in Arizona. So, he made his way to Willcox to work for Aridus Wine Co., learn from area winemakers and make connections. Rune Wines began in 2013, when Callahan purchased land right off State Route 82. Later, he consulted for other wineries and became the winemaker for nearby Deep Sky Vineyard and Autumn Sage Vineyards. That work has continued, and he’s built his own business along the way. And he’s done so just the way he wanted.

“When I bought the land, the nearest power was a mile and a half away, but that worked for me,” he says. “I have always been passionate about sustainability. I knew that if I did something, I wanted to do something really cool. I wanted to take on a challenge that would be fun and make something unique.”

“No power, no problem” was the motto. Callahan purchased an arch-shaped steel Quonset hut to serve as a frame, poured the concrete slab for his tasting room and began building it out over six years. “We started with six solar panels; we now have 70,” he says. The first bottle sale for Rune came in 2015, after the creation of an outside tasting space to introduce people to the brand before construction was completed.

Inspired by that original outdoor setup, Callahan has continued to build out the property, inviting visitors to wander and enjoy the landscape that drew him here. He built masonry stairs and a trail system, which now offers more than 2 miles of trails for guests to explore. There’s room to sit inside, too — but the views from the shaded outside seating areas can’t be beat.

As Callahan’s tasting room offers a way to connect with the Southern Arizona landscapes in a natural way, so do his wines. The on-site vineyards produce grenache, syrah and Viognier grapes, which are turned into estate wines under the Glyph label. Additional grapes are sourced from every other growing region around the state, including the Willcox, Verde Valley and Sonoita viticultural areas. Callahan pays homage to those vineyards through the artwork on the labels, giving each its own character and building a storyline to weave it all together.

Callahan’s winemaking approach and style are just as intentional. While many wineries introduce specific yeast strains to pressed grapes to begin the fermentation process, Callahan lets nature take control — something he’s been doing since day one. “We had fermentations take off naturally — the grapes were a bit warmer and went off with wild fermentation,” he says. “That turned out to be much more nuanced and complex than results with commercial yeasts.” It started with his flagship Wild Syrah, a co-ferment with syrah, Viognier, malvasia and Roussanne grapes that remains Rune’s most popular wine.

While Callahan has fine-tuned his methods, he’s remained passionate about the qualities of each grape varietal. It’s an ethos that wine lovers have found interesting, too, and one that makes a visit to Rune about more than enjoying a tasting or sharing a bottle. It’s about embracing the nuances of the natural landscape and what it can offer us — all while slowing down long enough to take in the view.