Lightning Ridge Cellars

Great visit with the owner who gave us our wine tasting. Awesome location with great views.

This is such a friendly, inviting place. The owner Ann did our tasting, and she was such a kind spirit. We did both a wine and an olive oil/balsamic tasting. Yes, they sell olive oil made from their olive groves! Everything was top notch. My favorite of their wines was the soft sparkling, but the full Tuscan flavors were notable through their reds. The olive oils really shone, too. I ended up taking home bottles infused with habanero and garlic, and my friend took a balsamic with her. It didn't appear to be a "hang out" place with a large patio like other places, but the warmth and friendliness in the tasting room more than made up for it!

Lightning Ridge Cellars is a beautiful winery in the Sonoita/Elgin area. It is unique in comparison to others in the area because it also serves/sells olive oils and balsamic vinegars. You can follow up your wine tasting with an olive oil/balsamic vinegar tasting! Their olives are grown on the property, so you can see the trees (and the resident donkeys) when you visit. Their balsamic vinegar is the BEST I have ever tasted - we're always sure to load up on it whenever we drive down. Their wines are good, and the service is excellent. It is located off the main stretch, so make sure to carve out some extra time to stop by Lightning Ridge - you won't be disappointed!

Great Montepulciano! Beautiful testing room and location. The owners are friendly and often the ones in the tasting room serving us themselves.

Hands down the best AZ wine I've had. Also, the vineyard is beautiful and reminds me of Tuscany. Speaking of Tuscany, they specialize in Italian varietals here and they do them very well. The Montepulchiano was my favorite. The host was great and the new Great Dane puppy was adorable. I can't wait to see how big she is the next time I swing through.

I have only been here twice, but have added it to my must visit list every time i am in Sonoita and Elgin. Great wine, awesome tasting room, and the servers and customers are always friendly and willing to make conversation.

I met staff from Lightning Ridge at the Arizona Wine Festival and they were very nice. Tasty wines too!

Beautiful scenery and tasty wine! Friendly atmosphere and a place to have fun. Enjoyed learning about the pioneering experience and how cattle are instrumental in building diversity.

Ann was really helpful. Glad we went here first. Her glass ended up costing less than other wineries we visited. And we bought a bottle based on our tasting. Incredible to find rolling grasslands in Southern AZ with no cactus or mesquite.

LABLE ERRORWe were at Lightening Ridge on Sunday October 6. We were hesitant to go as the last time we were there we enjoyed a wine enough to bring a bottle home. It sat in the wine fridge for a couple months and we decided to open it and enjoy. We were both surprised at the poor quality. We wondered why we bought it but chalked it off as maybe too much tasting that day. This trip we went earlier. We had a great time. We enjoyed the 2014 Montepulviano enough to bring a bottle home again. When we got it home I noticed the label had a hand written 4 over the 7 of a 2017 label. It makes me wonder what is actually in this bottle and maybe that is why the wine we brought home the last time was a switch as well. I wouldn't think a 2014 would have been bottled any time close to when a 2017 label was available. I would take it back, but it is a long drive. We will open it eventually and see. Disappointing as we enjoyed the tasting.