Kief Joshua Vineyards

Specialties

Kief-​Joshua Vineyards is a small family business with 20 acres in beautiful Elgin and 40 acres in Willcox Wine Country. Our Elgin tasting room is open daily and is situated right in the middle of what is know as «winery row.» We specialize in hand-​crafted full bodied wines.

History

Established in 2003.

The idea to start a vineyard and winery stemmed from a long standing hobby of winemaking and gardening at home. In 2002, after the decision was made to open a winery, the house was sold, the property purchased and winemaker Kief Manning left Arizona State University, to pursue Viticulture studies in Australia, where he earned both a graduate and undergraduate degree in Viticulture and Enology.

Kief practices traditional winemaking methods of minimal interference, open fermentation and barrel aging. In 2006, Kief eliminated the use of herbicides and pesticides in the vineyard. «We strive for excellence in winemaking and sustainability in our vineyard,» says Kief. «With time, I hope to produce outstanding Arizona wines that demonstrate the intensity, richness and complexity of the area.»

Meet the Business Owner

Kief M.

Business Owner

The winemaker and co-​owner is Kief Manning. While attending college classes at ASU in Tempe, he decided that his long standing hobby of making beer and wine was his future. He discussed the idea with his parents, Jeff and Charlene Manning, while drinking a bottle of his lemon wine over dinner. His passion and desire lead to the opening of Kief-​Joshua Vineyards, with one requirement. He still needed a college degree. So Kief enrolled in Wine Marketing and Technololgy courses at Monash Unviersity in Australia. He found the courses so inspiring that he went on for a Master’s degree in Enology and Viticulture at the University if Melbourne.