BY MISTY MILIOTO
Serving as vice president of the Verde Valley Wine Consortium (VVWC) from 2009 to 2022 — and then being named president of the nonprofit organization in 2023 — Paula Woolsey knows her stuff when it comes to viticulture. In fact, since 2009, Woolsey has been teaching through the VVWC’s College Viticulture program and serving as a wine educator at Yavapai College.
“Education is very important to me; watching students progress to the ultimate goal of their chosen diploma is very gratifying,” she says. “So is creating an educated workforce to take on the jobs of furthering the local economy.”
Last August, the Arizona Governor’s Conference on Tourism named Woolsey (who also owns a wine industry consulting firm dubbed Cellar Door Unhinged) as the Hall of Fame Winner for the 2024 Arizona Governor’s Tourism Award.
In 2008, when the VVWC was first formed, it included fewer than than 40 members, and there were only 12 wineries in the entire state. Today, the organization boasts 82 voting members consisting of 25 wineries (some are both wineries with vineyards, and some are wineries with tasting rooms), businesses, and individuals.
“Included in the 25 member wineries, we also have four wineries from outside of the Verde Valley that are considered associate wineries,” Woolsey says. “[There are also] 256 non-voting members, so, in all, [we have] close to 290 members. This growth is due to hard work and dedicated individuals making wine, selling wine, and marketing the region for the past 20 years.”
In 2010, in conjunction with the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce, the VVWC created the Verde Valley Wine Trail (a separate nonprofit organization for which Woolsey serves as vice president on the board of directors). Today, it features 28 tasting rooms and wineries. “Anyone who has a tasting room/winery in the Verde Valley is automatically on the wine trail,” Woolsey says. “Some of the tasting rooms/wineries on the trail come from out of the Verde Valley and are not members of the VVWC.”
Those who are members of the VVWC enjoy a number of benefits ranging from discounts and wine events to quarterly meetings and wine-related business listings. “Overall, we are a voice for all of the wineries in the Verde Valley and beyond,” Woolsey says. “Our mission and vision statements are the focus of what we are all about.”
The VVWC creates marketing programs to build awareness of the Verde Valley as a premium wine region, ultimately stimulating interest and demand for Arizona wines and wine grapes. The organization also hosts promotional programs that attract tourism and generate traffic through Verde Valley’s wineries, tasting rooms, restaurants, hotels, and shops. The VVWC also offers education and research programs, plus legislative support to protect member property rights, water rights, rights to farm, and sustainability.
Made up of long-time proponents of the Verde Valley, the VVWC has several initiatives to further advance the region. In addition to creating the Verde Valley Wine Trail and its accompanying mobile app, the VVWC also was the driving force behind the Southwest Wine Center at Yavapai College, which offers hands-on education programs.
The VVWC has been a sponsor for many events and symposiums over the years, including Wine And Dine in the Vines and the Emerging Winemakers Competition. Additionally, the VVWC is now waiting on final approval through the Arizona Department of Transportation for a Verde Valley Wine Trail license plate. “The revenue generated will go to the Verde Valley Wine Trail,” Woolsey says. “Monies will be used to support the wineries and fund the trail.”
VVWC also worked for six years to get the Verde Valley to be legally defined as an AVA (American Viticultural Area) in 2021. The Verde Valley AVA, encompassing approximately 200 square miles in Yavapai County, Arizona, is located within the larger valley of the Verde River. This region of the AVA has been referred to as the Verde Valley since 1583, when the Spanish explorer Antonio de Espejo recorded his travels in the area. “Most of the wine producers in the Verde Valley are sustainable growers,” Woolsey says.
In her new role as president, Woolsey also is continuing her work in sustainability. “One of our most important concerns is water usage,” she says. “We work tirelessly educating people on the virtues of growing grapes as a low-water- consuming crop. Water in Arizona should be important to all farmers and consumers.”
Overall, Woolsey says that the Verde Valley has grown as a destination by leaps and bounds. “Old Town Cottonwood was a ghost town before the first wine tasting room was opened,” she says. “The launching of the trail, the advent of the AVA, and all of the work with our municipal partners and the Arizona Office of Tourism have all contributed to marked growth for all of the rural destinations in the state of Arizona.”
For more, visit www.verdevalleywines.org, www.verdevalleyava.org, and www.vvwinetrail.com
