San Francisco Chronicle
Sunday March 8, 2026
Pillsbury Wine Company in Willcox AZ, in Sulphur Springs Valley in the southeastern corner of the state.
U.S. wineries excel at crafting unique varietals
By Carey Sweet
Owner Sam Pillsbury remembers the first time he tasted an Arizona wine in 1999. “It was the best Chard I had tasted in 25 years,” he said, which is notable since he has traveled the world tasting wines since the 1970s through his career as a filmmaker. “The Dos Cabezas wine was from a vineyard in Willcox. I drove down to see it, bought 40 acres (adjacent) and went into business with pioneer and Dos Cabezas founder Al Buhl, because we both wanted to make an Arizona Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

We planted half that land in Rhone varieties and Malvasia Bianca, and I was blown away.” That’s high praise for Willcox, a city that has never grown above 3,700 tucked in the Sulphur Springs Valley in the southeastern corner of the state. The area was not known for wine or much of anything.

​“I then bought 100 acres across the road for my own project, planted 13,000 vines, 12 varieties, mostly Rhones. And Chard, of course. Dijon clones,” Pillsbury said. “I sent my first batch off to the 2016 Chronicle Competition. I expected to get laughed out of town. But the medals rolled in.” Since then, Pillsbury has taken home two Best of Class, 11 double golds, 14 golds and 66 silvers. Last year, among other awards, his Malvasia was honored with a double gold, and his 2023 Chardonnay with a silver medal.

Today, Pillsbury is saluted as a pioneer who put the Arizona area on the map. As he figures out the future for his vineyards, his award-winning wines can still be found here: www.pillsburywine.com/findpillsburywine.html.
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WILLCOX TASTING ROOM
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PILLSBURY FRUIT SALES
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​Click here to read one of Sam's favorite articles.
Sam Pillsbury on the state of the Southern Arizona wine business
  • By Jimmy Magahern, Tucson Local Media Contributor
Fact about Sam, his first career was film making...
​click here to see a ​LIST of the movies he directed.

As industry pioneers retire,
​the future of Arizona wine hangs in the balance.
Sam Pillsbury planted his first vines in 2000.
​As he and others retire, a new generation strives to continue their legacy.

By Georgann Yara
May 13, 2025

He put Arizona's wine scene on the map. Now, he's stepping away from the vines
By Sarah Lapidus
Arizona Republic

Come Visit Sam at The Vineyard in Willcox
and Find the Exclusive Pillsbury Wine You Are Looking For

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SAM PILLSBURY IN THE WINERY

The Legacy Continues...

Watch Sam talk about Sustainability in Wine Making in this Video

This is Just a Fraction of What's Waiting For You at The Winery in Willcox
Get Your Exclusive Bottle of Pillsbury Wine Today!

  Shiraz 
​"Guns and Kisses" 


 OUR ROCK STAR RED, THIS BABY HAS WON 4 DOUBLE GOLDS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. FREQUENTLY ONE OF THE TOP 3 SYRAH’S ENTERED IN THE MOST EXPENSIVE SYRAH CATEGORY IN THIS MOST REVERED COMPETITION.
 
KNOWN IN FRANCE AS A COTE ROTIE (THIS MEANS BURNT HILLS, I THOUGHT IT WOULD LIKE OUR SUPER-HIGH MOUNTAIN VALLEY). IT’S A CO-FERMENT OF SYRAH WITH A LITTLE VIOGNIER (WE NORMALLY DO 3% VIOGNIER). CO-FERMENTING WITH VIOGNIER (AS OPPOSED TO BLENDING, WHICH HAPPENS AFTER FERMENTING), THE VIOGNIER CHANGES THE CHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF THE SYRAH, PRODUCING A DELICATE, HEADY, STUNNINGLY COMPLEX AND EXTRAORDINARY WINE, ARGUABLY ONE OF THE TOP SYRAHS IN THE USA.
                            
​                                     -SAM PILLSBURY

TERROIR

"I always thought there was too much generic food and wine in the world and I wanted to make wine that came from a place and was made by a person"
-Sam Pillsbury

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