Brings experience on the East Coast to the Willcox-based winery
Willcox, Arizona, July 2024 — Jef Stebben has been named Winemaker at Aridus Wine Company, which is based in Willcox, Arizona. “We are delighted to welcome Jef to our team,” said founder/proprietor Scott Dahmer, in making the announcement. “His track record of producing high quality wines with meticulous management will be a great asset for Aridus,” Dahmer adds.
For the last 14 years Stebben has been the winemaker at Maple Springs Vineyard in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania, with wide responsibilities for winery activities beyond winemaking, from marketing to sales and vineyard management.
Stebben has over two decades of experience crafting wines of rare quality. His work has received critical acclaim from major wine publications and awards from competitions including the Governor’s Cup in Virginia and the Pennsylvania Sommelier Judgment. His goal is to consistently craft wines that compete on the world stage.
He holds an undergraduate degree in Fermentation Science from UC Davis and also graduated from the OIV Wine Marketing Course at UC Davis. Before arriving at Maple Springs, he was the winemaker for five years at Martin Estate in Napa Valley and did an internship at Opus One in Oakville. He has also made wine in diverse locations including Virginia and Washington state and he has been a speaker at The Winemaker Magazine Conference, ASEV Unified Symposium and other large-scale meetings and conferences. Since 2002 he has been a consultant to a number of wineries for programs including winemaking, vineyard management, winery design, staff training and more.
“I’ve always been fascinated with the American Southwest for its beauty as well as the uniqueness of its viticultural identity,” Stebben says. “I’m eager to bring my experience from other regions to bear on Aridus’ estate vineyards in the mountain desert,” he adds. With the 2023 vintage, Aridus wines are now sourced exclusively from its estate vineyard.
Stebben takes over from founding winemaker Lisa Strid, who was at Aridus for seven years.
This harvest will be the seventh from the winery’s 40-acre estate vineyard in Pearce, Arizona, which is about a 45-minute drive from the winery in Willcox. The vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Malvasia, Merlot, Tempranillo, Graciano, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Franc. The vineyard sits at an elevation of approximately 5,000 feet in the Chiricahua Foothills. “Our estate vineyard defines a unique mix of mountain and desert fine wine grape growing,” explains winery owner Scott Dahmer. The vineyard experiences an average of 13 inches of rain, 1 inch of snow and temperatures which average around 30 degrees in the cooler months to highs of around 94 degrees in the summer.
“I’m looking forward to harvest,” Stebben says, “whether we see a monsoon or a drought!”
Scott and Joan Dahmer founded Aridus Wine Company in 2012. The name comes from the Latin word meaning dry or arid, pronounced air-i-duhs.
The winery facility, at 28,000 square feet, is one of the largest winery facilities in the state, and houses state of the art wine making equipment. Surrounded by majestic mountains, the winery is an appealing combination of a historic setting and modern design. The building was once an apple warehouse; it was stylishly rehabbed with recycled local lumber and the interiors feature antique light bulbs and other unique design touches.
The winery’s current releases can be found at https://www.ariduswineco.com/purchase
Aridus Wine Company’s winery is located at 1126 North Haskell Avenue in Willcox and has two tasting rooms. One tasting room is near the winery, at 145 North Railview Avenue in Willcox: more at https://www.ariduswineco.com/willcox-tasting-room. The winery also has a tasting room in the Old Town neighborhood of Scottsdale, at 7173 East Main Street. More at https://www.ariduswineco.com/scottsdale-tasting-room . The winery offers tours by reservation: https://www.ariduswineco.com/aridus-winery.
