Two of Arizona’s best-known winemakers, Maynard James Keenan and Eric Glomski, are going their separate directions, although each will remain in the state’s fledgling industry.
Keenan – singer for the rock bands Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer – and Glomski founded Arizona Stronghold in 2007. Today it’s the state’s largest (in volume) and best-selling winery.
Under a deal expected to be finalized next week, Glomski will get possession of the Camp Verde winery and the Arizona Stronghold brand. Keenan will get Stronghold’s 200-acre vineyard south of Willcox in southern Arizona.
Glomski also runs his own Page Springs Cellars. Keenan is winemaker at his own Caduceus Cellars. Neither of those wineries is affected by the deal.
Going forward, Glomski will be able to buy grapes from the former Stronghold vineyard for the next five years, then will transition to grapes from the Bonita Springs vineyard north of Willcox.
Keenan will rename his vineyard Buhl Memorial Vineyard after Arizona wine pioneer Al Buhl, who died in late 2013. Keenan already has a northern Arizona vineyard for Caduceus, so he will sell his southern Arizona grapes to other winemakers.
