With endless speculation on the completion and release of the next Tool album, the perpetually busy Maynard James Keenan found time to open a new wine tasting room, this time in the historic Old Town sector of Scottsdale, Arizona.
"We are a blossoming wine region," the singer told Fox 10 Arizona News. "There's a lot of very well-made wines in this state that go toe-to-toe with international wine and not a lot of people know about it." Keenan elaborated on the growing wine industry in the area, noting the cluster of wineries popping up will help attract tourists to the area seeking a wine-centric adventure which in turn will draw them out into the vineyards of Sedona. The front man is a famous connoisseur of the drink and owns a vineyard in Jerome, Arizona called Caduceus Cellars.
This new establishment, called Merkin Vineyards Old Town Scottsdale, will keep the spotlight on the wine, but Keenan says the company is working with local breweries to provide a few beer options as well. As far as food options, he tells the news station, "We'll have cheese, Italian, Spanish cheeses and meats, but mainly, it'll be a vegetable menu." With the focus on regional wines so strong, the menu will also hone in on that locally-produced attitude with the fruits and vegetables coming from nearby farmers and pastas and breads prepared from scratch using Arizona Heirloom and Italian Milled Wheat Flour.
Find out more information on the restaurant by visiting its official website.
Take an inside look at Maynard James Keenan's wine-making process in Episode 1 of our exclusive 'Art of Work' series below:
