Grassland and yucca on the Ash Canyon property below a sky island range, shown in evening light.
Press & contact

Ash Canyon, where the desert finds its spirit.

A shared sense of discovery in the sky islands of southern Arizona.

Coming 2027

Join the list
A bottle of Riparian white wine with its Ash Canyon label.
RiparianWhite blend

ISonoita & Elgin, Arizona

The place

Southern Arizona is a place that invites you to slow down and look a little closer. Open grasslands give way to mountain ranges, and the landscape changes with the light, the seasons, and the summer rains.

Here, on twenty-four acres in the Sonoita and Elgin wine country, we are creating Ash Canyon Distillery & Winery. Inspired by Ash Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains, our name reflects our connection to this landscape and the discoveries that come from exploring it.

We envision a place to enjoy thoughtfully crafted wine and spirits while taking in this vast landscape. We look forward to sharing this experience.

Evening light over the grassland on the Ash Canyon property, cloud resting on the mountain range beyond.
Evening over the property, Elgin, Arizona
Tall grass on the Ash Canyon property after the summer rains.
Grassland after the summer rains
Sunset sky in pink and gold behind a mesquite tree and a rocky peak on the property.
Sunset through the mesquite

IIChris & Tracy McCurry

Tracy and Chris McCurry standing on the Ash Canyon property, the mountain range behind them under a cloudy sky.
Chris and Tracy on the property
Chris and Tracy McCurry adding grain to a mash vessel, smiling up at the camera.
Chris and Tracy in training at Loaded Cannon Distillery
Chris and Tracy McCurry standing in a long barrel warehouse, rows of casks on both sides.
Visiting Saburomaru Distillery, near Toyama, Japan

Our story

We are Chris and Tracy McCurry, and we look forward to welcoming you to Ash Canyon. This project brings together our love of southern Arizona, our passion for wine and spirits, and our desire to create something we can share with others.

Our paths here began in different fields. Chris brings more than twenty-five years in aerospace and defense engineering, with a career built around turning complex ideas into working systems. Tracy’s career has centered on supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, through American Sign Language interpreting and program leadership. Her studies in herbs and botanicals inspire the recipes we’re developing for Ash Canyon.

Together, we bring an appreciation for precision, creativity, and a drive to create distinctive wines and spirits of exceptional quality. Years of training with a master distiller, hands-on distilling experience, and recipe development have shaped our approach to ingredients, flavors, and craftsmanship. We carry that experience and those values into the winery, distillery, and tasting room we’re building here.

What we’re creating

At Ash Canyon, our wines and spirits begin with an appreciation for craft, a curiosity for new flavors, and a connection to the place we call home.

Wines

Our wines will showcase regional grapes through familiar varietals and distinctive blends, including Riparian, our white blend, and a red blend bringing together Cabernet Franc and Sagrantino.

Spirits

Our spirits will include bourbon and malt whiskey, along with gins exploring classic, southern Arizona, and Japanese-inspired flavors. Local honey will inspire both mead and distilled honey spirits. We’re also creating a pepper-infused spirit using new-make whiskey and peppers from southeastern Arizona.

From the land

Southern Arizona ingredients will help shape what we make, from regional grapes, honey, and botanicals to locally sourced grains for our grain-based spirits. We also plan to grow grain on the property for select estate-grown, limited-batch offerings.

Ash Canyon's two copper stills, finished and standing in the Revival Stillworks shop.
Our stills, finished at Revival Stillworks in British Columbia. Photo courtesy of Revival Stillworks.

At the heart of our distillery will be custom-designed, handcrafted copper distilling equipment built by Revival Stillworks. Its craftsmanship reflects the care and attention we’re bringing to our wines and spirits.

IVTrail Notes

Every journey leaves a few notes worth keeping.

Our Trail Notes share the discoveries we make while exploring southern Arizona. Each bottle will carry a short trail note inspired by the region, whether a feature of the landscape, a native plant, or an encounter along the way.

Together, they connect our wines and spirits to the places and experiences that shape Ash Canyon, one bottle at a time.

The Riparian label: Ash Canyon, Riparian, 2025, Willcox, with a mountain range under a trail of stars.

Trail Note No. 01

Riparian

Water in Ash CanyonViognier & Roussanne

Named for the ribbons of water and green that run through dry country.

Stay on the trail

Follow along as Ash Canyon takes shape. We’ll share progress from the property, introduce our wines and spirits, and let you know when we’re ready to welcome you.

Media & contact

Press

Download our latest press release and media kit for background on Ash Canyon, our story, and what we’re creating.

Download media kit

PDF, four pages

Get in touch

Have a question or want to learn more? We’d be happy to hear from you.

Chris McCurryAsh Canyon Distillery & Winery

chris@ashcanyonaz.com
727-458-7998