While most fans of Tool, a perfect circle, and Puscifer singer Maynard James Keenan complain about their first world problems like waiting for a new Tool album, Keenan’s real long time passion is wine. Through his brand Caduceus Cellars and his stake in Merkin Vineyards, he has brought an old world vintners’ sensibility, to the arid climes of Arizona for over a decade. According to Arizona Central and the Republic newspaper, that sensibility is coming to a new tasting store in Scottsdale Arizona. As one of the founding members of a new Arizona winemakers’ alliance, Keenan will help open a tasting shop in Old Town Scottsdale, about 2 hours south of Jerome, where Keenan lives, has his vineyard, and also a Puscifer Store. Merkin Vineyards Old Town location will be singer’s first tasting room in metro Phoenix — will take over the space that most recently housed Counter-Intuitive cocktail bar. Those searching for Arizona wine already can find a handful of tasting rooms in Old Town Scottsdale. But this spring, one of the state’s most famous winemakers will put down roots in the popular dining district. Keenan’s wine is made in the North of the state and distinctively different. The store has a tentative March open date planned. Kennan’s wines can be bought and shipped in the USA to states that allow wine sales, and are often found at concerts and festivals he performs at. 

Keenan commented:

“There’s a bunch of locations down in that area, so I just felt like it was a good move to create a little bit of a wine trail in that area. I just wanted to bring some of the northern Arizona (wines) down to that area to be there with the Sonoita and Willcox wines.”

“There’s a bunch of locations down in that area, so I just felt like it was a good move to create a little bit of a wine trail in that area. I just wanted to bring some of the northern Arizona (wines) down to that area to be there with the Sonoita and Willcox wines.”

“We’ll offer a few different things than we offer at the other locations but still keeping in mind we want you to come north, since that’s where the grapes are grown. It’s best to come check those things out.”

On the food side, Keenan says the Old Town tasting room will lean “a little bit more toward Italian tapas” than the Merkin Vineyards Osteria in Cottonwood, which specializes in fresh pasta.

“We should be able to supply quite a bit of that to the new Merkin Vineyards Old Town location. So sweet peppers, shishito peppers, any kind of pepper that can walk talk or scream along with some of our greens.”