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Our History
 Kief-Joshua Vineyards is a small family business that is situated on 20 acres in beautiful Elgin, Arizona, right in the middle of what has become known as "winery row." Our first planting was in 2005 and we have about ten acres under vine, consisting of ten different varieties: Tempranillo, Mourvedre, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Syrah, Zinfandel, Reisling, Semillion and Viognier. And we continue to expand our vineyards every year. Until our vineyards reach full maturity, we rely on sourced fruit, raw juice and bulk wine to fulfill our inventory. Our first harvest was in 2008 and an Arizona release is slated for late 2009.
The idea to start a vineyard and winery stemmed from a long standing hobby of winemaking and gardening at home. "Kief was making wine in his closet in Tempe," said Jeff Manning, Wine Sales Manager. "The day we tasted his lemon wine, which was made from fruit off a tree in his backyard, I knew he had found his passion."
In 2002, after the decision was made to open a winery, the house was sold, the property purchased and Kief Manning left Arizona State University, to pursue Viticulture studies in Australia, where he earned both a graduate and undergraduate degree in Viticulture and Enology.
Kief practices traditional winemaking methods of minimal interference, open fermentation and barrel aging. He has also been practicing Biodynamic growing procedures in the vineyard since 2006. "We strive for excellence in winemaking and sustainability in our vineyard," says Kief. "With time, I hope to produce outstanding Arizona wines that demonstrate the intensity, richness and complexity of the area."
Kief-Joshua Vineyards is a winery defined by family, passion and enthusiasm. We're committed to winemaking that will exceed your expectations.
Our Vineyard Philosophy
At Kief-Joshua Vineyards we specialize in dry, full-bodied wines, that are crafted by hand using traditional methods of barrel aging and gentle handling to produce top quality wines for any occasion.
Our Vineyard practices are customized to match the particular characteristics of the soil to help the vines produce the best fruit possible, and to in turn, achieve the best wine possible. Directed by Kief Manning, his team implements irrigation and nutrient regimes, trellis system and canopy management, rootstock and clone combinations, and pruning and cane selection for each block within a vineyard. Because of the land’s diverse geological makeup, even within one vineyard parcel there may be several different types of soil with different degrees of nutrients for vines and water-holding capacity.
In addition, Kief practices sustainable farming techniques, such as recycling organic matter for use as mulch in the vineyards, planting cover crops and other plant species to avoid soil erosion, add desirable nutrients back to the soil and to attract desirable insects, and integrating animals to naturally enhance biodiversity and nutrient recycling.
Striving for Environmentally Friendly Vines
Kief-Joshua Vineyards is practicing sustainable farming techniques to help protect the land. Kief realized early on that to achieve his goal of producing memorable wines of outstanding quality, he needed to start in the vineyards and not focus solely on the winemaking. Inspired to meet present goals while preserving the land for future generations, Kief made the commitment to implement sustainable farming techniques from vineyard to bottle. He has been practicing Biodynamics for two years, and will be continue implementing the program over the years.
 Weed Control
Kief-Joshua uses Kimko equipment to eliminate the weeds effectively without the use of herbicides. Baby Doll sheep, an ancient breed measuring only two feet tall at maturity, have been integrated into the vineyard rows to graze on the green grass and weeds, enhancing both biodiversity and nutrient recycling. This practice will decrease the use of harsh pesticides to eradicate weeds and grasses, as well as the cutting down on emissions to the air.
Integrating Wildlife Into the Vineyard
The addition of nesting boxes, hawk perches and bird houses for various species will be situated around the vineyard, and will be an integral part of the sustainable program. Attracting desirable owls and bird species to patrol the vineyards will also decrease the amount of gophers and rodents that can pose a problem in the vineyard. We are also hatching praying mantis to aid in the elimination of unwanted creatures.
Organic Recycling and Crop Nutrition
Kief-Joshua Vineyard ensures natural crop nutrition by recycling organic matter, such as discarded and collected grape stems, for use as mulch in the vineyards, and the use of naturally occurring cover crops. These practices have many benefits: use of mulch in the vineyard and planting of cover crops adds back desirable, rich, moist and long lasting nutrients to the soil and helps prevent soil erosion; the integration of desirable plants throughout the vineyards attract advantageous insects which helps to naturally resist pest and disease attacks from undesirable species.
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