Rubrix Wines is one of the newest wineries in town and opened its doors in downtown Cottonwood on Jan. 9, 2024. Owner and winemaker at Rubrix Wines, Corey Turnbull, has a long history in the Verde Valley wine scene. He’s the current winemaker at Page Springs Cellars in Cornville. He was the co-owner of Burning Tree Cellars, where Rubrix currently stands. His business partner, Mitch Levy, sadly passed away in 2021. “I wouldn’t be where I am without his support,” says Corey. Together, they built Burning Tree into an award-winning winery. Rubrix is now owned by Corey and his wife. The name is a combination of both rubric and degrees brix, a measurement of the sugar content in aqueous solutions like wine or juice. Corey continued on in the same space in part because it was easier than starting over from scratch, but he also because he wanted to keep sharing wine with the community. “Me and my wife, Haley Meyer, have been living in the Verde Valley for over 30 years, and this is our home, and so we just like sharing with friends and family and our community,” he says.
The winery produces just 1,500 cases per year. Corey tells us that Rubrix is more focused on producing a specific type of varietal whereas Burning Tree dabbled in many different things. “We focus on high-elevation Arizona Rhone varietals,” he says. “They’re all 100 percent Arizona wines from some of the best vineyards in the state.” One unique feature of Rubrix wines? “We age our reds a little bit longer than most. We use some newer French oak barrels,” he says.
Even if you’ve been to Burning Tree Cellars in the past, the physical space for Rubrix has been transformed. The bar was left, but the kitchen is new, the walls were repainted, new furniture was brought in, and the doors are new. Guests can pair their wine with a choice of either a cheese plate or a charcuterie plate. Customers can enjoy live music on Friday and Saturday. “I think they’re some of the best wines in Arizona,” Corey says of his creations. “They’re very unique. They’re very food-friendly, age-able wines. They have structure and power. I think they’re more European in style in that way.” − Teresa K. Traverse
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