Maynard James Keenan opens winery in Old Town

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (FOX 10) - Maynard James Keenan, a popular musician, has worked the past decade to make his mark in the wine industry. He's opened a few wineries in Northern Arizona and now, he's bringing a little taste to Old Town, Scottsdale.

Keenan keeps busy all year round. When he's not on stage rocking out, he's back home in Jerome, making wine.

Keenan went from planting his vineyard in the early 2000s to now owning a few tasting rooms to showcase his wines. And he's proud to do it all in the state that he loves.

"We are a blossoming wine region," Keenan said. "There is 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."

But the goal is to get more people to know about the thriving wine industry in Arizona. So, Keenan's opening up his first tasting room in the valley in Old Town, Scottsdale, where there are other wine tasting rooms in the area.

"Having that kind of cluster here in Scottsdale, where a lot of people come and visit - this will end up helping us get them to visit Sedona," Keenan said. "Wilcox, Verde Valley, and going to see the actual vineyards."

HIs new spot is called Merkin Vineyards Old Town Scottsdale.

"We are going to be focusing on wine as much as we can," Keen said. "We are also working with a couple of breweries to do a specific label for us, [one] that's made specifically for us."

Along with the drink selection, they'll offer tapa style dishes on the menu.

"We'll have cheese, Italian, Spanish cheeses and meats, but mainly, it'll be a vegetable menu," Keenan said.

Keenan says it's more of a wine bar setting than anything else, and he hopes people are able to make a connection with Arizona wines.

"Nothing speaks more loudly and clearly of a place than a well-made regional wine, and that's what we are offering here."

For more information, please visit the Merkin Vineyards website.