Joining the Masses at Mass

Thousands of people visit Mission San Xavier del Bac each year and marvel at its Spanish Colonial architecture, centuries old murals and statues, and historical significance in shaping the development of the Southwest. There is, however, another group of visitors who make a pilgrimage to the "White Dove of the Desert" each week to attend Mass. The Mission is more than a national historic landmark. It's a church with a congregation that celebrates its faith each week much in the same way it has for more than 200 years.






Located 10 miles southwest of Tucson on the Tohono O'odham reservation, Mission San Xavier del Bac is the northern most of the Spanish missions established by Padre Kino in 1692. The church you see today is not the original house of worship built by the famous Jesuit missionary and explorer. His was a simple adobe chapel. Work on the Mission church began in 1783 and was completed in 1797.

Other than its brightly painted walls and ceiling, the inside of the church remains modest. There is no heat or air conditioning to provide a comfortable climate-controlled environment in which to pray. God controls the temperature with the weather. There is no electricity either, other than what is connected by extension cords to a few spotlights and oscillating fans. The pews are hard wooden benches designed to keep you alert and awake during Mass. You won't find padded kneelers either. You kneel on the hard concrete floor. It's amazing that the religious followers of Padre Kino were able to convert anyone to Christianity in such an uncomfortable environment.

But religion isn't about the bricks and sticks that make up the church, its in the soul of each parishioner. You can see it in their celebration of Mass and you can hear it in the voices of the choir. An unamplified group of six with two acoustic guitars, there voices echoed in perfect harmony through the rafters of the church and up to heaven.

Whether you are Catholic, or not, celebrating Mass at Mission San Xavier del Bac is a unique experience and should be on your to do list.

Note: You won't find the Rosary Guild selling donuts and other baked goods after Mass at Mission San Xavier del Bac. Instead you'll find members of the Tohono O'odham community in front of the church selling fresh-made Indian Fry Bread. Choose from sweet varieties topped with cinnamon or powdered sugar, or try a meal-size taco topped with beans, red or green shredded beef, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Thank God for fried food. Yum!

No Whining About Southern Arizona Wine

If you're a wine snob, and I know there are a few of you out there, the thought of a decent bottle of wine coming from Arizona is absurd. However, after tasting a few of our state's best Blancs and Cabernets, I can tell you that they are wrong. Arizona has a burgeoning wine industry with a number of vineyards producing some fine varietals.






So the story goes, a professor at the University of Arizona was hired to study the environment in the Sonoita-Elgin area. He found that the climate and terroir (that's a fancy French word for dirt) was similar to some of the wine making regions in Europe. With that, the seeds were planted -- literally and figuratively -- and the wine business began to grow in Southern Arizona. Today there are 10 wineries in and around Sonoita and Elgin. I visited six of them.

My first stop was the Dos Cabezas WineWorks, which may be one of the most well known wineries in Arizona. Its primary operation is east of Wilcox, but has a cozy tasting room in the town of Sonoita and a small vineyard nearby. At the tasting room I bellied up to the bar and was presented with a wide variety of reds and whites, among them several award winning wines. I won't bore you with tasting notes -- "aromas of blackberry, earth and oak spice with a long chewy finish, blah, blah, blah" -- I don't have any. My motto: if you like the wine drink it. At Dos Cabezas, I liked every one but was able to narrow my selection and chose a few fine souvenirs. The score: Tasted nine wines and purchased two.

Just off a dirt road, tucked behind rows of grapes, is the Wilhelm Family Vineyards. It's tasting room is much different than Dos Cabesas'. It's more like your neighbor's kitchen. I was first greeted by a fluffy orange cat napping at the front door, then by a lively group of people seated around a kitchen counter, eating popcorn and drinking wine. The hostess of this party was the winemaker herself, Karyl Wilhelm. It's a casual environment that may not appeal to fine wine connoisseur, but is perfect for neauveau winos. The wines are also quite unique, with a few special dessert wines with hints of fruit, coffee and chocolate. If you buy a bottle, Karyl will even autograph it for you. The score: Tasted five wines and purchased two.

Along the Elgin Road is Callaghan Vineyards, where you will find Kent Callaghan pouring wine at the vineyard his parents started in the early 1990s. With nearly 20 years of practice, I can assure you he knows his stuff and makes some tasty wine. Callaghan's had a great selection of reds, mostly blends, which are among my favorites. Why enjoy one grape when you can enjoy three or four in perfect harmony? But don't discount their whites. Ann's, a blend of Grenache Blanc, Verdelho and Symphony grapes was among my favorites, with its fruit flavor and aroma and limited oak influence. The score: Tasted nine wines and purchased three.

Next door to Callaghan's is Canelo Hills Vineyard & Winery. Joan and Tim, and one of the Canelo Hills dogs, were greeting visitors and pouring wine. Joan stays at the vineyard, while Tim is only there on weekends. Monday through Friday he's a full-time psychiatrist in Tucson, which may explain his weekend passion for making wine. The atmosphere in their tasting room is quiet and relaxed, allowing you to savor your glass and enjoy each taste. Canelo Hills offered a Riesling that was dry, when compared to the traditional sweet wines of Germany, and more suited to my taste. The score: Tasted five wines and purchased one.

Sonoita Vineyards came recommended to me by a guest at my hotel. Located on rolling, grass covered hills, you can almost imaging the Caballeros who rode through these fields a century ago. Today they would be surprised to find rows of grapes where their cattle once grazed, along with a large tasting room, gift shop and winery, producing premium wines of all varieties. For my taste, I found most were sweet rather than dry, but all were quite good. The gift shop is also a great place to find wine accessories, apparel and unique souvenirs. The score: Tasted nine wines and purchased one.

Last, but not least, I stopped at Lightening Ridge Cellars, a Tuscan-themed winery. One of the newer wineries in the area, it's old world style is being well received. When I arrived the tasting room was packed. It was hard to find a spot at the bar. Once I did, I was pleased to find full-flavored wines made from classical Italian grapes. The Montepuciano was my favorite. All that was lacking was a big bowl of Pasta Bolognese to enjoy it with. The score: Tasted five wines and purchased one.

To wine snobs everywhere, you can have Napa and Sonoma and the wine producing regions of France. I'll take a glass of Arizona wine, anytime. Next time you should give it a try, too.