Grown, Produced, & Bottled in the Southwest
We make Ultra-premium Wine & Distilled Spirits
Flying Leap is a committed team of Arizona family farmers, skilled winemakers & artisan distillers, and a team of passionate wine & spirits retail merchants. Flying Leap is also a full-service, direct distributor of its wines and spirits portfolio to on & off-premise wholesale customers. We grow a vast portfolio of French, Spanish and Italian winegrapes at our vineyards in southern and southeastern Arizona, and we produce a delicious array of ultra-premium wines and distilled spirits from our harvests.
Flying Leap is also the parent company of Arizona Rub. Arizona Rub is home to a family of premium dry rubs and seasonings that add authentic Southwestern flavor to all BBQ foods, including steaks, chops, ribs, roasts, and grilled vegetables. Arizona Rub products are made from the highest quality, premium spices available, and contain no MSG or gluten.
Flying Leap Vineyards was founded in 2010. Initially envisioned as a collaborative small business venture, primarily as a small-scale wine grape farming operation, the Company began in earnest developing what would later become its Block 1 vineyard in a small, rural agricultural growing area south of Willcox, Arizona known as the “Kansas Settlement”. These initial vines were planted in April 2011, and developed & trellised over three full growing seasons.
During these years Flying Leap purchased a small farm winery called “Canelo Hills” located in the heart of Arizona’s most scenic wine country south of Tucson. The purchase of this property in Elgin in February 2013 launched Flying Leap’s wine retail operations. With a new portfolio of ultra premium wines and a place to market and sell them, Flying Leap’s sales soared. The growing demand for the Company’s wines required more
planting, more expansion and the creation of more jobs. Three major vineyard expansions occurred between 2012 and 2016.
The Company began distilling in the Fall of 2016 and opened its distilled spirits tasting room at the winery estate in April 2017. Today, Flying Leap produces between 3,000 and 8,000 cases of wine annually depending on market demand and fruit allocations to the winery and distillery, which share the Company’s annual harvest. Flying Leap operates five wine tasting rooms and one distilled spirits tasting room in the Arizona market. Our products are grown, produced and bottled by Flying Leap – our wines and brandy-based spirits, including vodka are made from wine grapes harvested by-hand at our southern & southeastern Arizona vineyards. They genuinely express the distinctive terroir of Arizona’s unique growing sites and our microclimate, as well as the skill and patience of our production staff.
Our Team
We are a team of committed Arizona family farmers, skilled winemakers & artisan distillers
Mark Beres
Chief Executive Officer & PresidentMark is the Chief Executive Officer & President of Flying Leap and is the company’s co-founder. Mark grew up in Walla Walla - one of Washington’s most exclusive winegrowing regions. He has several years of successful large-scale commercial viticulture experience, including all aspects of vineyard development, operations, and harvesting. A successful entrepreneur, his chief responsibilities are establishing and executing the company’s business strategies and promoting Flying Leap’s brands. Mark is also Flying Leap’s Master Distiller. Mark leads our distillery program, spirits production, and is the person behind the design, layout, and development of the company’s distillery infrastructure.
Kelly
General ManagerKelly is the General Manager for Flying Leap Vineyards and Distillery. Kelly hails from Cedarburg, Wisconsin where she owned 3 Papa Murphy Take N’ Bake Pizza stores for 17 years. While in Wisconsin, she started a new career managing an Optical lab in the medical field. In 2021, she found herself an empty-nester and made a move to Arizona. Kelly’s love for wine, meeting new people and the wonderful Arizona Desert, brought her to Flying Leap. Kelly enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her 3 Boston Terriers. You can find Kelly at one of the tasting rooms engaging in conversation with our guests, pouring wine and creating a great customer experience at Flying Leap Vineyards.
Gabriel
Sommelier - Winery Estate Tasting RoomGabriel Morales is an Arizona native, self-taught chef and skilled wine enthusiast. Gabe has a great passion for the food and wine industry. He has owned several different restaurants and bars both in the US and Mexico. He loves to explore food and wine pairings, and he enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with customers to enhance their wine country visits.
Karen
Sommelier - Distillery Tasting Room (Elgin, AZ)Karen was born and raised in the south and moved to New Hampshire when her father retired from the military. In 2010 Karen fell in love with Arizona after a vacation here with her youngest son, calling it her little slice of heaven on Earth. Karen is passionate about our Estate Distillery in Elgin and has created several cocktails highlighting our spirits.
Julie
Sommelier – Tubac Tasting RoomJulie loves to discover new places, foods, and wine whenever possible. Originally hailing from Detroit, she has called Tucson home for over 15 years. She brings her enthusiasm for all the good things in life to Flying Leap and she looks forward to pouring you a flight of our outstanding wines.
Greg
Brand Ambassador/Wholesale Accounts ManagerGreg is a Tucson native, having lived in the southwestern United States his entire life. Greg has always loved fine wines and spirits and he grew up working in some of Tucson’s finest restaurants. He has also spent over 6 years as a fine wine and spirits distributor and loves to share his knowledge and passion with everyone. He is responsible for our wholesale business accounts, sales, and distribution across Arizona.
Adam
Vineyard OperationsAdam oversees our vineyard operations including all our company’s vines and viticulture team. Many of our vines he initially planted and are now at full maturity from his continued devotion. Adam’s love of earth and nature is demonstrated through his passionate caring of our many grape varietals and attending to their unique characteristics.
Matthew
Sommelier – Prescott Tasting RoomMatthew is our Prescott tasting room sommelier, and he comes from wine country in the Pacific Northwest. Matthew’s passions extend to wine, food, and music. He has been a part of the food and beverage scene for over 22 years. He has taken all the experience from his past to make sure you have the best experience possible here at Flying Leap Vineyards. If you can’t find him in the tasting room, check the local golf course, disc golf course and dog parks nearby!!
Ginger
Sommelier - Elgin & Tucson Tasting RoomsGinger Gamble, originally from St. Petersburg, FL fell in love with what Arizona had to offer. Being a former military spouse, she has had the chance to live and travel all over the world and has enjoyed cuisines from every corner of the globe. While she has always been passionate about animal welfare & recuse, Ginger still makes time to be a wine and food fanatic. You can find her offering fun and knowledgeable tastings at both our Elgin and Tucson tasting rooms.
Johnny
Wine ProducerFlying Leap’s wines are produced by Johnny Wood. A native of the state of Oregon, Johnny moved to Arizona with his wife and two children to learn the art of winemaking. Johnny developed his production skills first as a cheesemaker, having worked several years crafting artisanal cheeses for Oregon’s famed Rogue Creamery. An avid sports fan, Johnny loves football, baseball and especially golf. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, spending time with friends and family and hitting the golf course
Erica
Sommelier - Tubac Tasting RoomErica is originally from Seattle, Washington but is thrilled to call Arizona home. She loves the desert landscape and being able to see the sun almost everyday, which is quite a change from the Pacific Northwest. Erica enjoys traveling, good food, spending time with friends and family, and of course great wine! She is delighted to be working for Flying Leap Vineyards and is excited to share these wonderful, delicious wines with you at our tasting room in Tubac, Arizona.