Vertigo Wines offers a new to Tucson concept that will make us all cry “Holy sip!”
Before we even get into it, I just gotta say the owners of Vertigo Wines and I go way back.
In the early pre weekly and big shot foodie website days of my writing here in Tucson, I operated a dog and pony show of a blog, The Tucson Homeskillet, the same site that got me said jobs with the weekly and locally popular food thingy. Anyway, when I heard about this local ice cream company, Isabella’s, around, oh, I’d say around 2010, it seemed like something really fun to write about.
Owners Kristal and Dominic Johnson were more than gracious and accommodating to welcome me to their original facilities in that industrial block where Roma Imports and Barrio Brewing resides. I remember it being located right next door to some crossfit gym. In fact, as we were wrapping things up some guy, who obviously over did it in the gym, came out and puked right in front of us. Right off the back landing. Yeah.
The ice cream was great. Kristal and Dominic were super cool and from there we made a sort of writer-subject buddyship. At least following each other on social media.
Cut to a few years later, when I was the food writer for the Weekly, I was tasked to write about their THC infused project called Elixir. Oh man, was that fun. I got to go behind the scenes of the dispensary where they cooked and created. So many buds of weed! Like acres of it. Huge glass beakers filled with bright green blooms, some twinged with purple or even white veins. Everywhere. And that smell. The last time I encountered that waft was at a Cypress Hill show. Yow!
Look, because of my condition, weed, especially 21st century weed, is not conducive to a good time for me. I go insane. But after our interview and photoshoot, Kristal sent me home with a scoop of chocolate ice cream infused with only 10 milligrams. The wife and I had a bite of it that very night. And, yes, we went insane.
Now that its 2025 and I’m out on my own here with this new website, Kristal reached out saying they were done with the ice cream biz and were opening up a wine bar downtown.
The tenacity and ingenuity of some folks astounds me. From ice cream to wine? Nice.
Located in the old stable house next to Maynards on Toole Ave, Vertigo Wines is set to open soon, hopefully this weekend (March 22nd or 23rd). Actually Kristal is hoping for Friday March 21, that is if everything goes according to plan.
When we hung out more than a week ago, she wanted to have the opening that weekend but, well, our local county always likes to step in, slap their forehead and go “Oh, but theres just one more thing you need to do before you do that.” And that thing usually takes another week or two to iron out. So it goes.
“The name Vertigo Wines came about because, well, I had an episode of vertigo,” Kristal said.
It was right after the passing of a beloved family member. Kristal just stood up one day and got crazy dizzy, to the point where medical attention had to be administered. This was right about the time where their wine concept was beginning to manifest. Not being solid on a name yet, Kristal and Dominic jokingly started calling their new business venture Vertigo Wines.
“Then it just stuck,” she says. “Plus we liked the way the name Vertigo paired with our bubble design logo. Who hasn’t had a bit of vertigo when you’ve had too much wine?”
The space for Vertigo is amazing. Cozy, comfortable, cute, all of the pleasant C adjectives. They installed a bar with the base fitted with wine bottle ends dotting about, which only adds to the elegant vibrancy to the space.
When Isabella’s and Elixir moved on, Kristal worked in the tasting room for Sand-Reckoners winery. When that closed in August of 2024, Kristal and Dominic decided to take over and make the grapes their own. Although they wanted to do something completely different.
“Vertigo Wines will be Tucson’s one and only barrel to glass, wine blending bar,” announced Kristal quite proudly.
That’s right vino-philes, you heard correct. On any given night, you can walk into Vertigo, order up a glass of your favorite red, or white, wine, but that doesn’t mean just any ol’ glass of your favorite red. Or white. It can be a combo of reds. Or whites. Syrah matched with Grenache? Sure! Whatever pleases that purple hued palate of yours. Or, heck, just have that Syrah. You’re a big kid. Make those big kid decisions of yours. Mix and match. Discover a flavor that you’ve never experienced before. The best part is, it was YOU that created that flavor. Look at you. So creative. And there you thought you didn’t have it in you. Silly.
As their not yet ready for primetime (meaning its still in the works) website proclaims: There is a story in every sip.
“Everyone can curate their own glass or bottle based on their tasting,” notes Kristal. “It’s the idea of having the guests more involved in their wine tasting experience. I feel like there’s an excitement, or even a romanticism, involved with the barrels themselves.”
Oh I forgot to mention they have full bottle service too. Take it home, share with friends and boastfully announce “I made this!” Applause all around, crown placed on your head, mayor gives you the key to the city, etc.
If you’re like me and need a nosh while you imbibe, Vertigo will be serving up charcuterie plates filled with all sorts of locally sourced tasty bits. They haven’t made anything official yet but there are hints that Maynard’s will have a serving menu for Vertigo, one where you order online and gets delivered right to your table. But that’s future stuff. Vertigo hasn’t even opened yet. C’mon.
Personally I get a little emotional when I see people I’ve known for a while and written about a few times trying something new and are already a success before they open their doors. Vertigo Wines is set to be a big step in a snug spot by the railroad station for not just downtown Tucson but our whole wine, and food, loving desert expanse. The truth is right there in the barrels…because the barrels are right there!
You know I’ll be there on the regular. Funny thing is (get this) I’m not even that big of a wine drinker. But after Kristal handed me a glass of a blend that she did not disclose, saying that it was her personal favorite, then taking a proper pull from it all I could exclaim was:
“Fxxk that’s delicious!”
Leave me a seat at the bar because I’ll see you all there soon.
Cheers!
Vertigo Wines
410 N. Toole Ave.
https://www.instagram.com/vertigo.wines/
Words and Pictures
Mark Whittaker
yeahwritemark@gmail.com
Yeah Write Mark 