Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria

We had a great experience at Merkin Trattoria! The Herb Roasted Italian Beef Sandwich was delicious — it reminded me of a French dip, with tender, flavorful beef. The Chicken Caesar Wrap had good, tender chicken, though it was a little on the dry side and could use a bit more flavor. Service was wonderful — the staff kept checking in to make sure we had everything we needed. The patio seating was definitely the highlight, with beautiful views of the mountains. We finished with the Tiramisu, which was creamy and full of great flavor. A lovely spot for good food, excellent service, and a great atmosphere!

This is one of my most difficult reviews. We went on Monday at 4:30pm. We were seated promptly and our drink orders were taken quickly by Patricia. From start to finish the experience was outstanding. The pictures are Monday’s pictures. My wife had the pasta stuffed with ricotta, we shared the Arugula salad (OUTSTANDING) and I had the Calabrian pizza. Everything was perfect. We returned on Tuesday 11/11/25 Veterans Day and it’s as tho we were in a completely different restaurant. Nothing was memorable. The waitress was distant and our drinks were not served until after the food arrived. The food was not memorable. VERY INCONSISTENT. That is a deal breaker for me. Consistency is of the utmost importance to me and my wife. Therefore, I can only say go at your own risk. You may get a superb meal, and maybe not.

The best part about this restaurant is definitely the view. It is a beautiful setting. Our server, Patricia, was also very kind and efficient once she arrived at our table, and she did her best to make the experience enjoyable. Unfortunately, the overall visit had several downsides. When we arrived, the hosts barely acknowledged us. Once seated, it took quite a while before anyone came over to take our order. The food itself was hit-or-miss: the steak was cooked properly but served cold, and the sides were both cold and stale. The pizza (ordered without cheese, as vegan options were extremely limited) was surprisingly good, though. Dessert was mixed, the tiramisu had nice flavor, but the texture was off and too watery at the bottom. Overall, the view and service from Patricia were the highlights, but the lack of hospitality at the start and the underwhelming food make it hard to recommend.

Stopped in for some wine tasting on Thursday evening. And enjoyed the experience. The views are incredible, the grounds lovely, and the restaurant design and feel really nice! You can tell that a lot of thought and $$ has gone into putting this business together. At the time We weren’t hungry but admittedly we were excited about the hand made pasta. So we stopped in for lunch yesterday. Sadly, the food and drink were not impressive. I ordered the MacNcheese (see pic). Looked nothing like Mac cheese and was super blan other than the sparse bites of prosciutto and the salt that I added to it. And no- I wasn’t looking for the Kraft Mac cheese experience but was hoping for more of a former variety. With flavorful Cheeses, sprinkled with some parm and garnished with some of their locally sourced greens.. My mother ordered the chicken Parmigiana which was served on a bed of pasta with red sauce. The pasta was chilled as if it was leftovers pulled out of the fridge and the chicken was over cooked, with soggy breading. My sister had ordered the Bolognese. The meat sauce had a really nice flavor but the pasta was definitely a bit tooo al dente. My cocktail, a Paloma, was served in a pint glass and garnished with a small grapefruit slice. Honestly, I under stand their motto of “keep it simple stupid” when it comes to cocktail concoctions but for an establishment trying to exude a sense of modern, chic class a more dazzling garnish with a sprig of green would have enhanced the drinks appearance when served. The focaccia bread and butter was a win! In fairness- the pics I have included were taken after we had already bitten into the meals and felt that subtle sense of disappointment. Maybe it was an off day for the kitchen. Would I go back, yes, but I would be more inclined to order with caution.

We wanted to get a nice lunch with good wine for lunch, but got none of that! This place looks fancy but it is not. First the employee who got us sitted were having trouble finding us a table outside while there were more free table than occupied, on a Wednesday at noon... Hum ok. Then we wanted to sample different wines so we ordered 1 flight of Tarzan and 1 of Chupacabra. Well the Red Tarzan were undrinkable, way too much tannin. Both rosé were too acide and both white were just meh. I mean none of them tasted good... What a disappointment. It's also sad that nothing came with the drinks, a small compliments piece of bread, pretzel or anything really would have been more than welcome for an establishment like this. Also after we told the waitress that the wine were not to good to our taste, we saw a felt in difference in her attitude, she became less friendly, spoke with less enthusiasm ect. I mean it's not her fault if we didn't like the wine, no need this change of attitude toward us. My husband wanted to try the Mac and Cheese with infused prickly pear sauce, we couldn't tell there was prickly pear in it, but it was pretty good overall. I took the Cavatelli Pesto, which was very good but fork after fork, I could taste the overpowered salt taste and couldn't finish the plate. The pasta were fresh and very good but really, reduced the salt please! We decided to try on of their dessert and choose a tiramusu to share. That was a good choice because it's a big portion compared to the portion of the pasta. The texture was perfect really, firm like it should be but the cream were lacking of taste and the biscuit were like they weren't soaked in coffee. Really lacking of taste, what a disappointment, again... Oh and my husband asked for a coffee at the same time as ordering the dessert but it never came! I guess that was for the best... It wasn't added to the bill so I assumed the waitress just forgot about it... We got no wait between our plates/orders, the only moment we waited was for the waitress to take our credit card, about 10 minutes, so I left and let my husband to wait for her to finally come get it. When I leave the restaurant, the greeting employee by the door didn't acknowledged me leaving, but definitely said a warmed goodbye the the couple just right behind me... heu ok. I guess she just has her own preference about who to say goodbye. And when I told my husband later, he said she didn't said bye to him neither. Not cool. The only great thing about this place is the fabulous views.

This winery was recommended by our hosts for our 10 yr anniversary. Wanted to try the wines and a light snack before our anniversary dinner. It has spectacular views. The decor is tasteful. Apart from the hostess who sat us, the rest of the servers and employees were very short and not friendly or suggestive. The wines, although not my preferred palate of selections was actually really smooth. The charcuterie board was a nice presentation. Although it was not accompanied with the traditional cheese cutlery. We managed regardless. Perhaps ensure the servers are friendlier to all the guests as you do not know where they are from.

Very unique place! Took lil tram to the top. $2 charge but fun. Beautiful winery/restaurant. Gorgeous views. Food was delicious. I had prickly pear Mac n cheese. Very different flavor but delicious. I had a Meade wine. Very tasty. I enjoy a sweet wine. Not super sweet. I enjoyed it all! Highlight of trip.

Last visit to Cottonwood was over 20 years ago- the change is remarkable. I attribute the positive energy and development of the town including the "Verde Valley Wine Trail" to the investment in businesses like landmark hilltop Merkin restaurant and vineyards in the center of Old Town. Taking the tram up the hill, I was met with a very modern and airy restaurant with a lovely outdoor seating area where you are treated with incredible views of the area. I was fortunate that wine connoisseur Jamie Celozzi, their Wine Specialist and Educator, was available to educate me on the wines now available in the area and who through part art and experience, tailored my tasting flight to wines I would appreciate His ability to discuss the wine and the area was engaging and added to the whole tasting and wine purchasing experience. Next time I hope to take the tour!

Merkin Vineyards Restaurant was recommended to us by our son-in-law. This place is soooo beautiful and so amazing, we went back the next day for an encore!!! The wines and food are amazing, as well as the service! We started off with a wine flight of their reds with some of their pane which came with three different spreads that really elevated the already amazing tastes! We then had an order of gnocchi and their speciality of the night pizza - Cacio e Pepe!!! No, they didn't serve a pizza with pasta on top - although, would that be so bad??? They use the sauce from their pasta dish as the base to the pizza then add some crispy prosciutto - delicious!!! It's an amazing place that you just have to try for yourself. We will be back whenever we find ourselves in the area!

This place is awesome, we chose to eat here on the last day of our vacation. You can take an elevator up to the top to the restaurant, but we decided to take the stairs and enjoy the view. The inside of the restaurant was nicely decorated and felt cozy. We were seated right away and got a pretty good booth, we started with some yummy bread and butter, then ordered a chef's special pizza, cheesey gnocchi and a glass of red and white wine that paired well with the pizza. The food was excellent, the wines were refreshing, the service was friendly and attentive. We bought a bottle of the Chupacabra red wine, it was so good!Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria is a great food and wine destination, I will definitely come back again. I highly recommend this place. There is also a small gelato shop by Merkin Vineyards at the bottom when you get off the tram, you have to stop and try it, totally worth it.

We flew in to Phoenix for a planned trip to Yuma and decided to try out Merkin. It added a good chunk of drive time BUT was worth every minute of it. I am bad with names but I think our waiter was Noah (maybe?) and he was super friendly and went over the wines and food selections. Everything came out in timely fashion and while we came for the wines, the food was amazing. Everything was fresh, grown on site. Without a doubt the best Caesar salad I have ever had. The Charcuterie had a delicious combination that paired perfectly with the Shinola. I was lucky that we got there when we did because I was able to get the lunch special, a Chicago style beef sandwich, and it blew my mind. Especially with the fresh made bread. My wife got the Lasagna cupcakes and could not have been happier with that choice. We ended up buying several bottles of wine and also a can of the Cafe Puscifer Queen B beans to take home with us. Everything survived the flight back to Georgia thankfully. The Chupacabra and Chupacabra Bubbles were a delight. I would purchase any of them again but the star of the show was the Helio Dolce. We will be ordering more of this online ASAP. Same goes for the coffee. A very nice bean blend! Overall a 5/5. Perfect atmosphere and we loved the view from the patio. I can not wait for our next trip out west because we will be stopping here again!

I'm a big fan! As a cottonwood frequent, I've been waiting and watching for the winery/restaurant to open, and I'm so glad I got to try it. Went with 6 other ladies during their lunch hours and I was able to get a full sandwich and soup with a flight of wine for 30$, pretty unbeatable. The location is gorgeous, beautiful view of cottonwood and sedona in the distance. Lovely indoor outdoor seating as well with a ton of tables. I would say this is definitely a restaraunt compared to a winery, but my expectations were far exceeded!

Who goes to Cottonwood From what I've heard no one really stops in Cottonwood and it's kind of just the place that connects you to neighboring cities. I'm sooo happy I stopped in Cottonwood I've heard a lot of good things about this Vineyard and a day trip felt like the best way to check it out I will say there was a ton of hype of taking the ski lift to the top but for $2 of you can walk it take the stairs But if you really want to spend $2 please know it includes a ride up and a ride down but again if you can walk it They have a wonderful patio and a great fire pit I appreciated the heaters all around for us poor city folks from Phx who don't really know what cold is I ended up ordering a wine flight and I was pleasantly surprised to see mead was on the table. I absolutely love a good mead We ordered mushroom pizza The dough is made in house and our server was pleased to share that their establishment is a farm to table experience Recently coming from Italy since my return I've found pizza disappointing but this pizza was very good. I may also be a bit partial as they add in truffle oil and well that's my weakness We also got a lasagna cupcake. We were torn between the chicken and meat lasagna As pretty as the lasagna cupcake looked the chicken was dry and flavor was a bit flat Overall great experience and I recommend you give it a try

Merkin Impressive, that is the word. We've been to other locations. I guess now have closed, but this was the grandfather of them all. ITS INCREDIBLE! Yeah, to say the least. Joe, Beth and Tammy, I'm just saying that you guys have a lot of great employees, but these three really stood out, thank you for making our visit there so special. The view is incredible. They have a lot of choices of wine and wine samples, but for me, I was glad to have a cocktail. I met some really fun people that were customers. Beth tickets to our favorite table. Joe, his personality is fabulous and made up the best cocktails, old-fashioned, Yum. Tammy assisted in taking some of the best pictures of the incredible view. We really did love this place and we will be back. IWOULD RECOMMEND

What step up from the previous location that was down the hill. There is a tram to take you to the top, or one can get their bacon burning by huffing the hill. Be careful the Cottonwood dogs might chase you down. Food offerings are contrived from fresh ingredients and skillfully integrated for a merriad flavors. They produce many local wines that are delicious! It is one of the best views on the region along with the Haunted Hamburger. People in from out of town? Hit this city and spend the day shopping and drinking . Many tasting rooms to embrace. All arre within walking distance. It is about a one hour drive from Phoenix. Grab a room at the Iron Horse Lodge or Tavern Hotel. That way you don't have to drink and drive. Maynard does it right fot sure. This new restaurant and tasting rooms is epic! I highly urge you to give it a shot. #irishcatv2 #vnosqrd

Loved this place and definitely want to go back. The ambience of the restaurant was very unique and the views of the valley were beautiful. Great place to hang out. We bought the $2 tickets to take the tram up to the restaurant which was a fun one time experience. The food and service were good. There were a few wines I really enjoyed. Most of the wine was good but nothing special.

Service by Lauren J. was outstanding. From the hosts to the server to busboys. All great! We tried 3 samplers Shinola red, some floral white, and Pusifer Queen B, the diddler was my least favorite. Took home Chupacabra bubbly which was very smooth and delicious. Tried lasagna one of the best dishes I've ever tried with the sauce and potato in it. The margerhita pizza was just ok would not order that again. Restrooms cooly designed. Was gonna buy merch until my friend told me what a Merkin was LOL went to Jerome and got tees and merch from his other store instead.

A wasted vacation meal. They were out of their lasagna cupcake veggie, the whole reason we wanted to eat at this restaurant. I ordered a salad and pasta. It took 1.25 hours to bring me a salad and my husband a sandwich. The orchard salad was 90 pct arugula. They forgot my pasta entirely! The manager offered a 10 pct discount. Nothing! So very disappointing. I definitely do not recommend.

This was a fun experience, but I think the location was the most fun. The brewery is high on a hill in downtown cottonwood, so high there's a team of you don't want to take the stairs. Had a flight of wine that included Tarzan (I think) all good, but would choose different flight next time. Had some grilled local veggies and local goat cheese. Good, but probably would not order again. Chocolate gelato was good, but have had better. Service was good.

In previous visits to cottonwood, I was able to see Merkin's new location be built and finally had the chance to try it out. The views are spectacular, and I would highly suggest going a bit before sun down so you're able to watch the whole sunset and all of it's beauty. Our server was wonderful and attentive, prepared with many recommendations. The wine flights were all very reasonably priced and I enjoyed the chupacabra flight. However, the food unfortunately, did not come out hot, and paired with the cold temperatures, our pasta quickly became gluey.

Spent the evening having drinks, outstanding wine produced by this facility and had quality pasta, salad, and pizza. The staff was extremely attentive, the location and interesting trek from Sedona Parkng was perfect, and the bathrooms were modern and they played great music in the bathrooms. Maynard James Keenan, the lead singer of the 90s rock band Tool is the owner, and was actually eating there tonight, it's always an encouragement to see an owner eat on the main floor of his establishment.

Stopped in for a late lunch with my husband today based off of recommendations from a couple of friends. Since the day was nice we opted to sit outside. The view is certain areas was good and overlooked the downtown area. Our waitress was nice and friendly. She did get a little confused about our wine flight ordering but it was corrected easily. We decided to try the chupacabra and shinola flights and they were good. The pours were definitely small (just enough for about 2 sips. I opted to try the gnocchi which was great and my husband tried the daily ravioli special which included goat cheese. It was also good. All in all the food was good and it came out quick.

Another amazing location tucked away in Cottonwood. Pretty cool place. You can take the stairs or the angled elevator to the top. We ate some very good pizza and enjoyed some good wines too. There is a pretty cool view from the top. Inside the restaurant there is a gift and bottle shop. Service was friendly and polite. They had clean interesting restrooms too. The food seemed reasonably priced to me and the environment was unique. It made for a great place to get some early dinner before our trip back home. At the bottom there is a Gelato shop, which is a great way to do dessert.

Wonderful ambience and nice views on the top of the hill. For cottonwood four stars but odd you have this beautiful place and it's 100 and no misters, so we stay inside. Service was solids and food was solid, wine was Az MEH Reminder the place is at the top of the hill, if you are too big or struggle with four flights of stairs be sure to drive up the back. Or if you will be drinking a lot don't attempt those stairs going down drunk, LOL

We headed up to Sedona for a nice long weekend for biking and hiking, and stopped in on the way at Jerome and Cottonwood. My husband spotted Maynards's place, (you're a Tool if you don't know who Maynard is). And we just had to try it. We had a pizza and a cold brew with a great view. Come and try Merkin Vineyard in Cottonwood. It was excellent! Service is excellent!

Ambiance and service were excellent! Beautiful views of Cottonwood from dining room and patio (dog friendly). If you're a wine connoisseur, this is a must visit. Lot of wine tasting options to please anyone. Food was delicious also. All made from scratch and locally grown produce. I had the Italian beef sandwich. The bread was good all on its own. The salad was very fresh. My friends had pizza and they devoured it so I can safely assume it was delicious. Would love to drive up here again and try more entrees and wine. Highly recommend!!

OK, once you get past the name of the place, (and I will let you Google it for yourself) this is one fun place to go to get food and a drink. Yes, we took the tram up to the top. (TIP: there is a tip jar in the tram for the helpful operator). The whole scene feels really weird because the lead singer of the band Tool basically took this hill, invested a ton of money, and chopped in rings around the perimeter to put in a vineyard. I already mentioned the tram, which was fun. The servers knew everything about the different types of wine, the farm-to-table food offerings, and what modifications could be done if you had any type of food allergies. It was a really professional set up. Unfortunately, we have a friend who had an illness that presents like a liver disease and certain foods were off-limits, i.e. anything marinated or cooked in oil was a no-go. It turns out that all of the chicken in the restaraunt had been pre-marinated and they didn't have anything on the current menu besides a side salad that could work for her. Honestly, we ate out at many different restaurants on our trip, and this is the only place she couldn't find something "normal" to eat which seemed bizarre. I had some kind of a quail egg pasta, which seems pretty cool, but tasted relatively bland. The wines were delicious, and worth the trip for one of the samplers with a beautiful view. So at the end of the day, wines are very good, the scene is fun, service is amazing , but a bit of a lower score for the food taste.

For not being very busy, our server didn't seem too interested in serving or checking in on us. Came in for coffee and dessert. We each had a French press and shared a tiramisu. The coffee was decent but the dessert was pretty dry. The creamy filling was ok though.

My husband and visited Cottonwood last July and saw this place but didn't have time to visit it, so when I had had some girlfriends come visit I decided to take a girls trip up to Cottonwood and try it. Glad we did. Everything is fresh, Farm to Table! I had the Sandwich Special with Soup, one friend had a sandwich with salad and the other two each had a pizza. Everything was delicious!! We sat outside on the patio and it has a beautiful view. Waitress was very pleasant and helpful. I will definitely make the trip back up here and you should too!!

This place was great! We came for lunch and got seated outside and loved the views here. Service was good as well. We ordered the below 3 dishes: 1. Daily special sandwhich which was the pastrami and it was excellent on really fresh bread 2. Daily special pasta which was spicy shrimp scampi with freshly made pasta. This was very good but not our favorite 3. Gnocchi as this was suggested by our server to be the most popular item and it was definitely creamy, cheesey, and delicious. We also had the wine flight which is such a tiny portion for the tastings that it's hard to really get a taste of each of them but still enjoyable. Definitely come here if you're in Cottonwood.

We finally had the chance to get away up north and check out the new Merkin Vineyards. We chose to sit on the patio and the view was stunning, as it was late afternoon. We decided on the charcuterie board and I had a glass of wine and my husband got a wine flight. The server we had was super nice, but the service was very slow. Our food came out way before the wine. We thought it was weird to have to pay to ride the tram and we're happy to find parking in the back. The only other annoyance besides the slow service was the overwhelming smell of propane, coming off of the large fire pit in the center of the patio Overall, the experience was nice, and the food and wine were good.

04/30/2024 Wife and I were driving around town after doing some hiking on the Jail Trail in the morning. We went in a jeep tour and our guide told us about a few places to try out and the last one was here, he said also if you do there his son would probably deliver our food to us. So we decided to give it a try, we go there and if you don't want to take the stairs to the top of the mountain where the restaurant is you can ride the tram. We waited for the tram to come down we got on while going up the guy running it says it's your lucky day the rides to the top are free today. Usually it's $2 why change your customers to be able to get to your restaurant that's a lot of stairs to climb. A handicapped person like myself that has difficulties with stairs he says is no charge, but after 8 you have to walk down cuz it closes. As long as people are eating it should be running, oh and he had his tip cup very noticeable It's a shame we have to tip for everything nowadays. I end up having to walk down the steps not a fun task. We sat at the bar outside it was a wonderful night out. The bartender was rite there with menus and waters, to drink wife had tea and I had the Old Fashion on the menu and it was made very served with a large ice cube. For dinner we had a salad to start and then we shared a margarita pizza with pepperoni, the salad was ok. We felt it was missing something just not quite sure what it is, then our pizza came out and it looked good. It was cooked perfectly nice and brown on the edges, the dough was perfect was very disappointed in the pepperoni there was only like 4-5 pieces on the pizza. When the bartender asked us how it was I explained where's the pepperoni, he says that the star of the pizza is the dough not the pepperoni. Well then in that case why even have it on the menu, he said that we couldn't add anything to any of the pizzas they have because they want you to taste the dough.

First time, came at opening day after Christmas for wine tasting and ended up trying the food. Overall the atmosphere was my favorite part. The establishment sits on a hilltop overlooking the Verde Valley. The restaurant and bar are very clean. The bar service was prompt, knowledgeable, and friendly. Food: - gnocchi was delicious. I think the pieces were a bit too big and didn't cook through all the way. More aldenté than soft. Definitely order a side of bread to dip into the sage butter sauce of the pasta. - meat sauce pasta (can't remember the name) was just ok. Lacked flavor and meat pieces were tiny. Wine: went with my parents who are partial to central and northern Cal wines and overall we did not think the verde valley wine was good enough to buy a full glass or bottle. One start off for that.

I'll start by first saying Amazing view! Great patio space and nicely decorated inside. The charcuterie board was fantastic. The Pastas here are so goood we loved the gnocchi and the cacio e Pepe. Pizza I would say was lot my favorite. The wines here are great!!!

We'd been to the Jerome location and were excited to visit Cottonwood...it's wonderful!! Yes, we went for the wine, but we had lunch too and the gnocchi was possibly the best I've ever had. Our bartender, Kurt, was so cool and interesting-he answered all of our questions and didn't make us feel like dorky tourists The grounds and the dining room are beautiful (if there's one little Oopsie I'd say it could be cooler inside but hey, we didn't care!) so please walk around the back when you go! Not local so don't know when we'll be back, but we loved it and would love to go back!

What a wonderful atmosphere to enjoy lunch. The views are spectacular, wine lovely and delicious food. Our Server was excellent and we really enjoyed the soup of the day and pizza. Looking forward to coming back soon.

Sad that the Scottsdale location closed but happy that they have this beautiful vineyard! We came here as we were on our way back home and enjoyed a nice lil tasting in the balcony area. Definitely a spot worth checking out and although no food was ordered here, it' was the same as the scottsdale food menu and I can say it didn't disappoint. There is a few stairs you have to walk to get to the spot but for 2 dollars you can take the tram.

Wow the view is gorgeous. Loved seeing the vineyards on the property. It was very busy and there was a 30+ minute wait on a Saturday so be prepared to be patient. The wine is delicious, I've been fortunate to try them at their smaller Scottsdale location prior to this one so I knew going in I would enjoy my drink and view.

Loved the spacious eating area And delicious wine tastings! Great food! Views were awesome from the patio too!

I RETRACT all my reviews on this place! They got a new chef and the Gnocchi is now AVERAGE at best!!! the portion is at BEST an appetizer size with the same $20 price. We have been coming here for years dating back to their old location and have LOVED the Gnocchi as it WAS life changing. Now anybody can make it this good. Bring back the old chef or reduce the prices.

Want to start off by thanking our amazing waitress, Lauren, for making our evening so memorable. We took a weekend trip to celebrate our 15 year anniversary. We chose to dine here for dinner and it did not disappoint. The cocktails were delicious, appetizers were very scrumptious, but our dinner made the whole night. I had the special 10 oz flat iron, which I didn't even know was an option and it was AMAZING! It was cooked to perfection and the Demi glaze really elevated the dish. Lauren really knocked it out of the park with her recommendation. We cannot wait to come back. The ambiance was incredible, definitely had a cozy and modern vibe.

Well. this was a weekend, of course, a 3 day weekend very busy. So we waited about 10 minutes for a 6-person table. Anything more, then you can make a reservation. So the wait staff was a bit busy, but not bad. We got six different entrees, and they are exceptionally great. Great Italian FOOD, great chef. The other five just loved the wine that was available. The deserts were awesome. The prices were not bad at all. We will gladly go back. Give it a try.

The restaurant is large and I was concerned it'd be noisy, but they have noise cancelling swags on the ceiling and it kept the sound to a dull and pleasant hum. I had the special which was a porchetta over polenta and we agreed that my gamble paid off; it was easily the best dish at our table. The lasagna cupcakes were also a hit. The Chupacabra (red) wine is a new favorite for me; light and balanced and complemented the food perfectly. Service was decent; nothing extraordinary. We learned that Merkin is a pubic wig... what an odd choice for naming a winery!

Randomly saw this behemoth venue atop a hill while in downtown cottonwood and decided to check it out with friends. Wow! Gorgeous facility with spectacular views! Our server was extremely sweet and kind, and the menu is all from grown items in their garden which was very exciting. The food was ok, tasty overall but nothin was particularly standout EXCEPT THE GNOCCHI. Oh my god the Gnocchi and the views truly carried my rating for Merkins. The softest, most pillowy gnocchi I've ever had by a fair margin. Combined with a tasty sauce and prosciutto bits, it was simply addicting. I would say check out Merkins purely for this singular dish. Get a seat on the balcony with a good view, order a glass of wine and gnocchi, and you won't be disappointed.

Merkin Vineyards just opened about a month ago in Cottonwood. This establishment sits on top of a hill, overlooking the small town. A group of 5 of us climbed a long flight of stairs to get there but it was worth it. The views were nice and the restaurant is even nicer. It was a beautiful day so we sat in the patio rooftop area, which is quite spacious. Our server was really sweet and friendly. She informed us that everything on the menu is AZ local and the menu is Italian inspired. They make everything in house which is pretty cool. We ordered a bunch of things to share: -Biscuits & Gravy (4/5): This wasn't a true biscuit because it tasted more like a fluffy, airy roll. It was good, I liked the gravy. (only available before 11am) -Gnocchi (5/5): This might have been the best gnocchi I ever had. It was so pillowy soft and light. It wasn't dense like most gnocchis that I've had. The sage and prosciutto cheese sauce was amazing. -Tagliolini Ragu (2.5/5): It was alright. It was a nice light pasta but I wish there was more flavor. -Funghi Pizza (2/5): I was expecting a Neapolitan pizza and I was disappointed that it wasn't. The pizza crust is crispy and a little on the heavy side. There wasn't a ton of mushroom and the onions weren't cooked through. The flavor just wasn't there. I usually love a funghi pizza but this was not it. Calabrian Pizza (3/5): This had a little heat from the calabrian chiles. I enjoyed the flavor of this one more than the funghi. Lasagna Cupcake (2.8/5): This name of this one intrigued all of us. They didn't have the meat one available so we settled on the vegetable lasagna cupcake. It was tasty and light, but I could have done without it. Overall, the food was alright. The reason why I'm rating this 4 stars is because of the gnocchi, service, and the views from rooftop patio.

Today is Nov. 3rd and they've only been open at this location since Oct. 6th. We've never been to the previous Cottonwood location so we cannot compare. Maybe because this location is still fairly new and attracting lots of customers, they seemed to be out of more items on the menu than one would anticipate. 1st off, even on a prescribed controlled burn day, the view was very good and know it would be awesome on a clear day. We sat outside and they had so many seating choices. We loved our spot next to the railing. Our server was attentive even though it was very busy at 3p. I tried one of their wine flights, but I'm just not an Arizona wine fan even though I will continue to give places a try. My husband got the Italian Beef lunch sandwich which was beer flavorful despite having to pick off the onions which we forgot to ask to not be included. I got the Tagliolini E Ragu which was very flavorful. We would come back.

Amazing food for amazing prices. The cheese boards are so delicious. The pasta is to die for. Very nice wine selection as well. Definitely will be back again.

Amazing view!! Wine selection is nice and the food was tasty! I was disappointed at the lack of protein on the menu. I would love to see a seafood pasta or a meat sauce, chicken cacciatore!

Second trip to Merkin and the view is great however, the service and food is middle of the road. Our wine order sat at the bar for more than 15 minutes while our server wandered around and delivered to tables that ordered much later than we did. Additionally, on glass of wine ha sediment in the bottom of the glass which was explained away as being normal. Impressed - I think not!

I did not like having to pay $2 to take the tram up the hill so I took the stairs ...but learned I could have driven up, as there is free parking up the hill too. This place is new with lots of types of seating indoors or on the patio. Food is delicious and I recommend trying the soup. Great view and prices are reasonable and we enjoyed the whole experience. You will love old Cottonwood and this restaurant and winery. Try the wine flight and you may decide to bring a bottle or two home.

Superb lunch dining experience at Merkin Vineyard Cottonwood. Farm to table goodness in deed. The food was simply outstanding. We loved our wine flight picks too: Rose and the Chupacabra. Tammy, our server, was knowledgeable and effervescent. We would definitely repeat everything we had, the wine, the food, the experience!!! Spend the $2/person for the electric gondola, operated by the friendly Terry.

Highly recommended! Put on your finest merkin and head on over to get yourself some great food and wine. Upon entering, I was greeted by Maynard's distinct face on a screen pouring wine for a table of acting friend's and/or family perhaps? Who knows, but it grabs your attention. This is a musician bringing his art to the table. We planned to get a table 30 minutes before sunset and requested a table outside. This helped to beat the anxious and hungry crowd for the best seats! After being ushered to our seats by a feisty host, Patricia took great care of us. All of our meals were prepared with the same care and precision as your favorite Tool song. The sunset, the food and my glass of Shinola overloaded all my senses! We left on tired feet from hiking most of the day, with our bellies and our hearts were full.

The Views and atmosphere are what make this place amazing. My fiance and I tried the flights and then each had a glass of wine from there. Our server was very knowledgable and helpful when we told him what we both liked (I like sweeter wines and my fiance really enjoys bold reds). We did not eat here, but we did have a pint of the salted carmel gelato and it was beyond delicious! Tucked in such a unique area of northern Arizona, I would recommend if you are in the area for a weekend of willing to make the 30-45 minute drive from the Sedona or Prescott Area.

Excellent food and wine. However I was a bit disappointed with the service. The host at the front is a bit snooty. Yes I understand this is a new place and everyone wants to go there. But first impressions are very important.

Amazing view, ambiance, service and food!! We were visiting from CA on a quick turn around trip and this was on our list of restaurants to try. Wow was it a great experience!! We will be back for sure!!

Amazing service, food, and wine! Homemade pasta and pizza crust was to die for!! Our server was so knowledgeable about all wines and was so helpful the entire experience.

The ambiance was top-notch! We enjoyed our time at the. At on this beautiful day...hope to come back soon!