Raw Chocolate Tours

Although many people think of Hershey’s or Mars chocolates as the regular run of the mill “go to” chocolates, that may be the case if you are shopping at your local gas station or convenience store. Perhaps you are a fan of Godiva, Dove, Lindt, or Ghirardelli chocolates. For me, and this is just my opinion, from a self proclaimed REAL and PURE chocolate lover, consumer, and raw chocolate maker; those chocolates are mere candy. The chocolates available to you in Sedona and on our tours are leaps and bounds above candy, for they are superfoods. If you are not sure what a superfood is, then you are in for a big and exciting surprise. These chocolates, unlike candy are actually healthy for you. Whereas candy is typically cooked, uses refined sugars, is full of milk, and other ingredients that you may have trouble pronouncing; the chocolate made in Sedona is quite different on every level.

 

Sedona & Raw Chocolate Charade

3 Hours
Tour includes stop at one chocolate shop and 3 chocolates of your choice.

Raw Chocolate Tours

5 Hours

At noon every Thursday, we are pleased to offer our new tour, Sedona & Verde Valley Tour – 5 Hour – Wine, Chocolate, Beer, & Lunch in Sedona, Arizona. We will meet at noon at Decanter Tasting Room (in The Collective) in Sedona’s Village of Oak Creek.

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There you will meet your tour guide, Jim Reich, the owner of Wine Tours of Sedona. Decanter Wine Tasting Room offers a great starting point to tempt your palate. Here is where you will get to start your tour sampling the wines that are grown and made throughout Arizona. Choose between a red or white flight plus a charcuterie platter (meat, cheese, nuts) and the fun begins! From there, we head north into Sedona. Depending on what types of wine you enjoy, there are several more wine tasting rooms that we may visit. Our choices include (1) VinoZona, nestled among the cobblestone walkways of Tlaquepaque connecting the area’s unique shops, boutiques, and galleries. While there, you have the option of a white, red, or sweet wine flight, again getting to explore wines from all across the AZ state; (2) The Art of Wine located in the Hyatt Pinion Pointe Shops. Jonathan, Lauren, and Brian, and there friendly staff will educate you about the wines that make Arizona such a vibrant wineproducing state. You’ll get to enjoy either a white, red, sweet, or mead flight; (3) Winery 1912 where you’ll get to enjoy the flavors of John McLoughlin’s wine making talent. Enjoy not only the wines but stunning views of Munds Mountain and Snoopy Rock; (4) Vino Di Sedona, where you get to enjoy a large selection of wines and meads from all across the state. Like beer, they have an amazing beer selection as well including many Arizona micro-breweries. For those of you who enjoy chocolate, we make a chocolate stop because everyone knows that chocolate compliments wine and wine compliments chocolate! We will take you to our favorite chocolate shop, Synergy Sedona where you will get to enjoy raw artisan handmade chocolate made right here in Sedona. It’s absolutely delicious and makes the wine taste even better. Did you know that there are almost 30 vineyard and tasting room locations with 25 miles of Sedona? Now don’t get your hopes up, we can’t go to all of them, but what we can and will do is take you to the places that have the most suitable wines based on your palate. We may head to Cornville to visit DA Ranch, Oak Creek Vineyard, or Javelina Leap Vineyard. Perhaps, you have heard of Jerome? It’s an old copper mining town, rich with history. What’s that have to do with wine you say? Well there are six wine tasting rooms there including two owned by a rock star. We have Cellar 433, Caduceus Cellars, Four Eight Wineworks, Passion Cellars / Salvatore Vineyards, Cabel Vineyard, and VinoZona. While in Jerome, you will have an array of magnificent wines to choose from as well as making this your lunch spot. We recommend The Haunted Hamburger, the best burger in the state, and yes the restaurant is haunted. If ghosts and spirits kind of freak you out, there is no need to worry, we got plenty more places to choose from to enjoy delicious wine. Maybe we’ll take you to Old Town Cottonwood where you can enjoy the wines of Arizona Stronghold, Merkin Vineyard and Wine Tasting Osteria, Burning Tree Cellars, Tantrum Winery, Winery 101, Pillsbury Wine Company, or Carson Creek Vineyard. Each location offering a diverse selection of wines as well as food options. If you enjoy pasta, we recommend the handmade pasta at Merkin, it’s delicious. Pair that with their Tarzan Red, and your day is getting absolutely better. Now I know some of you are thinking about now, how are we to ever decide where we are to go. No need to worry about that. You knowledgeable guide will take you to the places with the most appropriate wines for your palate and interests. And I don’t wish to forget about some of the wines coming out of Clarkdale. Here you have Chateau Tumbleweed. You gotta check out their wine labels, each one is a creative drawing of a tumbleweed. And the wines are delicious. Then there’s the Southwest Wine Center and Bodega Pierce Winery, both making some unique wines only to be found here in Arizona. Now for you beer drinkers, we do have the option to go to Oak Creek Brewery or THAT Brewery, both of which is brewing some quite delicious beers. This is about that same time some of you may be winding down. Well at this point you would have had your chance to enjoy local wine, beer, chocolate, and food. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon in Sedona. When we drop you back off at Decanter Tasting Room, we can recommend close by hotels, restaurants, and eateries. For example Cucina Rustica is the best Italian food in town and offers delicious food to complete your day. For those wishing to really learn more about Arizona wines, this is the perfect tour for you. Enjoy wines from grapes grown all across the state. Discover unique blends that are only found here. Relish in the wonderful afternoon spent learning about new wines and enjoying the magic of Sedona’s red rock formations.
**What’s Included** – 4 Wine or Beer Tasting Flights – Gourmet Box of Chocolate – Lunch – Transportation with a Knowledgeable Guide – Complimentary Water – Digital Photos Along the Way
Please Note: This is a group tour offered through Airbnb Experiences. There could be other Airbnb travelers on your wine tasting and touring experience.
Adult (Ages 21+)
$333

SEDONA & RAW CHOCOLATE EXPEDITION

5 Hours

Tour includes two chocolate stops and 4 chocolates of your choice at each location.

SCENIC SEDONA, ANCIENT INDIAN RUINS AND RAW CHOCOLATE FRENZY

7 Hours

Tour includes three chocolate stops and a total of 11 chocolates combined from the chocolate locations of your choice.

 

Add-Ons

Vino Di Sedona Wine & Food Sampling


Special for guests of Wine Tours of Sedona, Vino Di Sedona offers a charcuterie board with three cured Italian meats, three cheeses, bread, fruit, olives and figs. Alternatives for special dietary preferences available. Pairing wine with their food, also offered is an AZ flight (12 ounces of wine), sweet or dry – flexibility and alternatives are of course available to best suit your palate. Adding this to your tour gives you the enjoyment of an additional 75 minutes to your wine sampling experience plus everything listed above for just $99 per adult.

Wine Tours of Sedona Lunch | Dinner

 

Whether your tour is starting mid-day or in the later afternoon, Wine Tours of Sedona is happy to ensure that your stomach is getting properly nourished while out on your experience with us. Based on the tour itinerary and the stops we choose to make, you have an array of options available to you for lunch or dinner (extra charges apply). All you need to do is tell us when you are hungry and what you are in the mood for, we take care of the rest.

Scenic Sedona or Sunset 2hrs.

 

This is a perfect add on to any of our wine tours for those here for just a short while but who also wish to see the grandeur of Sedona and our red rock formations. We will share with you some of Sedona more magical points of interest. If you choose to add this as a sunset option, we ensure that you are at the optimum viewing angle and location to see the beauty of a Sedona sunset.

MORE ABOUT YOUR CHOCOLATE EXPERIENCE

First and foremost the chocolate is raw. What does that mean you may wonder? Well by consuming raw chocolate, that means the cacao isn’t heated above 108 degrees F during the creation process. By keeping it at a lower temperature, the “good for you” qualities of the cacao remain intact. The most commonly known one is that raw dark chocolate is very high in antioxidants which is really good for you. Though in reality, that is only the tip of the iceberg as they say. There are over 144 health benefits to eating raw chocolate.

Being raw is only part of the health benefits. It’s organic which speaks for itself. It’s gluten free, soy free, chemical free, dairy free. Meaning it is free of all the stuff you don’t want in your chocolate and full of all the things you do want. Natural ingredients. Things like maca, lacuma, goji berries, bee pollen, schizandra, chaga or reishi mushrooms are all in the chocolates you will find in Sedona. This may sound like foreign ingredients to you, but each offers an array of health benefits.

Furthermore, whereas most common candies that call themselves chocolate use refined sugars as the sweetners. This is really bad for it causes tooth decay and spikes your blood sugar making many more prone tor diabetes. Sedona chocolatiers take a different approach. By using things like raw honey, coconut sugar, stevia, xylitol, agave syrup, and other natural sweetners, the end result is a chocolate that comes out to be low glycemic. This is healthier for you.

Do you enjoy milk? Perhaps. Though put it in chocolate and it just goes downhill in terms of quality. Although, I expect that many of my customers do enjoy milk, in reality it is very bad for you. It meant for baby cows to drink, not humans. You put it in chocolate and it’s just no good. For those of you who do enjoy dark chocolate, you will love our chocolate! It is dark and delicious.

Finally, most mainstream chocolates, I mean candies that have a lot of ingredients that neither you or I can pronounce, let alone get our head around what it is actually doing in our chocolate. Preservatives, artificial flavors, coloring agents, emulsifiers, and loads of other junk are all in these candies. You won’t find any of this in the chocolates made in Sedona. The chocolates here are all handmade by people not giant machines, who truly care about the quality of the products they are making. By taking chocolate making to a pure level, the end result is not candy, but something that is actually healthy. Really!

So join us for one of our Raw Chocolate Tours, where you will not only learn about the geological wonders of why our rocks are red, but also get to enjoy some of the most delicious and nutritious chocolates available to man.

Some say that the red rocks of Sedona are quite arguably one of the most beautiful places in the United States if not the world. As the owner and your guide, I would agree. Others say that some of the most delicious chocolate in the world comes from Belgium. I would disagree, and say that it comes from right here in Sedona.

Allow yourself to experience the magical energies of Sedona’s numerous vortex sites, and other energy centers on this extraordinary tour. And this is only the beginning! Your guide will allow you to enjoy all the beauty there is to behold within red rock country on this fun and informative tour. Perhaps you may even see some of the local wildlife. Learn about the geology, flora, fauna, and more.

Add to this a sampling of some of the raw and organic chocolate that is made right here in Sedona, and your time here only gets to be more delicious. For Sedona is home to over a half dozen incredible chocolatiers making a wide variety of types of chocolate. One thing they all have in common is that they are all infused with red rock energy and full of healthy and delicious superfoods. Each is as unique as the red rocks are to other parts of the world. And if you are concerned about your blood sugar levels, not to worry, many of the chocolates made in Sedona are sweetened with low glycemic sweeteners such as honey, coconut sugar, and stevia.

After sampling some of the chocolates at either ChocolaTree Eatery, Synergy Cafe, Chocolita, or Living Chocolate we head back to the rocks while you are on your chocolate high. For there is so much more we have to share with you.

Being that every tour we offer is customized to your individual group, and your own personal interests, we may end up at the Chapel of the Holy Cross or an array of other points of interest throughout town. If you are wanting to get more meditative and quiet with your time here, we can share with you the Amitabha Stupa and neighboring Medicine Wheel. Perhaps will shall share with you many of the wonderful sight to been seen in Oak Creek Canyon including a stop where you may buy handmade jewelry and pottery directly from the Navajo and Hopi Indians who make them.

For the full on raw chocolate and Sedona experience, enjoy the day with us. On this journey, not only will you get the most expansive tour of Sedona’s red rock formations, but also you will get to see how Indians lived here centuries ago. Add to this three chocolate stops at different chocolatier locations, and your day is sure to be filled with a yummy deliciousness that only can be achieved on a tour like this.

For those of you who are wine enthusiasts, there are many options to add some delicious red wines along the Verde Valley Wine Trail to your tour. What we would recommend is a visit to Vino Di Sedona. Here you can enjoy a wine sampling to go with your chocolate, plus a charcuterie board. What’s great about them is not only do they carry wines from all across the state of Arizona, but all across the world. If booking your tour online, during the checkout process, add our Vino Di Sedona option at just $99 per adult. This gives you an additional 75 minutes to your tour, your wine sampling, plus a charcuterie board.

If you simply want to have us include lunch or dinner to your raw chocolate tour, we would be delighted to do so. Choosing to do so is only $44 extra per person for lunch and $77 extra per person for dinner. Rest assured, depending on your appetite, we have the best recommendations for you ranging from pizza to steak, Italian or Mexican, we know just where to take you to ensure you get the most out of your experience.

If you are feeling like you wish to go into a deep relaxation after enjoying the sights of Sedona’s red rocks, and the textures and tastes of our local raw chocolate shops, then perhaps a massage is in order. For just $150 per person we will handle everything. Whenever it’s best for you, we will have a licensed professional massage therapist come right to you. Enjoy a relaxing one hour massage in the comfort of your hotel room.

We know that all that sightseeing makes you hungry for more chocolate. Not to worry. Before your tour is over we have another chocolate stop in store for you.

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