Flying Leap Vineyards is a remarkable success story of a veteran-owned small business taking flight in the Arizona wine industry. Founded in 2010 by three lifelong friends from the U.S. Air Force Academy – Mark Beres, Marc Moeller, and Tom Kitchens – the company has grown from a small-scale wine grape farming operation to a thriving winery and distillery, thanks in large part to the support of the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
The trio’s shared passion for wine and their engineering and business leadership expertise developed during their military careers have driven Flying Leap’s impressive trajectory. After retiring from the Air Force, the three friends set out to turn their dream of starting a collaborative small business venture into reality.
In 2011, they planted their first vines in the “Kansas Settlement” region south of Willcox, Arizona, laying the groundwork for what would become their flagship Block 1 vineyard. Over the next few years, Flying Leap expanded its operations by purchasing a small farm winery called “Canelo Hills” in Arizona’s scenic wine country near Tucson. This acquisition launched the company’s wine retail operations and allowed it to introduce a new portfolio of wines to a growing customer base.
As demand for Flying Leap’s wines soared, the company embarked on a series of major vineyard expansions between 2012 and 2016, creating more jobs and boosting production capacity. In 2016, the company began distilling spirits, opening a dedicated tasting room the following year. Flying Leap has partnered with growers and vintners in Mendoza, Argentina, and Walla Walla, Washington, to supplement its Arizona-based production to meet the increasing demand for its wines.
Today, Flying Leap produces between 12,000 and 16,000 cases of wine annually, operating four wine-tasting rooms and one distilled spirits tasting room across Arizona. The company’s products, including its wines and brandy-based spirits, are made from hand-harvested grapes grown at its southern and southeastern Arizona vineyards and from partnerships in California and Argentina.