“I like Math.” -Rob 
Relative newcomers to the Arizona wine scene, Rob and Sarah Hammelman have wasted no time making a name for themselves with Sand-Reckoner Vineyards. In a nod to the sandy loam soils of the vineyard, Sand-Reckoner is named after an ancient Archimedean book that suggested the size of the universe could be calculated using grains of sand. Formerly a math teacher, Rob became interested in winemaking in 2000 when he took a summer job with influential Arizona vintner Kent Callaghan. His experience there, along with subsequent winemaking adventures in France and Colorado, where he met his wife Sarah, instilled Rob with a passion for terroir. In 2010, the Hammelmans purchased their 12-acre vineyard in the southeastern Arizona mountains and never looked back.
While the star of the Hammelmans’ vineyard is the versatile, Arizona-loving, Malvasia Bianca, Sand-Reckoner grows a wide variety of grapes, including Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Sagrantino, Montepulciano, Syrah, Petit Verdot, and Zinfandel. Rob and Sarah’s methodical approach to viticulture has led them to grapes that not only thrive in the wildly variable climate, but also express the unique high-desert terroir. To supplement the supply of fruit from their estate vineyard, Sand-Reckoner partners with other growers in the region, including Blue Moon, Deep Sky, Red Tree Ranch, and Rhumb Line Vineyards.
