California Wines and Wineries with Arizona Wines and Wineries announces the 8th Cabernet Franc Wine Celebration will be held on March 2nd, 2027. It will be held at the Commemorative Air Museum in Mesa, Arizona.
The Domestic registration cost is $85 per entry. Regular registration closes on 2/1/26. Early Bird Registration will commence October 1st and conclude on December 15th, 2026.
Three general categories exist: 1) Cabernet Franc varietal being minimum 75% 2) Blends (must be 50% Cabernet Franc) and Specialty Cabernet Franc wines like Appassimento, blanc, sparkling, etc., still needing to be a minimum of 50% Cabernet Franc. 3) regional groups apply: East Coast USA, Central USA, Northwest USA, Southwest USA, International and California. California is further broken down by six or seven price points.
Two sets of judges will evaluate each wine. One set of judges are the Professional Judges and the other set are the People’s Choice Judges. Wines will be awarded by each group and various years the two groups have chosen the same wine. An overall Grand Sweepstakes will be awarded by each group.
Last year the Professional Judges award the Grand Sweepstakes to L’Autre Cote by Steven Kent Winery in Livermore Calif and the People’s Choice Judges awarded Donati Family Vineyards from Templeton, Calif.
Wines are to be vintages which are available as of registration date for the public. For complete information on the event can be sent upon request.
International Registration which handles COLA Waiver, Paperwork (FTA, TTB, Customer, Commercial, Invoicing, etc.) is available upon request from me at mkellywine@gmail.com.
Results of the 2026 7th Annual International Cabernet Franc Competition can be found at:
Note:
- Wine competition will be held on March 2nd, 2027.