Winemaker Competition Illustration

Clarkdale, Arizona — Yavapai College’s Southwest Wine Center revived a cherished tradition in Clarkdale last month. Winemakers, viticulture experts, and talented students gathered for competition, education, and an energetic exchange of ideas as The Emerging Winemakers Competition & Symposium returned to the Verde Valley Campus on Saturday, April 18.

“The 2026 Emerging Winemakers Competition & Symposium returned with momentum, highlighting the growing impact of Yavapai College’s students and alumni.”

— Southwest Wine Center Director Ryan Avery Follensbee

Hosted by Yavapai College’s Grand Crew student organization, the 2026 Emerging Winemakers Competition & Symposium celebrated non-commercial, aspiring winemakers from across the region. Competitors from three states participated, and new wine- and mead-makers claimed top honors, with many using fruit grown at the Southwest Wine Center vineyards.

Competitors included current students, program graduates, and amateur winemakers from Arizona, with entries also coming from Colorado and California.

Their wines were judged by two-person teams, with each team including a winemaker and an industry professional. High-scoring wines were re-evaluated by all judges to determine the medal winners.

2026 Medal Winners

Fruit

  • Silver: Dates — Cody Burkett (Co-winemaker: Pippin)
  • Gold: Pomegranate/Grape — Russell Pritchett (Co-winemaker: Jeremiah Prough)

Sweet

  • Silver: Fortqueria Splendens, fortified Ocotillo flower mead — Cody Burkett (Co-winemaker: Pippin)

Mead

  • Silver: Semillion Pyment — Tyler Stout
  • Gold: Wildflower & Orange blossom honey / Sangiovese — Marian Benton (Co-winemaker: Matthew Hackbert)
  • Double Gold: Lingonberry Mead — Mike Aliotta (Co-winemaker: Autumn Aliotta)

Rosé

  • Silver: Zinfandel — Don Hudson
  • Gold: Cab Franc — Jonathan Purcell (Co-winemaker: Kelsey Brennan)
  • Double Gold: Refosco — Jonathan Purcell (Co-winemaker: Kelsey Brennan)

White

  • Silver: Piquepoul Blanc Orange — Jeremiah Prough
  • Gold: Muscat — Emma Jane Tschanz
  • Double Gold: Malvasia — Jim Miller (Co-winemaker: Becky Boyer)

Red

  • Silver: 50% Primitivo / 50% Durif — Louis Maconi
  • Gold: Refosco — Cody Caruolo
  • Double Gold: Sangio/Cab/Petit Verdot/Aglianico/Cab Franc/Syrah — Ron Wisniewski

Professional Presentations

The event also included presentations from three winemaking professionals:

  • Tom Messier, SWC alumnus and Omphalos Winery owner, presented “The Road from Winemaking Curiosity to Crafting Winning Wines.”
  • Dr. Rich DeScenso, Microbiology group leader at ETS Labs, discussed “The use of non-Saccharomyces ‘bio-protective’ yeast during cold soak.”
  • Susie Selby, owner of Selby Winery in Healdsburg, California, presented on Sonoma County Zinfandels.

The 2027 Emerging Winemakers Competition & Symposium has already been scheduled for April 10 of next year.

Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, six baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about Yavapai College, visit www.yc.edu.