Sixteen Arizona farm wineries are uncorking their finest vintages for this weekend’s eighth annual Willcox Wine Country Fall Festival.
As many as 2,500 wine enthusiasts will turn out for the event that Fodor’s Travel in 2013 ranked among the nation’s top 10 wine festival destinations. Willcox made the cut alongside the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and the New York City Wine & Food Festival.
This years’ event on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15-16, will feature a street bistro by Tucson restaurant Dante’s Fire, vendors representing 25 local farms and arts and craftsmen, a film screening of “A Good Year” at the Willcox Historic Theater and live music including performances by folk singer-songwriter Jeordie, standout Tucson bluegrass band Run Boy Run, blues rockers Sugar Thieves Duo and blues rockers The Paris James Freight Train.
At 6 p.m. Saturday, the festival will host a bistro wine dinner in its “Wine Festival After Dark” featuring chef Ken Foy from Dante’s Fire preparing a wine-paired dinner. Proceeds from the $45 per person admission benefit Northern Cochise Community Hospital.
Proceeds from Saturday’s “Wine and A Movie” ($8 per person, wine not included) benefits the Willcox Historic Theater. The movie starts at 8:30 p.m.
Admission to the festival at the Historic Railroad Park is free;it’s $20 to $25 for wine-tasting tickets.
The festival comes months after Willcox earned its federal American Viticultural Area status, which recognizes Willcox as a unique viticultural area.
The 16 wineries represented this weekend are Sand Reckoner Vineyards, Golden Rule Vineyards, Passion Cellars, Sierra Bonita Vineyards, Kief Joshua Vineyards, Four Tails Vineyard, Aridus Wine Company, Coronado Vineyards, Pillsbury Wine Company, Arizona Stronghold Vineyards, Bodega Pierce, Carlson Creek, Vineyards, Zarpara Vineyard, Keeling Schaefer Vineyards, Cellar 433 and Page Springs Cellars,
For tickets and more information, visit willcoxwinecountry.org
