Cabernet Franc
S-K-Y-H-A-V-E-N Vineyards and Winery – 2023 Cabernet Franc
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
I had the opportunity to taste the 2023 Cabernet Franc, a Gold Medal winner at SF Chronicle wine competition at a recent visit with them. Left the winery with a purchase of a bottle to try with food at home. This wine on the eyes again provided a cavernous darkness in color and held all the varietal characteristics of both old world and new world combined. Pyrazines were minimal with only the exquisite taste of the fruit being presented. Aged 18 months in neutral oak. This wine also won a Gold Medal at the 2026 Arizona Governor’s Cup and “Judge’s Choice” award. An excellent representation of Cabernet Franc with 13.1% alcohol and available at $38/bottle.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Tonight’s dinner was a slow cooker red wine braised beef short ribs. It is made with red wine, garlic, herbs and mushrooms. The ribs were first browned/braised on the skillet then placed in the slow cooker. Then onions and mushrooms were also browned with oregano, thyme, rosemary and marjoram to create the sauce. Then the sauce was poured over the ribs in the slow cooker. Bay leaves were then added. It then cooked for 8-9 hours.
The Cabernet Franc wine was chosen as it makes an ideal pairing with the wine’s acidity and structured tannins. The tannins cut through the fat of the beef counterbalanced with the dark fruit, pyrazines and earthy notes of the sauce. The fruit notes of dark berries, roasted bell pepper, subtle smokiness or sweet pipe tobacco resonated with the aromatics, herbs and red-wine reduction of the dish.
Accompanying by halved small Yukon Gold potatoes, roasted and topped with grated Parmesan cheese. Also, a fresh garden salad was served.
A very solid and delicious food and wine pairing this evening.
The Winery
Picture by SKYHAVEN Vineyards and Wines
SKYHAVEN Wines was recommended by another winery on a recent visit to Willcox AVA and very much appreciated. Spoke to Bridget on the phone, setting up the time and date for the visit. Upon driving down several “dirt & gravel” roads, I had no idea what to expect. Drove in cold and I was instantly warmed up by their radiant personalities, open hospitality and sincere desire to produce outstanding wines.
Met with Chris Brinkmeyer, who is trained and earned his viticulture and enology degree from Yavapai College. He spent time working at Pillsbury Wine Company honing his craft. You know he has a twist on producing wines as rather than calling himself the winemaker, he goes by The Wine Shepherd. Once into our conversation, it made perfect sense as his belief is that “great wine isn’t manufactured, it’s guided. Coaxed. Listened to”.
His life partner is Bridget Hildebrand who also has a unique title as CPKO (Chief Pants Kicking Officer)! While a bit lighthearted, Bridget spent 25 plus years in building brands in the tech industry and traveling about the world tasting wines indigenous to various areas. Bridget handles the marketing, manages the tasting rooms and is the glue holding these various pieces together.
Just by the self-anointed job titles, this is no ordinary winery! While appearing lighthearted, their work ethic and determination is at a higher level. While only being in their second year, they have won awards at both the prestigious 2026 San Francisco Chronicle and Arizona Governor’s Cup wine competition. For a newbie wine company, this shows the dedication to their craft. Well done Chris and Bridget, the future is extremely bright for you.
Their property is ten acres with seven and half planted in vines. Each of their wines are all small lot with limited and controlled batches.
The name Skyhaven Vineyards and Winery is a long name, suffice it say it is easy to understand with the sky pictures taken the afternoon of my visit.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The winery’s focus is on French, Spanish, and Italian varietals grown on the high-desert Willcox Bench. Their current lineup includes 2023 Syrah, 2023 Pandemonium blend (43% Grenache, 43% Mourvèdre, 14% Syrah), 2025 Viognier and 2025 Spectre Rosé. While all these wines are solid wines, their award-winning wines include:
2023 Cabernet Franc – 2026 San Francisco Gold Medal Winner
2023 Mourvèdre – 2026 San Francisco Silver Medal Winner
2023 Artificer Petit Verdot – 2026 San Francisco Silver Medal Winner
They have also received awards from the Arizona Governor’s Wine Competition.
When in Willcox and now Bisbee, where they opened a new tasting room stopping by and tasting their wines will be a real treat. If you get a chance to meet Chris and Bridget, you will be enthralled and wines will taste even better.
If you can’t attend either of those locations, they are scheduled to be at the SanTan Art and Wine Festival October 31st to November 1st, 2026, at 2218 E Williams Field Road, Suite 235, Gilbert, AZ in the Phoenix area.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
2023 Dracaena Wines Cabernet Franc – The Golden Standard?
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
I have known the owners of Dracaena Wines, Michael & Lori Budd, for ten years and their wines were good at the beginning and simply have morphed over the years to being excellent. Last night pulled a 2023 Dracaena Cabernet Franc to go with our dinner. Could not have been more pleased.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Upon the first sip I knew I was in for a treat. First on the eyes, a beautifully colored ruby and crimson coloring with medium viscosity. On the nose just a faint hint of pyrazines (bell pepper) but mostly fresh raspberry and red cherries with violet and rose petals wafting into the senses. Once in the palate, this dark and inviting elixir provided a symphony of flavors. Dominant was blackberry flavors following closely by a soft and caressing blueberry for a soft and friendly sip. A minimal percentage of oak and tannins were noticeable while the wine playfully engulfed the mouth. Surprisingly the structure and body was at a premier level for a wine costing only $42/bottle. The finish was smooth and velvety, lingering for enjoyable moments begging for another savory sip.
The wine is about 97% Cabernet Franc from 3% co-fermented Tannat. The wine was 14.5% alcohol. This will make my annual list of Best Wines Tasted for 2026. Roughly only 2-4% of the 2,000 wines tasted during the year make this list. That list is published mid-December.
At the 7th Annual International Cabernet Franc Competition, the 2023 Dracaena Cabernet Franc received a Gold Medal from the Professional Judges. Over the years they typically received Gold, Double Gold and/or Best of Category. Just like their Weimaraner dogs, this is a pure bred wine. Double Gold in SF Chronicle and 92 points from Decanter.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Being that it was raining and “cold” at 72 degrees (first time seeing a 70-degree reading since moving to Arizona!), a wintertime comfort food was in order this evening. Especially to watch Monday Night Football. My wife, Susan, baked up a recent favorite Poblano Pepper Casserole. Ingredients included poblano peppers, vegetable oil, chopped white onion, jalapeno pepper, minced garlic, ground beef, cut yellow & red bell peppers, black beans, fire roasted tomatoes, corn kernels, shredded cheddar cheese, red pepper flakes, chili powder, dried oregano, ground cumin, kosher salt, black pepper and white rice. The casserole is delicious and spicey but not hot.
Each bite of the casserole combined with fruit of the wine, made a delicious meal. A great winter dinner, be it cool or cold!
The Winery
Their tasting room at 1244 Pine Street, Suite 101B in Paso Robles, located just off the downtown square. Michael and Lori behind the bar serving guests on a typical weekend.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Michael and Lori started Dracaena wines 14 years ago and while searching for a “living memorial” for their first Weimaraner dog, they named their winery Dracaena. While researching for a name, they found the name Dracaena tree, more commonly referred to as a Draco tree. Draco was the name of their dog. Today they have another Weimaraner dog named Bowen happily greeting everyone that comes to the tasting room, which is dog friendly. One of the reasons they have and continue to make excellent wines is their combined backgrounds. Michael today is a food chemist and Lori was a microbiologist.
Over the years we have held many conversations. One of the more noteworthy was about two years ago when discussing some of the high dollars levels Cabernet Franc had ballooned to. Lori stated clearly, they wanted to make an exquisite Cabernet Franc at an affordable price level. They have accomplished both a quality wine and a price value driven wine.
Currently, while still a small boutique and artisan winery, they produce Cordyline Rosé, Chenin Blanc, Blanc de Blanc, Cinnabari (Bordeaux blend) and Phoenix (Mourvedre & Syrah blend). With their Cabernet Franc lineup of both the Classic Cabernet Franc and Metz Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Franc. I have purchased and tasted them all except their Blanc de Blanc and every one, once again, coming in at a high standard.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
8th Annual International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition registration will open for Early Bird signups beginning October 1st, 2026.
How will the competition be judged? The event will be a blind tasting using the “Danish System”, sometimes called the group method. Unique to this event, two separate judging stations will be set up. The first will comprise of Professional Judges and the second being the People’s Choice Judges (serious consumers). Each set of Judges will award medals and award Best of Show based on geographic regions and categories. Additionally, each set of judges will select a Grand Sweepstakes winner from a taste off all the Division & Category winners.
Who are the judges? We have invited Tom Bender once again to head up the Professional Judging Panel(s). Tom has headed the California Sierra Foothill Competition for over 35 years, served on California State Fair Judges, is a well-known writer for various wine magazines and teaches at a local college. Other judges slated include Mike Dunne retired food editor, wine columnist for the Sacramento Bee, distinguished judge emeritus at San Francisco Chronicle and other events, Fran Cunniffe a DipWSET and certified Sommelier, Tana Cole winemaker from Sonoma Valley, Napa, Lodi and Calaveras AVA’s and other judges with WSET I, II and III qualifications. People’s Choice Judges are astute individuals with years of experience. All judges are prepared with extensive documentation and profiles on Cabernet Franc’s characteristics from various geographic areas in advance. Each wine is judged on its own terroir characteristics within their respective geographic category/area and not against other regions.
Meet three of our six esteemed Professional Judges, Mike Dunne, Shelly Fitzgerald and Tom Bender.
Mike Dunne has been writing wine stories for 50 years, mostly on California wines but also of wines from his distant travels. For 30 years he was a staff writer and editor for The Sacramento Bee in Northern California. When he retired he was the newspaper’s food editor, wine columnist and restaurant critic. In retirement, he continues to write for various publications and platforms. On the wine-competition circuit he has judged up to 23 competitions in a single year. While locked down during the Covid-19 pandemic, he wrote and published a book about the evolution of the wine trade in the greater Sacramento area: “The Signature Wines of Superior California: 50 Wines that Define the Sierra Foothills, the Delta, Yolo and Lodi.” A native San Franciscan who grew up in the foothill hamlet of Sonora, he resides in Sacramento with his wife Martha, also a wine judge.
Shelly Fitzgerald is the Wine Director at Vinum 55 in Arizona, with more than two decades of experience spanning restaurants, retail, wine education, writing, consulting, and judging. She holds the WSET Diploma (DipWSET), Certified Sommelier (CS), Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), American Wine Expert (AWE), and Italian Wine Scholar (IWS) credentials, and is an Advanced Cava Educator. A longtime WSET educator, Shelly has taught Levels 1 through 3 and currently oversees wine education and programming at Vinum 55. Her experience as a wine judge and writer, combined with extensive travel through wine regions in the United States and internationally, has shaped both her palate and her approachable style of wine education.
Tom Bender is a Sierra foothill resident; and an instructor in the Columbia College Culinary Arts program where he has taught wine and restaurant management related classes for over 45 years. In addition to teaching, he currently is the Sierra Foothill salesperson for Astoria Wine Group, representing over 25 premium wineries. From 2006 to 2024 he managed O’Brien’s Market extensive wine department and popular wine bar in Modesto, CA. Prior to that he managed Columbia’s City Hotel for over 25 years, where he created its award-winning wine list and cellar.
Over the years he has been fortunate to visit most of the world’s most important wine regions including lesser traveled ones such as China, Turkey, and Croatia. Since 1981 he has coordinated the Calaveras County Fair “Sierra Foothill Wine Competition”. He is also a judge at a number of competitions including the CA State Fair, Amador County Fair, the International Cabernet Franc Judging, and Folsom’s Sierra Foothill Judging. Tom has also been a successful home winemaker for over forty years, having won gold medals for wines made by his college class and the “Lost Boys”, a fun group of local Sonora home winemakers.
Registration information will be announced on Thursday, Oct 1st, 2026.
Cheers,
Michael Kelly, Founder of International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition
This year’s co-sponsors are:
Gold – Commemorative Air Museum, Mesa, AZ. https://www.azcaf.org
Gold – John Lilly, Premier Real Estate Advisor, http://www.JohnLillyProperties.com
Silver – D’Vine Bistro & Wine Bar -Mesa, https://www.dvinebistromesa101.com
Silver – VINUM55, Scottsdale https://www.vinum55.com
S-K-Y-H-A-V-E-N Vineyards & Wines Visit, Willcox AVA, Arizona
Background
As a wine writer and a recent transplant to Arizona, I knew there were roughly 150 plus wineries in Arizona, with approximately 80% of all the wines produced using Willcox grapes. Decided I needed to understand the area and ventured off to meet a few of the wineries/winemakers and of course taste the wines. Surprisingly I have not been able to find many of the Arizonan wines in local bottle shops or retail stores.
Willcox AVA Background
The Willcox AVA is the largest in Arizona and encompasses 833 square miles in southern Arizona.
Map from University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
The length ranges from 40 to 45 miles, running north and south and the width averaging between 15 to 25 miles wide east to west. It is a large flat valley (or playa/bench) with an average elevation of most vineyards being 4,200 to almost 5,000 feet elevations. The Willcox Playa is sitting between the Dragoon Mountains to the west reaching 7,500 feet and the Chiricahua with the highest point 8,000 feet and Dos Cabezas Mountains 7,500 feet to the east. The highest mountain peak is in the northeast at 8,100 feet. With the high mountains surrounding the high valley floor, the diurnal temperature swings (daytime to nighttime) can average between 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit. This cooling down feature from the mountain air sinking to the basin, is a hallmark in preserving acidity in the grapes.
The land is a combination of sandy-gravelly, alluvial and volcanic loam soils which are ideal for vineyard sustainability. The Willcox AVA was designated in September 2016. Many indigenous people occupied the land like the Chiricahua Apache’s including the well-known leaders Cochise and Geronimo.
The Winery
Picture by SKYHAVEN Vineyards and Wines
SKYHAVEN Wines was recommended by another winery and very much appreciated. Spoke to Bridget on the phone, setting up the time and date for the visit. Upon driving down several “dirt & gravel” roads, I had no idea what to expect. Drove in cold and I was instantly warmed up by their radiant personalities, open hospitality and sincere desire to produce outstanding wines.
Met with Chris Brinkmeyer, who is trained and earned his viticulture and enology degree from Yavapai College. He spent time working at Pillsbury Wine Company honing his craft. You know he has a twist on producing wines as rather than calling himself the winemaker, he goes by The Wine Shepherd. Once into our conversation, it made perfect sense as his belief is that “great wine isn’t manufactured, its guided. Coaxed. Listened to”.
His life partner is Bridget Hildebrand who also has a unique title as CPKO (Chief Pants Kicking Officer)! While a bit lighthearted, Bridget spent 25 plus years in building brands in the tech industry and traveling about the world tasting wines indigenous to various areas. Bridget handles the marketing, manages the tasting rooms and is the glue holding these various pieces together.
Just by the self-anointed job titles, this is no ordinary winery! While appearing lighthearted, their work ethic and determination is at a higher level. While only being in their second year, they have won awards at both the prestigious 2026 San Francisco Chronicle and Arizona Governor’s Cup wine competition. For a newbie wine company, this shows the dedication to their craft. Well done Chris and Bridget, the future is extremely bright for you.
Their property is ten acres with seven and half planted in vines. Each of the previous wines are all small lot with limited and controlled batches.
The name Skyhaven is a bit long, suffice it say it is easy to understand with the sky pictures taken this afternoon. The balance of story Chris or Bridget will be happy to tell.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The winery’s focus is on French, Spanish, and Italian varietals grown on the high-desert Willcox Bench. Their current line up includes 2023 Syrah, 2023 Pandemonium blend (43% Grenache, 43% Mourvèdre, 14% Syrah), 2025 Viognier and 2025 Spectre Rosé. While all these wines are solid wines, their award-winning wines include:
2023 Cabernet Franc – 2026 San Francisco Gold Medal Winner
2023 Mourvèdre – 2026 San Francisco Silver Medal Winner
2023 Artificer Petit Verdot – 2026 San Francisco Silver Medal Winner
They have also received awards from the Arizona Governor’s Wine Competition.
We sat and discussed many topics beyond their delicious wines for some time. When tasting through about five wines, all being solid elixirs, three stood out as excellent and exquisite. The first was their Syrah. This is 98% Syrah and 2% Picpoul Blanc making this a solid representation of Rhone French wine. Dark and luscious on the eyes, with fruit forward aromas and taste, coupled with a modicum of tannins and finishing smooth and silky. The wine was aged 18 months in neutral oak barrels and goes for $34/bottle. This wine won a Gold Medal at the SF Chronicle wine competition and at the 2036 Governor’s Cup a Silver Medal.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next up tasting was the 2023 Cabernet Franc, a Gold Medal winner at SF Chronicle wine competition. Only a few wineries from my limited research in Willcox AVA produce a Cabernet Franc. This wine on the eyes again provided a cavernous darkness in color and held all the varietal characteristics of both old world and new world combined. Pyrazines were minimal with only the exquisite taste of the fruit being presented. Aged 18 months in neutral oak. This wine also won a Gold Medal at the 2026 Arizona Governor’s Cup and “Judge’s Choice” award. An excellent representation of Cabernet Franc. I purchased a bottle on my way out!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The third being their Viognier. We got caught up discussing a specific Double Gold and Best of Class Viognier wines which I had judged at a recent competition in California and the similarities with their bottle. We discussed getting together in Mesa to try a side by side tasting soon. All three of us were so engaged in the conversation, no picture was taken!
Don’t despair, as they have two tasting facilities; one at the winery and just opening October 1st -3rd in Bisbee at 14 Main Street. If you can’t attend either of those locations, they are scheduled to be at the SanTan Art and Wine Festival October 31 to November 1st, 2026 at 2218 E Williams Field Road, Suite 235, Gilbert, AZ in the Phoenix area.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
The Wine Club of Greater Phoenix
Held the kickoff meeting for The Wine Club of Greater Phoenix last evening. While we didn’t have time to “officially” name the wine club this is a place holder. Everyone presented what they wanted to get out of the monthly meetings and came up with the following format.
Key items agreed to were that the Wine Club would be rotational (at different homes), have an educational component, host to determine scope/theme/topic for the evening, a blind tasting component and guests will bring besides a specific wine an appetizer to be paired with the wine selection/theme. Everyone wanted some additional time to socialize and discuss the wines of the evening.
We will meet on the first Thursday of each month at 7 pm. The meetings will be limited to twelve people with the host confirming the first twelve and putting others on a waitlist. The next meeting will be Thursday, September 3rd to kick off the Wine Club, Kelly’s will host the first event.
The monthly host will decide on the theme or topic for the evening. It is wide open and can be on a specific varietal, geographic location, comparison/contrast of a varietal from a warm climate verses cold climate, vertical tasting, country, AVA, etc. Hosts will rotate monthly.
Each session will be broken down into three sections. The first will be a “educational segment” with 3-4 pages of material handed out to attendees. The second segment will be the tasting and if desired a blind tasting portion based upon the hosts’ topic with each participant bringing a bottle to share. If it is a blind tasting, please bring your wine before arriving, covered in a brown bag. The host will notify you two weeks before the session to allow you to obtain (if not in your inventory) an appropriate wine for the evening. Suggestions were Trevor’s, Total Wine, etc. The third session will be discussing wines, enjoying the appetizers (to go with the theme) and meeting new folks, socializing, etc. The evening should end around 9 pm.
During the evening a couple of other matters were discussed and determined:
*Folks would like to have an opportunity to secure discounted wines.
*Two themed dinners will be held: one in May and one in November at a member’s house. More information to follow.
*Communications will be via email. Please make sure your email is provided.
*The Wine Club will not hold formal meetings during the summer months of June, July and August due to weather and travel vacations.
*Host will provide wine glasses and is not required to provide an appetizer.
We did not discuss organizational issues, but de facto I will act as Secretary for at least the first year.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Last evening we enjoy a wide range of wines, starting off with value packed 2024 Kirkland Chardonnay at $8 working our way to an Arizonia wine from Bodega Pierce Cabernet Franc from Willcox, AZ. Feedback was how this was different from a California Cabernet Franc. Opened a 2020 LXV Winery Cabernet Franc $100 from Paso Robles, CA (pic shows a 2021 as the bottle went home with a member). This 2020 won Best of Class and Best of Show at the International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition in 2023. FYI- this year it has moved from northern California to Mesa, AZ at the Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum. It was a good discussion comparing the two Cab Franc wines. We finished off the evening with a 2013 Crocker & Starr Stone Place Cabernet Sauvignon, a limited and allocated wine (current vintage is $195). A fun and enjoyable evening for those attending.
If you have any questions, please contact Michael Kelly at mkellywine@gmail.com or mkellyaz26@gmail.com .
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
Vinum55 Hosted an Informative Cabernet Franc Presentation & Tasting This Week
Chris Jeffers from a local wine distributor, The Natural Wine Company, gave both a presentation and brought some tasty wines to augment the session. Chris was very well versed in his French Cabernet Franc’s wine starting with the lighter and airy versions coming from Chinon and progressing to USA with Pride Mountain Cabernet Franc. The presentation focused more on “ripeness” and “pyrazines’ especially with the French wines from a cooler climate. Below is an ancestral lineage of the Loire Valley.
Up next was a discussion on the Chinon & Bourgueil terroir and how the wines from these regions key taste characteristics.
The first two slides focused on “cool climate Cabernet Franc’s” and then he explained “warm climate expressions” especially with oak aging.
The last slide was a quick summary of global style comparisons of France, Italy and USA. Here is went into a brief chemistry lesson and discerning acidity, tannins and alcohol levels. This is a great guide for the novice/intermediate wine aficionado wanting to understand the key differences and tastes with this universally planted grape varietal.
The first wine up for the evening was the 2022 Manoir de la Tete Rouge, Sammur “Bagatelle” (redhead) being the least ripe grape. First the color in the glass was radiant and semi-transparent with noticeable pyrazines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Following was the 2024 Bernard Baudry, “Les Granges” Chinon aged in concrete on the valley floor.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next up was perhaps the “most attractive wine at the dance”, in my opinion, the 2021 Ampeleia IGT from the western side of Tuscany with some seaside influence. On this both neutral oak and concrete are used. The fruit picked was ripe from this warmer climate and possesses a bit more tannins. This wine hit on all four of my ratings on the eyes, the aroma, the taste and finish. It received my highest ratings of the evening.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We moved to the 2023 Olga Raffault, Chinon Les Barnabes. Right away a shade darker coloring using neutral oak and concrete but with a light pepper taste.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We ended the tasting with 2023 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc. Those unfamiliar with the winery need to understand its geography uniqueness. Half the vineyard residents in Napa Valley and half in Sonoma County perched on top of Spring Mountain. This came in at 14.6% alcohol, the highest of the tastings. Using oak barrels produced a “savoriness” with a nice balance of tannins. This received my second highest score of the evening. Notice the color is much deeper.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
That concluded an informative and engaging presentation within the allotted time frame for the evening. Thanks Chris Jeffers and Vinum55 for holding this tasting.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly