Sponsored by

The Minnesota Wine & Grape Alliance

&

The University of Minnesota Grape Breeding and Enology Project

 

The Minnesota Wine & Grape Alliance, in partnership with the University of Minnesota, presents the International Cold Climate Wine Competition for commercial producers making wines from Cold Climate grape and fruit varietals. As the only competition dedicated to Cold Climate grape varietals, the ICCWC's goal is to recognize the best wines produced in the Cold Climate wine industry.

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Only commercial wineries are eligible for this competition, as described below. Wines must be:

• Bottled and commercially available for sale.

• Produced by a TTB licensed commercial winery and have TTB COLA approval for the label.

• Have been produced with a minimum of 20 cases available at retail when released. For the purpose of this competition, a case consists of twelve 750 ml bottles. For Specialty/Fortified (but not Sparkling) categories, a case may consist of twelve 375 ml or 500 ml bottles.

• Professional and TTB approved, commercially printed label must appear on all bottles.

 

Proper registration process must be followed to enter wines in the ICCWC. Wineries entering must:

• Create an account on Enofileonline.com and follow the steps to register each wine in the proper category and pay the appropriate fees online by July 9, 2026.

• Submit three (3) bottles per entry and include a copy of the registration confirmation receipt in every box of the shipment.

• Deliver each wine entry under the following terms:

  • Hand deliver or ship to this address:

        University of Minnesota Horticultural Research Center

        C/o Drew Horton

        600 Arboretum Blvd.

        Excelsior, MN 55331

 

Hand-delivered entries will be accepted between the hours of 8:00am and 4:30pm, Monday through Friday only. Entries must be received between June 22 and July 10, 2026, no later than 4:30pm.

Clearly label the box(es) “ICCWC”

Pay entry fees - entry fee is $55 per wine. Entry fees are non-refundable.

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You can find the full 2026 ICCWC Rules here, which includes a list of eligible grape varieties.

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*​Click here for the 2025 ICCWC Results

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