Wiederkehr Wine Cellars Altus, Arkansas

Wiederkehr Wine Cellars
For more information, please contact us via the following methods:
• Email: info@wiederkehrwines.com
• Telephone: 1-800-622-WINE or 479-468-WINE
• Fax: 479-468-4791
• Postal mail: 3324 Swiss Family Drive, Wiederkehr Village, AR 72821

website: http://www.wiederkehrwines.com/

Our Family
In 1880, Johann Andreas Wiederkehr and his family emigrated from Switzerland to Altus, Arkansas (Altus comes from the Latin word for "high"). He chose St. Mary's Mountain, near Altus, as the location of his home in the New World because the area's mountains, valleys, and ridges had many different microclimates, some resembling the grape-growing climates in Europe's finest wine regions. Here in the beautiful Ozark Mountains high above the Arkansas River valley, the very shape of the countryside, the soil, and the climate closely matched that which for centuries had nurtured some of Europe's great wines.

In his new homeland, one of Johann's first tasks was to carve a large wine cellar from a hillside. The cellar still exists, and is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Johann's wine cellar was converted into the Weinkeller Restaurant, serving authentic Swiss and European culinary delights to thousands of visitors at the Wiederkehr Village and Winery each year.

Johann's first wines were produced from the grapes, blackberries, and persimmons that were native to the area. By planting the noblest grape varieties and producing fine wines, he helped to pioneer the American wine industry—Wiederkehr Wine Cellars is U.S. Bonded Winery Number 8. From these humble beginnings, the winery has remained a family operation with third and fourth generation members dedicated to producing only the finest wines available.

Our Mission
Many of our fine wines are made from grape varieties that were believed to be ungrowable in our portion of the United States. Knowledge, care, and patience have prevailed however, and the results are wines that reflect both the Swiss-German heritage of our family, and its 125 years of devotion to American winemaking.

Wiederkehr's aim is to produce truly great wines that are worthy of the connoisseur's palate, but available to everyone who appreciates a proud heritage, over a century of craftsmanship, and the quality they represent. We hope your pleasure in tasting Wiederkehr wines will equal our pleasure in preparing them for you.

Our Winemaking Philosophy
Simply stated, the best grapes make the best wine. The fine sandy soil and the many different microclimates in the Wiederkehr Village and Altus areas produce the best grapes. The various locations of vineyards were selected through the years by using test plots and keeping exacting records of the results. Through this research, we have determined the best locations and microclimate for each variety to produce the finest quality of grapes possible.

Combining the best grapes with careful pressing, fermentation, aging, and quality control create fine wines that delight the palate. As harvest time approaches, our viticulturists and wine master carefully monitor the grapes to determine the right time to harvest. Samples are sent to the lab for analysis, and when the grapes are at their peak, the harvesting begins.

The grapes are picked and rushed to the winery where they are immediately crushed and begin their transformation from juice to wine. The fermentation juice, called "must," is constantly checked and controlled to bring out the delightful characteristics of the wine. After proper aging in casks, the wine is bottled and further aged in the cellars; at the proper time, the wine is released for your enjoyment.

Because of our careful research and our dedication to superior production, we produce premium wines from European grape varieties that consistently rate with the best wines from around the world. Blind tastings in national and international competitions against foreign and other American wines prove Wiederkehr a winner time after time. We invite you to visit the Wiederkehr cellars and vineyards, to dine in our Weinkeller Restaurant, and to taste our wines—judge for yourself.

Post Familie Winery - Altus, Arkansas

Post Familie Winery
1700 St. Mary’s Mountain Rd.
Altus, AR 72821

website: http://www.postfamilie.com/

Post Familie Winegrowers --- Since 1880, five generations of Posts have cultivated and harvested their grapes to make Post Familie wines. The founder of our wine heritage and Altus viticulture was Jacob Post, a German who arrived in America in 1872. From his cellar, he sold the first Altus wines to passengers on the Iron Mountain Railroad, when the train stopped by his farm for fuel and water.

His daughter-in-law, the colorful Katherine Post, was rumored to have served wine with her meals at her very popular restaurant during the Prohibition Era.

After Prohibition, the state legislature turned to her son James for help in writing laws to make winegrowing legal once again. He and his son Mathew formed the Post Winery at its present location.

By adding new grape varieties to the vineyards and improvements in the winemaking process, combined with increasing storage capacity, Matt made the winery a successful business. His 12 sons and daughters ensure the familie tradition of making fine wines will continue.

Today it is this fifth generation that is continuing this winegrowing tradition of excellence. Incorporating the latest technology has improved both vineyards and winery. Our resulting wines have been Gold Medal Winners. Taste the tradition and "Toast with Post."

Mount Bethel Winery - Altus, Arkansas

Mount Bethel Winery
Telephone
479-468-2444
Postal address
5014 Mount Bethel
Altus, AR. 72821
E-mail
General Information: info@mountbethel.com
Sales: sales@mountbethel.com

website: http://www.mountbethel.com/

Mount Bethel Winery is a family owned and operated business that has been handed down for generations. The Post family has a long history in winemaking and currently, the three Post sons, Eugene Jr., Michael, and Robert along with their father Eugene Post, operate the winery and vineyards. You can also see the rest of the family working because the Post tradition is that all members of the family are active members of the winery.

The winery also has a tasting room where you can come and taste our wine, take a tour or just sit and visit with Peggy, Kasey or Peggy Ann Post. Everyone will always greet you with a smile and be more than happy to share the history of this historic winery. Our establishment is family oriented and filled with happiness and enthusiasm for wine and we love nothing more than to share this with others.

Our location:

We are located in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Altus, Arkansas. If you are unable to come see us in person all you have to do is contact us and we can answer any questions you might have as well as offer you shipping information for any wine you choose to order.

A little about our wines:

Mount Bethel Winery produces a wide variety of wines made from our vineyards located in Altus. We have some of the more classic wines such as Merlot, Cabernet and Chardonnay. We also have some varieties that are native to America such as Cynthiana (sometimes known as Norton), Muscat, Niagara, Concord, and Muscadine. We produce a full range of fruit wines including Blueberry, Strawberry, Blackberry, Elderberry, Peach, and Wild Plum. And for those who love Port wine we believe we have some of the finest.

Cowie Wine Cellars - Altus, Arkansas

Cowie Wine Cellars
Phone 479-963-3990

website: http://www.cowiewinecellars.com/

History
Robert G. Cowie, the founder of Cowie Wine Cellars, began making wines in 1955 as a teenager fascinated by the miracle of fermentation. Wine making, to him, was first a hobby, then a profession. He worked constantly at improvement. A winery of his own was a dream which has materialized in small steps over the years.

The winery became bonded on August 17, 1967. In the late 1970's he began construction on the current building (the third winery building) at the site of former St. Ann School at Carbon City. The Cowie children (all seven) have helped with building construction and the wine making.

From Vine to Wine
A tour of our wine cellars where the wine is fermented and aged gives you the opportunity to observe our wine making operations and learn how wine is made. You will see our unique Gallery of Barrels. The heads of the wine barrels are adorned with oil paintings by Bette Kay Cowie of wine and winery history.

Sample the finished wine with a complimentary wine tasting. Whether you prefer dry, semi-dry, or sweet wines, we vint a choice for every discriminating taste.
Relax in our Grape Arbor with a meat or cheese snack tray and your favorite Cowie wine. Arkansas made Ozark Mountain Smoke House meats, cheeses and other picnic supplies, including chilled juices and wines by the glass, are available.

Chateau Aux Arc Vineyards and Winery

Chateau Aux Arc Vineyards and Winery
8045 Champagne Drive-HWY 186
Altus, Arkansas 72821

Winery Phone 479-468-4400
Toll free: 800-558-WINE (9463)
Fax 479-468-4414

website: http://www.chateauauxarc.com/

Born August 1976, Audrey lived just west of Oklahoma City in the community of Yukon, Oklahoma, until 1989 when she moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, to attend high school at Pulaski Academy, graduating in 1994. From there she moved to Norman, Oklahoma, to study psychology at the University of Oklahoma. During that time, she had a part-time job at the Greenhouse Nursery in Norman from 1995-97. Although she has no formal training in viticulture, Audrey has always loved plants; the nursery sparked that interest even more. In February 1998, Audrey bought 20 acres of land in Altus, Arkansas, from Al Wiederkehr. The land included 10 acres of Arkansas' first ever Chardonnay vineyard-planted in 1982-which hadn't been pruned or harvested for quite some time. That, however, was soon to change!

That first season Audrey corralled several of her friends to live part-time in tents in order to nurture her Chardonnay vineyard back into shape. Over the course of the next year, she divided her time between working her existing vineyard, planting new grape varieties, and building a house and the vineyard's original winery. By February 1999, Audrey had become a resident of Altus and Dragonfly Ranch, named for the more than 30 varieties of dragonflies found on her new estate. During those early days, Audrey began selling her harvest to area wineries-a practice she continues to this day.

In 2000, she expanded her plantings with the purchase of an additional 30 acres of pastureland. Today, 36 of Dragonfly Ranch's 50 acres are planted with varieties that include: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Cynthiana, Muller Thurgau, Schreube, Kerner, Orameinsteiner, Vignoles, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Primitivo, and Petite Sirah. Audrey was bottling wine of her own by July 21, 2001-the same year she opened Chateau aux Arc Winery (named for the original French spelling of "Ozark").

Along the way, Audrey met and worked closely with members of the other local wineries. One of those people was Thomas Post, who runs the farm and vineyards for Post Familie and who offered Audrey invaluable advice as she learned the ins and outs of vineyard cultivation. It soon became apparent that Audrey and Thomas shared more than just an interest in grapes, when their respect and admiration for one another bloomed into a romance and, then, ultimately, into their November 2002, marriage.

Audrey's personal and professional growth has continued on a steady course since that day. Once wed, she turned the building that served as her house into a new tasting room-with space for a gift shop-and began gaining notoriety for being the youngest vintner in the country as well as the newest winemaker in Altus. In 2004, two more significant changes occurred: the first, the birth of Thomas and Audrey's first child, Trinity, in June, followed by the September groundbreaking of a new, more spacious tasting room at Dragonfly Ranch.

One year later, Audrey unveiled her current 5,400-square-foot tasting room: a European-style building, accented by stacked rock columns, fit to be called by the name Chateau. A dry moat, stone walkways, and flowerbeds galore surround the impressive structure set on the edge of Dragonfly Ranch's manicured vineyards. Picnic tables scattered throughout the grounds complement the experience, beckoning visitors to soak in the atmosphere. Chateau aux Arc, open seven days a week, welcomes visitors to stop, relax and smell the lavender before moving on down the Altus Wine Trail.