In last week’s column, I wrote about the song, “Wolverton Mountain” and its antagonist, Clifton Clowers. Due to space limitations, I wasn’t able to share that Clowers was mentioned in the 1988 country hit, “If the South Woulda Won,” by Hank Williams Jr. Williams’ longtime manager was Merle Kilgore, who was the co-writer of Wolverton Mountain and Clowers’ nephew. In Williams’ song, he sings about “going up on Wolverton Mountain and see ole Clifton Clowers and have a sip of his good ole Arkansas wine.”
Along with Bill Clinton, diamonds and Walmart, Arkansas is famous for its wine, particularly the adult beverage produced in the small Arkansas River Valley town of Altus (Franklin County). Altus takes its name from the Latin word for “high,” as it was the highest point on the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad.
As the wine capital of Arkansas, Altus is the home of five wineries: Post Winery, Wiederkehr Wine Cellars, Mount Bethel Winery, Chateau Aux Arc and Dionysus Wine & Brew.
The Altus area was originally settled by native Americans (mostly Cherokee) and later, French explorers and pioneers. European settlers began moving in around 1850.
One such settler was Jacob Post, who immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1872 and found work in the coal mines and railroad construction. Unable to successfully grow grapes in his first stop of Illinois, he searched for another location. He learned through the grapevine (pardon the pun) that north central Arkansas had an ideal climate and fertile land for growing grapes. As a result, Post settled in the hills near present-day Altus and planted several vineyards. Soon Post began selling his wine to local railroad workers and other immigrants who enjoyed having wine with their dinner. Post Winery is still in business and owned and operated by the descendants of Jacob Post.
Swiss immigrant Johannes Wiederkehr moved to the area in 1880 and established Wiederkehr Winery in an underground cellar he built. Today, the cellar is home to the popular Weinkeller Restaurant.
Founded by Eugene Post in 1956, Mount Bethel Winery in Altus is the third oldest winery in the area. Post decided to start his own winery not long after his brother, Jacob, purchased the Altus Cooperative Winery and started what is now known as the Post Familie Winery. Mount Bethel Winery is best known for its elderberry wine, as Mount Bethel is the only winery in Arkansas to make use of the native, wild berry.
Another popular winery in Altus is Chateau Aux Arc. This winery takes its name from the French term meaning “at the bend,” which is generally believed to be the origin of the name “Ozark.” Audrey House started the winery in 2001, purchasing about 20 acres from Al Wiederkehr of Wiederkehr Winery.
And finally, Dionysus Wine & Brew in Altus was founded in 2014 by Dennis and Sharla Wiederkehr of the famous Wiederkehr family. The couple crafts blended wines using their combined 60-plus years of experience in the wine & hospitality industries.
Today, these wineries and several smaller ones make up the Arkansas Wine Country Trail. Arkansas is the oldest and largest wine-producing state in the southern U.S. All of these wineries offer free public tours and wine tasting opportunities. Of course, wines made on site can be purchased as well.
Throughout the year, there’s a number of events that can be enjoyed in Altus, such as Trifest, which is made up of the Annual Cowie Wine Fest and Grape Stomp, Arkansas Wine Heritage Day, and the Amateur Wine Competition. These fun events are usually held on the second Saturday in September at Cowie Wine Cellars in nearby Paris (Logan County).
If you are a wine connoisseur, then a trip to Altus is definitely an Arkansas adventure you must add to your Natural State bucket list.
A proud sixth-generation Arkansan, Darrell Brown is a lover of all things Arkansas. He lives on beautiful Lake Norrell in Saline County with his wife, Amy, and their beloved Boston Terrier, Dixie. Find him on Instagram at AllAroundArkansas.
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