About Altus & Arkansas Wine Country
Altus is the soul of Arkansas wine — a small town in the Arkansas River Valley where German and Swiss immigrants who arrived in the 1870s and 1880s planted the vines that their great-grandchildren are still tending today. The mountain ridges above Altus and neighboring Wiederkehr Village have been producing wine continuously for over 140 years, making this one of the oldest active wine-producing districts in the American South.
Wiederkehr Wine Cellars, founded by Johann Andreas Wiederkehr in 1880, is the region's anchor and the oldest winery in continuous operation in the state. Post Familie Vineyards, established in 1880 as well, and Mount Bethel Winery carry the same heritage lineage. These aren't trend-driven operations chasing scores and social media — they're family businesses doing what their ancestors did, with the refinements and improvements that four generations of accumulated knowledge provides.
The Altus area sits at approximately 600-800 feet elevation in the Boston Mountains, with the soils and climate conditions that the immigrant founders found reminiscent of their European homelands. The signature grape here is Cynthiana — also known as Norton — a vigorous native American variety that produces deep, complex reds with aging potential that surprises wine travelers expecting something simpler.
Altus & Arkansas Wine Country Wineries
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