ALTUS, Ark. — The 5NEWS Morning Crew decided to check out the Wine Capital of Arkansas in Altus ahead of its 40th Annual Altus Grape Fest.
The small town in Franklin County has four locally owned wineries: Chateau Aux Arc, Mount Bethel Winery, Post Winery and Wiederkehr Wine Cellar.
You can experience a tour through the different wineries to learn about the process of winemaking. Fermentation, bottling, distribution and even the history of how the wineries first started can all be discovered during your visit.
Out of the four wineries, the 5NEWS team stopped by two. The first stop was Post Winery which offers wine tasting, scheduled tours and even a chance to grab a bite to eat at the Trellis Room. The next stop took us to Wiederkehr Wine Cellar. This winery offers free wine tasting and has a rich history expanding across wine country.
After getting a taste of Wiederkehr wine, you can stop by Weinkeller Restaurant for fondue, lunch, or dinner; or like our 5NEWS team, a little bit of everything!
FUN FACT: The Weinkeller Restaurant is where the original wine cellar used to be back in the 1880s.
After you’ve enjoyed the wine, the dining and the tours, you can encapsulate your experience with some merchandise. A hat, a shirt, maybe even an apron, it’s all there for you to remember your time spent in the wine capital of Arkansas!
These wineries will all be at the 40th Annual Altus Grape Fest:
- Location: Altus City Park
- Friday, July 28th: 5-11 P.M.
- Saturday, July 29th: 9 A.M. – 5 P.M.
If you want to experience wine country past the Grape Fest, here are the hours for each winery in Altus:
Post Winery
Monday-Saturday: 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Wiederkehr Wine Cellar
Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Mount Bethel Winery
Monday-Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Chateau Aux Arc
Monday-Saturday: 10am-5pm
Sunday: 12pm-5pm
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