The The Winery of Hot Springs of Arkansas

Discovering the wine region of Arkansas

Arkansas is a state in the south-central United States, bordered by Texas to the southwest and Mississippi to the east. Although nearly half of Arkansas' 75 counties are "Dry" (the rigors of Prohibition are still with us), the state has a small but growing wine industry. It is concentrated mainly around the Arkansas River, on the southern edge of the Boston Mountains. Both vinifera and Hybrid grapes are grown in the state, with Chardonnay, Merlot, Niagara and Muscadine among the most important plantings.

Arkansas covers an area of approximately 137,000 square miles, ranging from the flat, wetlands along the Mississippi River to the mountains in the northern Part of the state. Most of the state's vineyards are located along the Arkansas River in the northwest. It is here that the state's three sub-AVAs are found, forming three concentric circles, one within the other. The relatively small town of Altus is in the Center, surrounded by the very large Arkansas Mountain, which in turn fits comfortably into the colossal Ozark Mountain.