Arkansas had 160 wine producers and made the most wine in the U.S. just prior to Prohibition, which wiped out the industry as in all other states; and even today about half of the state’s counties remain dry. The industry was initiated by German and Swiss immigrants in the 1870’s, first by Jacob Post in 1872, with the sixth generation of his family still running the winery today. Post Winery and the other early operations are in Altus in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. The state has three AVA’s: Altus, Arkansas Mountain, and Ozark Mountain.
Great Grapes: Cynthiana
“Cabernet of the Ozarks” is how Arkansans describe Cynthiana, a native grape variety known as Norton in adjacent Missouri to the north. In 1873 at a European competition, a Cynthiana was proclaimed “best red wine of all nations”, and the big bold red often does very well at major competitions in the United States.
