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Wiederkehr Cellars

Altus, Arkansas

CALIFORNIA'S NAPA VALLEY may be world famous, but Arkansas also has its vineyards. Perhaps one of the state's best-kept secrets, in fact, is Wiederkehr Cellars, located about 40 miles east of Fort Smith just off Interstate 40. It was founded in 1880 by a young Swiss named Johann Andreas Wiederkehr, who settled there and planted his vines. Wiederkehr's venture was an enduring success, and the establishment remains family owned and operated.

In fact, family operation has involved an enlargement of the founder’s original goals. The business now includes, in addition to the vineyard, a restaurant and a gift shop. I’m not much on gift shops, but I do indulge in culinary delights, and the restaurant at Wiederkehr’s offers some fine German cuisine. It opens at l l a.m., but if you arrive a little early, you can take a guided tour and sample some of the vineyard’s bottled product free of charge. Since I was on my BMW R100, I asked my guide to cut way back on the portions, but I did buy a few bottles for later consumption.

As they tour the cellars, visitors can view storage barrels—works of art crafted by coopers from Spanish and German oak 300 years ago—and take in the aroma of aging wine. I recommend doing this tour before eating; that way there is no guessing about what wine to have with your meal.

For anyone used to the usual runof-the-mill eateries that line interstates everywhere, Wiederkehr’s is an especially worthwhile alternative when you’re in this area and hungry. —Alex Boldog

Information:

Wiederkehr Cellars Rural Route 1 Altus, AR 72821 501/468-3551

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