In the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, a colony of German-Swiss immigrants began Arkansas’ long-standing winemaking tradition. In the 1870s, these settlers brought an extensive knowledge of European viticulture and observed a climate that closely resembled their homeland, an environment suitable for grape growing. Still in operation today, two of the largest wineries in the state originated during this period of immigration: Post Familie and Wiederkehr. Notably, Joseph Bachman, a Swiss immigrant and grape grower in Arkansas, completely devoted his life to grape cultivation and earned national and international recognition for his work, including a silver medal at the 1904 World’s Fair.

Since the repeal of Prohibition, Arkansas has had over 150 wineries bonded by the federal government, yet only eight remain in business. There are several reasons for this decline. Firstly, many families began to produce wine only as a means of supplementing their income, making it fairly easy to discontinue when younger generations left to pursue jobs and higher education. Secondly, the state’s taxation of alcoholic beverages made it incredibly difficult to make a profit, and finally, the rise of counties that prohibited the sale and production of alcohol was a death sentence for many local wineries.