Chateau Aux Arc Vineyards & Winery

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The Chateau Aux Arc Vineyards & Winery is located at 8045 Champagne Drive off Highway 186 in Altus, Arkansas. Their phone number is 479-468-4400, and one can reach them by fax at 479-468-4414. They can also be reached by email at gotwine@chateauauxarc.com. The Chateau Aux Arc Vineyards & Winery was named "Best in Altus" Winery in 2008.

The Chateau aux Arc Vineyard and Winery, which is open seven days a week, welcomes visitors to "stop, relax, and smell the lavender" before continuing down the Altus Wine Trail.

Origin

The Chateau Aux Arc Vineyards & Winery was established by Audrey House. Born August 1976, Audrey grew up in the community of Yukon, Oklahoma, until 1989 when she moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, to attend high school at Pulaski Academy where she graduated in 1994. From there she moved to Norman, Oklahoma to study in psychology at the University of Oklahoma. During that time, she worked part-time at the Greenhouse Nursery in Norman from 1995- 97. Although she doesn't have any official training in viticulture, the study of grapes, Audrey always loved plants. Working at the nursery only made this interest greater. In February 1998, Audrey bought 20 acres of land in Altus, Arkansas, from [Al Wiederkehr], another noted winery owner in Arkansas. The land included 10 acres of Arkansas' first Chardonnay vineyard, which was planted in 1982, but hadn't been pruned or harvested for some time.

The first season Audrey gathered a bunch of her friends to live part-time in tents so they could get the vineyard back into shape. Over the course of the next season, Audrey worked to improve her current vineyard, plant new grapes, and to build the first winery for the vineyard. By February 1999, Audrey was a resident of Altus, and named her vineyard the Dragonfly Ranch, for the more than 30 species of dragonflies found on the estate. At this point, she began to sell her harvest to area wineries.

In 2000, Audrey purchased 30 more acres of pastureland for the ranch. Audrey bottled wine of her own for the first time on July 21, 2001, during the same year that she opened the Chateau aux Arc Winery. The name is derived for the original French spelling of Ozark. In September 2005, the building was completed on the brand new 5400 sq ft tasting room with a gift shop. The building is described to be a European-style building, accented by rock columns. A dry moat, stone walkways, and flowerbeds surround the structure.

In the realm of personal accomplishments, Audrey was listed as one of Arkansas Business' "40 Under 40". She has also worked to get the Cynthiana grape as Arkanas' official state grape.

Types of Grapes at Chateau aux Arc Vineyard

• Chardonnay
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Zinfandel
• Cynthiana
• Muller Thurgau
• Schreube
• Kerner
• Orameinsteiner
• Vignoles
• Syrah
• Pinot Noir
• Primitivo
• Petite Sirah

External Links

Chateau aux Arc Vineyards and Winery Homepage