You don’t need to book an expensive trip to Napa Valley to sample some excellent wine. One of the South’s premier wine-tasting events happens right here in Northwest Arkansas!
Since 2000, Walton Arts Center’s Art of Wine Festival has been enjoyed by Arkansans and visitors from across the country. This annual wine and food event has quickly grown into one of the largest in the region, featuring hundreds of wines and some of the best cuisine that Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
Kicking off the 20th annual Art of Wine Festival is the Winemaker’s Dinner at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19. A favorite of fine dining enthusiasts, this upscale experience features a six-course collaborative dinner created by Chef Elliot Hunt of Atlas the Restaurant and Chef William Mauk of Ella’s Table paired with award-winning and highly rated wines by E&J Gallo. Tickets are $500 and availability is limited.
If you’re a foodie who enjoys tasting wines in a more festive, laid-back atmosphere, then the Uncorked! Wine Tasting is the event for you! Indulge in an endless assortment of wines, bubbles and tasty bites from your favorite local restaurants starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 22. Walton Arts Center’s indoor and outdoor spaces will be transformed into a lively but casual environment to hang out with friends and find your new favorite wines. This is the party of the summer that you won’t want to miss!
Tickets to Uncorked! are $75 for General Admission and $150 for General Admission and Reserve Room access, which includes a dedicated entrance and an exclusive selection of premier wines and restaurants.
Proceeds from both Art of Wine events support Walton Arts Center’s arts education programming. The nonprofit arts organization has served the region for three decades, with a special emphasis on introducing children and educators to the arts. Each year more than 195,000 community members experience a variety of performing arts at Walton Arts Center and approximately 35,000 school children and teachers in Arkansas participate in our arts education and outreach programs.
This year’s Art of Wine event sponsors are Liquor World, E&J Gallo, Greenwood Gearhart, Samsung, L’Oreal, Hershey, Choctaw Casino, 3W Magazine and CitiScapes Magazine.
Participating Uncorked! distributors are Arkansas Wine & Spirits, Central Distributors, Core Brewing & Distilling, Deep Branch Winery, De Nux Distributors, Moon Distributors, Post Winery, Rock Town Distillery, Sassafras Springs Vineyard and Winery, Southern Glazer’s, The Bloody Buddy, Urban Cellar Winery and Wiederkehr Winery.
Participating restaurants include Atlas the Restaurant, Bordinos, Catering Unlimited, Con Quesos, Ella’s Table, Nellie B’s Bakery, Plomo Quesadilla Bar, Shake’s, Theo’s, Wright’s Barbecue and more to come!
Purchase tickets online at waltonartscenter.org, in person at the Walton Arts Center Box Office, or by calling 479.443.5600. You must be 21 or older to purchase tickets.