December 8, 2007

Arkansas has produced wine since the early 1800s. Italian immigration to northwest Arkansas in the late 1800s and the area’s fertile soil led to that part of the state becoming a leader in wine and juice grape cultivation. Many area wineries developed with Tontitown (Washington County), which still holds an annual grape festival. Shown in this 1930s photo are workers at the Granata Winery, one of the area’s wineries.