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August 23, 2025
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Join us Saturday, August 23, 2025, at the Wiederkehr Wine Cellars about one hour south of Fayetteville in Wiederkehr Village, AR.
Discover the Swiss winemaking heritage of Wiederkehr Wine Cellars. The oldest and largest winery in mid-America, Wiederkehr Wine Cellars is located on the southern slopes of the Ozark Mountains. Here atop St. Mary’s Mountain is where the Wiederkehr family carries on a tradition begun in 1880. Lovingly tended vineyards surround the winery, designed in the Swiss alpine style overlooking the Arkansas River valley. Learn more about the history of our family, our winery, and our winemaking philosophy.
We will plan to meet at the winery at 10am, which is a roughly 8:30am departure from NW Arkansas depending on where you’re coming from.
Depending on availability, we will be touring the bottling plant, old keg room, and move to the tasting room. We will finish with lunch (linked here) which is self-funded. Please register so we know a good headcount to expect.
All levels of photographers can enjoy this as it gives you a chance to hone your craft and learn how to take your photography to the next level. Hope to see you there!
Carpool Option: You’re invited to join a carpool / caravan! We will leave NO LATER than 8:30am from the gas station at the Walmart parking lot located at 3919 Mall Ave (near College & Joyce). Alternatively, feel free to join us at the winery at 10am.
Photo Credit: John C. Dailey
Host: Howard Thompson
Hi, I’m Howard, your host for this wine tour. I’ve been transplanted into Arkansas from areas where we could count the number of 90-degree days on one hand.
My photography started seven decades ago as a Cub Scout, after receiving a camera for Christmas. In high school, I found my dad’s fixed-lens 35mm camera. I tried my hand at shooting wrestling and dabbled in the darkroom. Eventually, I was able to get a DSLR with interchangeable lenses, though I still had to use a hand-held light meter. That camera became my weekend friend and travel companion during Nuclear Power Naval Training and early married life.
As life became more complicated and expensive, the camera was put aside for a long time. But I did spend over 30 years capturing black-and-white images of babies with an ultrasound, as a specialist in high-risk obstetrics. Upon retirement, I found my camera again. Now, I can shoot to my heart’s content and do on the computer what I once hoped to do in the darkroom—with a good photo printer. I tend to give my work away. My preferences as an “amateur” are street photography, landscapes, and cityscapes.