Some folks give Arkansas wine a hard time. I’ve even been one of them from time to time, but not today. The reason for that is a chance find at Colonial Wines & Spirits last week: Cowie Wine Cellars & Vineyards mead. Arkansas honey wine? Oh yes, I was surprised, too.

I was in the mood for something different, and as I was taking a look at some of the fancy beers at Colonial, I noticed that they had a few brands of mead on the shelf. It’s been some years since last I drank the stuff, so grabbing a bottle seemed like the thing to do. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that one of the brands was from a winery right outside Paris, Arkansas—that settled the matter right then.

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So how was it? Well, I admit I was skeptical, but I have to admit that my first swallow was a pleasing one. Light, clean tasting, and sweet without being cloying—it wasn’t the spiciest or most herbal-tasting mead I’ve ever had, but it was a pleasure to drink. It was as good as any I’ve ever tried, and at less than half the price of some of the fancier brands, a real bargain.

Cowie makes a lot more than just mead, and I’m curious to try some of their other offerings. In addition to the vineyard, Cowie also operates a wine museum dedicated to the history of Arkansas wine country. I’m sure there are some of you out there who have known about this stuff for years, but I don’t mind being late to the game when the flavor is this good.

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So there you have it—a chance to drink some Arkansas wine to be proud of, all for a price that will make you smile. Have any other suggestions? Let us know down in the comments.

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