Featured Winery: Raptor Ridge

De Nux is thrilled to add the excellent Raptor Ridge Winery to our ever-expanding repertoire of fine wines. This news is especially exciting as Raptor Ridge holds the distinction of being our very first Oregon winery! We fell in love with the Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Reserve Pinot Noir, and Estate Pinot Noir from this delectable Willamette Valley vineyard, and we're proud to bring them to some of our favorite Arkansas fine dining and retail locations. 

The story of Raptor Ridge Winery is one of a true love for the craft. It was founded in 1995 by winemaker Scott Shull, who named the vineyard after the "the many families of raptors - red-tailed hawks, kestrels, sharp-shinned hawks, and owls - that share the winery's 27-acre estate ... The relationship between the winery and the raptors is a symbiotic one. As the winery provides a haven for these beautiful creatures, the raptors in turn serve as protectors of the vineyard, aiding the winegrower in the battle against tunneling varmints and migratory birds that damage the vines and eat the ripe grapes at harvest."

Scott and his wife Annie are dedicated to producing wines of "uncompromised quality," and the proof of their skill and dedication is immediately apparent in their bright Oregon Pinots.  

Scott and Annie consider what they do an honor -- working with their hands, providing a product that brings joy, while employing a small, focused team of top wine industry professionals to make it so. For almost two decades as producers of Willamette Valley Pinots, the Shulls have realized their dream of achieving a measure of success and notoriety that allows the brand to flourish. From humble beginnings in a converted horse barn behind their home to a state-of-the-art winery on the vineyard property, the Shulls remain grounded in the purposeful production of sincere wines, true to their sites of origin. 

Look for Raptor Ridge wines at the following fine dining establishments: South on Main, Trio's Restaurant, Stratton's Market, Red Door, SO Restaurant, Vesuvio Bistro, Sonny Williams' Steak Room, Via Roma, and Table 28. 

Retail: O'Looney's Wines & Spirits, Colonial Wines & Spirits, Wine Rack & Spirits Shoppe, Service Liquor & Wines, and Lake Liquor. 

Featured Wines: Green and Red Vineyards

Green & Red Vineyard was started by Jim and Pam Heminway in 1972. Situated in the idyllic Chile Valleys District of Napa Valley, the winery boasts 31 acres of estate vineyards that produce some of our favorite wines from this region. We're particularly fond of the Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Tip Top Zinfandel, and we're thrilled to bring them to several fine establishments throughout Arkansas.

Look for Green & Red Vineyard's excellent wines by the glass at The Faded Rose, Natchez, Stratton's Market, and Cheers in the Heights, or by the bottle at Table 28, Trio's, and Vesuvio Bistro. Additionally, find Green & Red at the following liquor stores in Central Arkansas: Sullivant's, O'Looney's, Westrock Spirits & Wine, Grapevine Wines & Spirits, and The Ridge Wine & Spirits. Our friends in Northwest Arkansas can find Green & Red at Bordino's, Walton Blvd Wine & Spirits, Liquor Mart & Wine Shoppe, and Liquor World. 

Featured Wine: Fairchild Sigaro Cabernet Sauvignon

The excellence of the Sigaro Cabernet Sauvignon from Fairchild is a testament not only to the Napa Valley vineyard's meticulous winemaking practices, but to the exquisite conditions of the estate itself:

Sigaro is a spectacular hillside site from which we carefully coax just over 1.5 tons per acre of intense, lush fruit for Fairchild Sigaro Cabernet Sauvignon. Located on the steep slopes overlooking Lake Hennessey, high above Napa Valley's floor, the vineyard's well-draining hillside and southwest-facing aspect offer optimal growing conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Fairchild Estate (proprietor is Lawrence D. Fairchild; winemaker is Phillipe Melka) is known for producing superior wines, and the Sigaro Cabernet is no exception. In the words of Mr. Fairchild himself:

"The Sigaro is slightly riper than a top-growth Bordeaux. It has some of that same minerality but the acids are lush. The wine has good nerve, a core of subtle black cherry and finishes with currants. Above all the wine has elegance, much more fruit than you would find in a Bordeaux wine, and much less obtrusive oak than you find in so many California Cabs."

We're thrilled to supply some of our favorite Little Rock spots with this outstanding wine. Enjoy it at the Capital Hotel, Rocket 21, SO Restaurant Bar, and 1620 Savoy; or buy a bottle of it at O'Looney's Wine and Liquor.