Art of Wine celebrates pairing of vintages, food

Doug Mishler as Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson will “headline” the 12th annual Natural State Chautauqua this week at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover.

Doug Mishler as Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson will “headline” the 12th annual Natural State Chautauqua this week at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

The Walton Arts Center’s Art of Wine Festival from Thursday-Saturday will feature hundreds of wines, food from dozens of restaurants and a range of silent auction items at the center, 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville.

The schedule includes for the first time a Friday wine tasting “course” and a Saturday Sparkling Wine Extravaganza.

The Winemaker’s Dinner, 6 p.m. Thursday, Baum Walker Hall stage, includes a fivecourse meal created by Bill Lyle, executive chef of Ella’s Restaurant, paired with an array of wines from one of the E&J Gallo wineries. Winemaker Debbie Juergenson of Red Rock Winery will host.There will be a pre-dinner wine reception and a silent auction featuring wine, art and Walton Arts Center performance memorabilia. $225

Wine Tasting 101, 5:30 p.m. Friday, in the center’s Joy Pratt Markham Gallery. Sommelier Aleks Berry of the Fayetteville Wine Cellar will offer an introduction on tasting techniques, pairing of wine with food, differences in grape varietals and what tolook for when buying wine, plus instruction on the professional process of evaluating wine objectively while discussing the philosophies of “good taste.” $30

Uncorked!, 7 p.m. Friday, throughout the center. Gourmet hors d’oeuvres from eateries including Cafe Rue Orleans, Savor, Ella’s, River Grille and Hog Haus Brewing Co., plus samples of 400 international wines with vintners on hand. $75, includes complimentary wine glass.

The Wine Lover’s Brunch, 11 a.m. Saturday, in the center’s Starr Theatre. Wichita, Kan., radio host Guy Bower guides patrons through food pairings, varietal differences, tasting tips and other wine topics while patrons munch on brunch items from Ella’s Executive Chef Bill Lyle. $65

Sparkling Wine Extravaganza, 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Joy Pratt Markham Gallery, with sommelier Berry. $30

Premier Tasting, 6 p.m. Saturday, throughout the center,including wines from Opus One, Dom Perignon, Honig, Mondavi, Rombauer, Kistler, Ferrari Carano and Peju. A silent auction will offer bottles of wine, vacations and artworks. $150

You must be 21 to buy tickets. Proceeds support the center’s education programs. Call (479) 443-5600 or visit the website, waltonartscenter.org.

Spring celebration

Eureka Springs will host“Celebrate the Springs!,” a series of events focusing on the springs that gave the city its name and attracted visitors from all over the world for a century, Friday-June 10.

A 5:30-7:30 p.m. kickoff reception Friday at Keels Creek Winery, 3185 E. Van Buren St., will feature selected wines and hors d’oeuvres, harp music by Beth Stockdell and a book signing for the newly released Eureka Springs: City of Healing Waters by June Westphal and Kate Cooper. Tickets are $20 in advance; email [email protected].

A processional by local churches honoring the springs will start at 9 a.m. Saturday at Crescent Spring,encompassing Harding and Sweet springs, featuring music, painting, garden and historical preservation info, and ending in Basin Park.

June 10’s events include all-day spring geocaching and a photography walk with naturalist Chris Fischer and geologist Jim Helwig.

Except as noted, admission is free. A complete schedule is available at the website, celebratethesprings.org.

Interpreting history

The Arkansas Museum ofNatural Resources (formerly the Oil and Brine Museum), 3853 Arkansas 7, Smackover, will host the 12th annual Natural State Chautauqua, which it bills as “a first-person interpretation of American history by those who shaped the nation,” on its grounds Thursday-Saturday.

In keeping with this year’s theme, “Battlefields as Memories From an Un-Civil War,” Doug Mishler, who teaches American history at the University of Nevada, will impersonate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson at 7 p.m. Thursday; West Virginia poet Debra Conner will play battlefield doctor Mary Walker at 7 p.m.Friday; and Jim Armstead of Lexington, Va., a professor of international law and public policy, will play Col. Francis Dumas, a black freeman in the Confederate army.

The format involves the scholar presenting the character, taking questions as the character, and then stepping out of character to answer questions as the scholar behind the character. All three will also hold in-service workshops and speak to civic clubs.

Admission is free; donations are accepted. Call (870) 725-2877.

Style, Pages 35 on 06/03/2012