Houston Nutts Old Horse Farm Now Winery
The horse farm of former University of Arkansas football coach Houston Nutt is in the process of being converted into a winery and high-end reception hall by a Fayetteville couple enchanted by the charms of the Old World.
Insurance executives Gene and Cheryl Long are building the wine and wedding paradise on a 16-acre spread on the banks of Sassafras Springs at 6461 Guy Terry Road in northeast Fayetteville.
While the winery portion of the enterprise — housed in a remodeled dairy barn — is essentially finished and set to open this spring, the process of converting the stables into a 200-person reception venue is yet to begin.
The Longs see a place where guests can come and enjoy local beer, a Napa Valley Cabernet or a Washington Riesling while listening to music, eating catered food and looking out over rolling green space from the comfort of the deck, patio or tasting room. The Longs say that by the time they are finished with the conversion, they would have invested about $1 million into the venture.