For Marine Veteran and Arkansas native Matt Fowler, discovering a love for wine wasn’t born from a bottle, but rather the vine. While based in Virginia, Fowler discovered a relaxing contrast to his military work on vineyards in the Northeast.
“I didn’t necessarily fall in love with wine first,” he said. “It was escaping to the vineyard.”
That “serenity” he found had lasting power, giving the Marine purpose after military service. Slouch Hat Wines launched in 2022 with Sauvignon Blanc grapes from California stored “French style” in large-format barrels. Each bottle is made and stored in California until it’s ready to be shipped to retailers and Slouch Hat’s new tasting room in Rogers.
“I source my fruit from the only east-to-west running valley in the Americas in the southern part of the central coast,” Fowler shared. “The valley opens to the ocean on the Pacific side, so it’s like a natural air conditioner. My Reserve Sauvignon Blanc is all from Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara on the far east.”
A few years and thousands of cases later, Fowler’s premium wines are giving individuals a reason to relax at the end of a hard day. And now, locals can “slouch” in style at his appointment-only tasting room. Designed for small groups and wine club members, the elevated space looks as beautiful as the wines taste.
8 Slouch Hat Tips for Wine Tasting Confidence:
- Know Your Aging Potential: Not all wine is crafted for aging. Most grocery store wines are crafted for immediate enjoyment, not aging.
- Mind Your Grip: Hold white wine by the stem to keep your hand from warming the glass—unless you are bringing a cold glass up to cellar temperature (55ºF).
- Start with Eyes: Hold your glass against a white background to study the color and clarity.
- Double Sniff: Take a quick sniff before swirling your glass, then swirl and sniff again to see how oxygen releases deeper aromas.
- About the “Legs”: The visual trails on the glass indicate alcohol or viscosity, but as Fowler notes, “You can tell when you take a sip so the legs aren’t that important.”
- Whites Before Reds: Sequence your tasting starting with white wines; red wines will overpower lighter whites if you attempt to circle back.
- Reset Your Nose: If your sense of smell feels fatigued between pours, sniff your clothes to quickly reset your nose.
- Trust Your Own Taste: Ignore the commentary. For Fowler, “Wine is binary: Do you like it or not?”
“When I was working on my branding,I was searching for icons that symbolize both hard work and relaxation, and hat imagery kept coming up. ‘Slouch Hat’ is another name for a wide-brimmed hat; it’s something you’d wear in the military or out in the field on the winery, but it’s also something you’d wear at the beach or by the pool.”
It’s encouraging to find Veterans like Fowler thriving as entrepreneurs after service, and while he has no intention for Slouch Hat to be a military brand, the nods to his military background are still evident. For example, a portion of sales from every bottle supports the Vets on Track Foundation, and each varietal carries a military command name: As You Were Sauvignon Blanc, Fallout Pinot Noir, Good to Go Grenache-Mourvèdre, and Parade Rest Reserve GSM.
“It’s just a small thing, but if you know, you know.”
Tasting Reservations:
$35 per person, 90 minutes, Groups up to 8
2111 S. 31st St, Unit 102, Rogers, AR 72758
(479) 480-3293
Purchase Slouch Hat Wines:
Tipsy Pig, Guess Who, Macadoodles, King James Wine, Angkor Wine & Liquor, Meteor Cafe, Pinnacle Hills Country Club, Tusk & Trotter, Baked by Kori, Lasagna Pinoy, Big Lieutenant, Cafe Louise, House 1830, and more.