The Hive at 21c
Art Hotel Wine List That Actually Earns It
Bentonville · Fayetteville · Contemporary American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 12, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You're in Bentonville, Arkansas — a town better known for Walmart HQ and mountain bikes than serious wine culture — and then the list lands on the table and you do a double take. Radikon. Testalonga. Hirsch. This isn't a hotel restaurant phoning it in; someone who actually cares about wine built this list.
Selection Deep Dive
The list punches well above its zip code. California anchors the selection, but not the predictable stuff — Broc Cellars and Scholium Project signal that whoever is curating this has opinions. Alsace gets a nod via Domaine Weinbach Riesling, Friuli shows up with Radikon's oxidative, skin-contact whites, and South Africa's Testalonga El Bandito makes an appearance that would earn respect at any natural wine bar in Brooklyn. The Burgundy and Pacific Northwest sections round things out, with Hirsch Vineyard representing the Sonoma Coast at its most serious. The gaps are mostly in the Southern Hemisphere outside South Africa, and Germany beyond Alsace-adjacent picks, but at 100-200 labels, there's enough here to reward the curious diner on multiple visits.
By the Glass
With 15-25 pours available, the by-the-glass program is one of the stronger ones in the region — and critically, it doesn't just default to crowd-pleasing Cabernet and Pinot Grigio. If Radikon or Testalonga makes it onto the glass pour rotation, grab it immediately. The sommelier on staff means the pours are likely being managed with some care for freshness, which matters more than most people realize.
Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley 2022 — $80
At 23% over retail, this is the least-marked-up bottle on the list by a country mile. Far Niente Chardonnay retails around $65 and drinks like a $100 bottle — rich, precise, worth every dollar here when everything else on the list is marked up 67-130%.
Testalonga El Bandito
Most tables in a hotel restaurant in Arkansas are not ordering skin-contact Chenin Blanc from South Africa. That's exactly why you should. Craig Hawkins makes some of the most alive, funky-in-the-best-way natural wines on the planet, and finding El Bandito on any list outside a major city is a small miracle.
Les Jamelles Sauvignon Blanc Languedoc 2022
A $13 retail bottle priced at $30 is a 131% markup on a wine that isn't doing anything interesting to begin with. It's the list's filler pick — fine in a grocery store, not worth the price here when there are so many more compelling options within reach.
Domaine Weinbach Riesling + Smoked Fish
Weinbach's Alsatian Riesling brings enough acidity and stone-fruit tension to cut through the fat in the smoked fish while echoing its savory, slightly funky character. It's a classic match that doesn't feel obvious on this menu — exactly the kind of call a good sommelier would make.
🎲 The Bottom Line
The Hive is the kind of wine list you don't expect to exist in Northwest Arkansas, and that surprise is the whole point — this is a Wild Card in the best sense. The markups on the entry-level stuff are frustrating, but trade up to the interesting bottles and you'll drink better here than at most restaurants in cities that think they're doing wine.
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