Wine trail (Omaha, Lincoln, St. Paul: live, restaurant, estates)

[roots'nbulbs]

There are some wonderful wineries and tasting rooms in Nebraska. Congratulations to the moxy people who have opened them: Mac's Creek, Cedar Hills, Superior Estates, George Spencer, Cuthills, James Arthur, Soaring Wings, Three Bros, Feather (something), 17 Ranch...and I could go on. Turns out this has always been a good place for grape growing. The history of it is fascinating. Wine is food...

Just wondering. Who has tried the wine trail, here, and what do you think?

[Dave1215]

Love Soaring Wings... great wines and great atmosphere

[Dave1215]

Here is an old related thread.... would love to get out to visit more of these.
http://www.city-data.com/forum/nebra...-wineries.html

[roots'nbulbs]

Thanks, Dave1215. I noticed on the old thread, a discussion about Whiskey Creek Winery in Brownville. I neglected to mention that one. It is a really cool place. The owner, who had built and created it, sadly, passed away, last year. It is still intact and run by the same vintner as before.

I also neglected 2 others that have remarkable wine. Deer Springs, on the N. side of Lincoln and Schilling Bridge at Pawnee City.

NE wines are hybrids of vinifera. Their inception is very interesting. Consider that prohibition wiped out all of the vineyards that the immigrants were growing. We had a lot of pop. from France and Germany and, around Omaha: Italian, who were trying to recreate what they knew at this latitude...then, came the 1920's....

Well, anyway, I think the new wine industry in this state will carve a place into our way of life. Would love to hear what others think about our wines.........

[SCGranny]

There's a WINE TRAIL??!! OMG! This state just gets better and better! I'll be checking into THAT!

Actually, we have a local ranch that is starting to produce its own wine. They have a "Sister's Red" that is simply unbelievable in texture and flavor - you can really taste the tang of the local flowers. It is very unusual. I paid $40 for a passable vintage in a 5-star restaurant in DC, and this was better. There is also a local ranch growing grapes primarily for vinegar... my attitude is that there are enough bad wines out there that can be used for vinegar; if you can make a good WINE, it's a far better use of the grape!

[roots'nbulbs]

To obtain information about Nebraska's wine trail, type in Nebraska Wine Grape Growers Association. This should link you to www.nebraskawines and create a map of wineries and tasting rooms. They are, without exception, beautiful, engaging and artful...as are the vintners and owners who have created them.

If you locate this map, thru NWGGA, you should be able to acquire a special flyer that accommodates stamps from the winery locations that you can ask for, each time you travel to a tasting room. A certain number of stamps garners prizes...lots of fun and very popular.

Among my favorites are Mac's Creek at Lexingtion, Milletta at St. Paul and Cedar Hills at Ravenna. I noticed that Sage Hill is not yet listed. It is in the SW corner of NE, at Parks NE. Again, the owner is a character and you would be lucky to meet him. He is with the fish hatcheries, out there, and has lots of imaginative ideas.

[SDSHS Press]

Just to let you all know, Starley Talbott, a Wyoming writer, published a book last year called "Along the Grapevine Trail: Vineyards and Wineries in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska." It features all the wineries mentioned here, with contact details and directions, plus a little history on each one. Well worth having when visiting the establishments, and it is only $14.95.

[vpandora]

I've been to Whiskey Run Creek, Schilling Bridge, and James Arthur. My favorite is Whiskey Run Creek... beautiful barn set over a creek and little waterfall... it beats the heck out of the other two for scenery when sitting on the deck to enjoy one of their wines. Then again, the other two are nothing to sneeze at...

I haven't been to Soaring Wings yet and really should. I've got no excuse for it really, since I live 10 minutes away from it and the other three are an hour or more....