So, we’re Huskers and agriculture, this much you know about Nebraska, even you if you don’t know anything.
What you might not know is that Nebraska is home to nearly 30 wineries. Before the Prohibition, there was a booming industry with over 5,000 acres of vineyards in the 19th century. It was only during the 1980s, when the Nebraska farm bill passed allowing farm wineries to operate, did another surge occur.
Recently, Nebraska has started developing French-American hybrids adopted from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and New York. These are Edelweiss, Vignoles, St. Croix, and de Chaunac, all of which are used to make award-winning wines that can compete with California wines.
Wine growers have found that Nebraska has an excellent climate for grapes. The winters are harsh, but the summers are hot and, recently, dry — the way grapes love to have it.
According to Nebraska Vintage, the state’s winery and grape growers association, here’s what makes Nebraska wines unique:
Nebraska has the advantage of diverse geologic,
physiographic and climatic characteristics, which enable
the production of unique, handcrafted wines that are
“site-specific.” Nebraska wine makers have worked to
fully maximize the relationship that exists between the
soil, the microclimate, and the particular grape cultivar to
produce outstanding wines.
I decided to take advantage of Regional Wine Week, and the celebration of my mother’s birthday, to take my first visit to Big Cottonwood Winery in Tekamah, NE (about 30 miles away).
Proprietor Deb Barnett shared with me that in Nebraska, wines don’t have sugar level issues in this climate because the grapes can’t get overripe. What a delicious side affect of our weather.
Big Cottonwood was established in 2001 and is located between Omaha and Sioux City in the Loess Hills of eastern Nebraska. They currently have 2000 vines on 4 acres, producing about 1000 cases per year.
They offer both cork and screw caps, of which, among purists, is up for debate which has a better seal. Barnett says many prefer the cork seal for ceremonial reasons, but the screw cap is actually a better seal.
She was gracious enough to offer us a wonderful tour of the winery and their back room where all of the magic happens. Deb walked us through the process and how they go about harvesting in their growing operation.
Harvest had already been completed at the time of our visit, which usually occurs the 2nd or 3rd week in August in Nebraska. Big Cottonwood usually plays host to what they call Harvest Mania Parties. In exchange for helping with harvest, workers receive food, drink and a discount on wines for the year. Sounds pretty tempting!
This winery offers a wonderful wine list, of which we sampled very willingly. I’m a red connoisseur myself, and brought along my white wine compadre and photographer (Mom). I brought home a 2009 Frontenac priced at $15. It’s a heavier bodied red table wine with tart cherry aromas and flavor. It went well with their Nebraska produced dill-infused white cheddar! But, their de Chaunac (also $15) came in at a close 2nd for me. Big Cottonwood’s Seyval, which my tasting partner brought home, was an interesting crisp white, almost with a lemony character. It sells for $13. They also sell a Wine-A-Rita mix if you don’t care for it plain! The combination tasted pretty amazing.
Deb shared that she and her husband had both been working full-time jobs and commuting until just this past year. She is going to devote more of her time to the marketing of the winery this year. So, I hope to see more of their wine distributed here locally and get an opportunity to visit them again very soon.
We picked a lovely, sunny Autumn day to visit and it was beautiful from the outdoor tasting area. I was pleased to see cars from varying counties near and far in and out of their parking lot during our visit. Our beautiful, quiet day in the country couldn’t have been better!
Visit their website for tasting room hours and directions.
Another well-known, longer established winery, Silver Hills is just a few miles away with a very similar wine list, but definitely their own style of wine.
You can learn more about Nebraska wines via Vintage Nebraska. They also offer a yearly wine tour passport, so you can experience all 29 participating wineries and, as they say, experience the unexpected!
Wondering where to Drink Local in your state? See other posts from around the country here.
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