Nebraska Wine - History

History

The wine and grape industry in Nebraska began in the late 19th century, by the end of which 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of grapes were in production, with most vineyards located in the counties of southeastern Nebraska adjacent to the Missouri River. The Nebraska wine industry was devastated in the 1910s by Prohibition; after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the remaining commercial grape industry in Nebraska was destroyed by a storm in November 1940.

The wine and grape industry in Nebraska was dormant until the mid-1980s; the passage of the Nebraska Farm Wineries Act by the Nebraska Legislature in 1986 increased the amount of wine that a Nebraska winery could produce from 200 US gallons (760 L) to 50,000 US gallons (189,000 L). Even in the early 1990s, fewer than 10 acres (4 ha) of vineyards were in cultivation in the state.

The first winery in Nebraska since Prohibition, Cuthills Vineyard in Pierce, opened on 1994-12-17. The second winery in Nebraska, James Arthur Vineyards, opened in 1997. Since then, 15 additional wineries have opened, with most located near Omaha and Lincoln.

Nebraska wineries have gained national recognition for their wine. In 2006 Soaring Wing's "Dragons Red" was awarded the title of "best hybrid red" in the Best Of The East competition which pools wineries East of the Rockies. And since then they have garnered over 120 awards, including multiple Double Golds, in various national and international competitions.