Lincoln-area winerieshome to live music, more

by Jeff Korbelik

On a gorgeous summer evening in June, Brad Colerick climbed the stairs leading to the outdoor stage at James Arthur Vineyards, where he joined longtime Lincoln musicians Steven Hanson and Jim Pipher.

The trio proceeded to entertain a throng of music- and wine-lovers for the next two hours, as the sun slowly dipped into the Nebraska horizon.

Colerick, who grew up in Lincoln and graduated from Lincoln East High School and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is a successful singer-songwriter based in southern California, who returns to his home state two to three times a year to perform, often with Hanson and Pipher by his side.

One of those dates usually includes James Arthur Vineyards, which has become known for its Summer Music Series of free live, Saturday night concerts featuring local bands such as Tunafish Jones, The Wildwoods, McGovern String Band, and occasionally, a national act like Colerick, performing in a beautiful, serene outdoor setting.

“I always look forward to playing at James Arthur and all the wineries in the area,” said Pipher, who also performed at JAV in 2023 with The Shucks Brothers and The Tidball Barger Band in addition to backing Colerick. “It’s a nice, relaxing setting. People are always in a good mood.”

James Arthur Vineyards, which opened in September 1997 in rural Raymond, has offered live music almost as long as it’s been producing award-winning wines and ciders. Jim Ballard, who co-owns JAV with his wife, Barb, said the idea behind its music series, which includes a food vendor on site during performances, has been about providing patrons with experiences to remember.

JAV also is known for offering a variety of other “experiences,” including its “World Famous Murder Mysteries,” Haunted Hayrack Rides, Nights of Comedy and Sunday afternoon music series in June (Sundaes on Sunday) and September (Sundays on the Deck).

“The events are a way to bring people to the winery,” Jim Ballard said. “Our hope then is that they enjoy our wines and ciders while they are there, making them lifelong customers.”   

The success JAV has had with live music has resulted in other Lincoln-area wineries to present music series:

• Glacial Till Vineyard & Winery in rural Palmyra features its popular “Fermented Fridays” during the summer, which includes a Nebraska craft brewer and food vendors. Tickets are required.
• Deer Springs Winery in east Lincoln offers live music on Fridays and Saturdays, usually with a
  food vendor on site, during the summer. Tickets
  are required.
• Capitol View Winery & Vineyards in rural Roca has music year-round, weather permitting, with outdoor Friday-night concerts in the spring, summer and fall with a food vendor on site. Admission is free.
• Cellar 426 Winery outside of Ashland also presents music year-round with ticketed Saturday-night concerts during the summer, which also includes a food vendor.

The winery music scene gives patrons several options around the Star City, and gives local musicians several places to perform, which, according to Pipher, is extremely welcome.

“(Wineries) definitely are an important booking resource in the summer months,” Pipher said. “Because they’re outdoors, they have the capacity for large crowds. People seem to really enjoy it.” 

The following are short rundowns of area wineries:

James Arthur Vineyards, 2001 W. Raymond Road, Raymond. The state’s oldest operating winery is surrounded by nearly 20 acres of vineyards. The winery also brings in grapes for its award-winning wines from nearly a dozen other growers across the state, making their final product truly unique to Nebraska.

In the mid-2010s, the Ballards introduced Curveball, a hard apple cider series, and began canning them in 2019, making it available at retail stores in the Lincoln area. JAV also has a tasting room in Lincoln’s Haymarket, which also features a mercantile, cider house and year-round Christmas store. Web: jamesarthurvineyards.com.

Deer Springs Winery, 16255 Adams St., Lincoln. Jim Partington, a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral and strike fighter pilot aspired to be a “gentleman farmer.” He and his wife, Barbara, started the winery in 2001 and opened the tasting room in 2007.

Partington’s daughter Jennifer Reeder is the winemaker, and has created a plethora of wonderful tasting, award-winning wines that are distinctively Nebraska. Guests can enjoy Deer Spring’s finest in the quaint farmhouse, renovated to reflect the charm of the original structure which sits on the land that was deeded to ancestor 1874 by Ulysses S. Grant. The winery is surrounded by pine trees, giving it the peaceful atmosphere of days gone by, while still providing the contemporary comforts. Web: deerspringswinery.com.

Glacial Till Vineyard & Winery, 344 S. Second Road, Palmyra. Owner Mike Murman planted his first acre of grapes in the spring of 2003 and opened the winery in the summer of 2009. The evolution of the vineyard and winery has been a direct reflection of the hard work of Mike’s three sons; John, Tim and Craig have put in over the years. Glacial Till not only produces wine but is the state’s leading producer of hard cider, retailing it at stores throughout the state.

Glacial Till also operates a tasting room on Silver Street in downtown Ashland. A mix of new and old, the tasting room offers a rustic feel with the original brick exposed and the original wood floors refinished. It’s filled with modern sleek black furniture and a custom-made bar that was constructed with materials from the winery. Web: glacialtillvineyard.com

Capitol View Winery and Vineyards, 2361 Wittstruck Road, Roca. Capitol View sits on a 14-acre property with a tasting room uniquely shaped like an old Nebraska barn. Established in 2017, the vineyard was planted in 2004, with the original owners opening the winery in 2009 as WunderRosa Winery. 

Owners Les and Trish Meyer bring a unique look and feel to the winery. A former professional boxer and a Colorado farm girl, both became Nebraska lobbyists. Their professional backgrounds give personal meaning to the capitol building on their label and combined with the vineyard’s beautiful vistas of the Lincoln skyline, Capitol View is an ideal name for the winery. Web: capitolviewwinery.com

Cellar 426 Winery, 1402 S. Ninth St., Ashland. Opened May 2012 on a 20-acre site, Cellar 426 is owned by Richard and Amy Hilske, who planted their first grapes on the site in 2006 and broke ground on the winery building in November 2010. The Hilskes combined their love of wine and the outdoors to begin their venture.