Our Wines

James Arthur Vineyards produces a wide variety of award-winning wines, all made from American cultivars and French hybrid grapes. Grown and produced here in Nebraska, we offer the finest table wines, from barrel-aged dry reds to sweet, crisp whites and delicious dessert wines and everything in between.

Describing a wine compares to writing a poem; not as easy as it would seem. Every wine tasting experience is unique because every one of us is an inimitable individual, with our own stock of aromas and flavors in memory and senses of taste and smell different to anyone else’s. Those with a privileged nose are able to identify aromas of substances actually present in the wine. Apart from that, tasters have to explain the impressions the wine created in their mind. For all this reasons, no description of a wine tasting is ever wrong.”

— World-Food-and-Wine.com

Semi Sweets

Blushes

Amo Té

JAV’s Amo Té is a clever combination of DeChaunac (red grape), Edelweiss (white grape), Brianna (white grape) and a little bit of St Croix (red grape). Latin for “I Love You” (from an interesting story about notes being sent back and forth between James Arthur and Neenie when in different high schools across the street in Austin, Minnesota.), our 2016 Amo Té enjoys a sensuous mouthfeel of red-hot spiced apples. A blush that isn’t much into sophistication, but rather beckons you to an evening of good times and fun. Will pair well with fresh fruits and salads with a nice raspberry vinaigrette topped with dried fruits.

Edyn’s Blush

Fresh, fruity and fun. That’s the perfect description for our latest version of Edyn’s Blush. Created from Brianna and Concord, this wine reminds one of eating fresh grapes off the vine. A pale, rose colored wine, our Edyn’s Blush tends to lean towards a citrusy and lighter flavor, with hints of orange peels on the nose. Would be perfectly matched with a cream-based-sauce with pasta, or with almost any spicy dish. The winemaker suggests serving Edyn’s Blush slightly warmer than fridge temp to take full advantage of all the gentle flavors it possesses. This wine is special to the winemaker, as it is named after his only daughter and the baby of the family.

Reds

Sweet Charlotte

The latest addition to JAV’s arsenal of sweet red wines, Sweet Charlotte has taken on a life of its own. Fashioned out of 100% Frontenac, this wine creates a mixed berrylicious explosion of flavor in both your nose and your mouth…cherry, raspberry and pomegranate leap to the forefront! Plump with flavor, our Sweet Char is bright and lively. Named after the winemakers mom, the description on the label says it all, “Bottled Proof of a Mother’s Love.” Would pair well with pork or chicken dishes with a sweeter style glaze over it.

Whites

Voluptuous

Our Voluptuous is made from the Prairie Star grape and is loaded with citrus flavors that wind their way through your nose and on to your taste buds. A rich, yet delicate wine with highlighted with generous amounts of tangerine, lemon and lime. This is a wine created to be consumed fairly quickly, within 2-3 years. Makes a nice bookend for Hope, again, with part of the proceeds from the sale of this wine going to help find a cure for cancer. Features an elegant label highlighted with a pink ribbon on it.

Heartland White

Our Heartland White was created for the way folks in the Heartland enjoy their wine. A semi-sweet white that is perfect for any meal, or simply to enjoy while sitting on the porch enjoying a beautiful sunset. Normally our Heartland White is created from 100% LaCrosse grapes, and finished with just the right amount of sweetness. However, because of strange weather conditions, our 2016 vintage is made completely from LaCrescent. The nose has floral intricacies, while the mouth feel generates a beautiful and intriguing union of citrus and peach flavors. Our Heartland White tends to go well with chicken, seafood, and fish. However, the winemaker suggests to try with fresh strawberries, or better yet, put the strawberries in a champagne flute, pour the Heartland White over it and enjoy!

Edelweiss

Over the years, JAV’s Edelweiss has been our most popular and most awarded wine. It has set the standard for Nebraska wines to follow! A semi-sweet white made from 100% Edelweiss grapes, it’s a well balanced wine that creates quite a sensation of sweetness in the front of the palate with a burst of tartness as it dances across the tongue and heads towards the finish, creating a sweet yet complex wine. Full of green apple flavors, this is a wine that won’t be forgotten. The best suggested pairings for this wine would be with fresh fruit, or completely on its own as an appetizer, or a dessert wine.

2 Brothers

Named after the winemaker’s two sons, the 2 Brothers is a special wine in more ways than one. Usually, created from 100% free run LaCrosse, it has a beautiful clear color with a hint of yellow. Free run refers to the juice that naturally flows out of the grapes while waiting to be pressed. It is said to be the best juice to make wine from. However, because of the lack of LaCrosse grapes, our latest version is the pressed juice. The 2 Brothers has a crisp fruity nose with a flavor reminiscent of tree fruits, primarily pears and apples. The crispness carries over in the finish of the wine, with just enough acidity to create a very interesting combination with the wine’s sweetness.

Vignoles

Our proprietor and namesake’s personal favorite. It only takes a brief moment before you appreciate the beauty of this landmark wine. Delicate and smooth, this semi-sweet white wine evolves each time it’s tasted. Made from 100% Vignoles, you’ll pick up hints of apricot and the peaches on the nose and most definitely in the flavors. This wine would pair wonderfully with Oriental dishes as well as spicy foods. Or, to really get the full effect, try it with some tiramisu for dessert! In the past, JAV’s Vignoles has captured Best of Show honors in the Florida State Fair International Wine Competition as well as the Monterey International Wine Competition, and has also been tabbed with a Jefferson Cup. Consistently one of the top wines in the Midwest.

Dessert Wines

“32”

Made from Edelweiss, this dessert wine is as close to an ice wine as we can get. In 2017, we crushed nearly 100 tons of Edelweiss grapes, and quite frankly, ran out of tank space. So…we froze some Edelweiss juice and when a tank opened up, we thawed out the juice until it reached 32 brix and then started the fermentation, leaving us a luscious sweet dessert wine, pushing about 12% alcohol. Unique and intriguing, this wine is a must try for dessert wine lovers.

Port Style Wines

Tropasti

Modeled after a finely made Port wine, our Tropasti is not for the faint of heart. Fortified with grape brandy created from JAV’s own St Croix, this dessert wine is full of rich plum overtones up front that fills the entire mouth, and then complimented by a nice slow and flavorful burn on the finish that is created the byproduct of wine pushing 20% alcohol. Perfect as an after dinner wine paired with a rich chocolate dessert, or on its own in front the fire or coupled with a nice cigar, our Tropasti is a must try. Next time you stop by the winery, ask about how we came up with this fun and unusual name for this enticing wine.

Aura

A very unusual find here in the Midwest, we have created a white port from our Brianna. Not quite as much alcohol (only 18%) with wonderful tropical fruit notes in the mouth, followed by a slow and pleasing burn on the finish. Come experience the sensation of Aura.

Specialty Wines

Mead

Regarded as the ancestor of all fermented drinks, the genesis behind our honey wine was to promote our annual Renaissance Festival. Since then, this semi-sweet wine has become a staple on our tasting card, and is truly a unique offering for us here at JAV. How do we best describe our honey wine? Grab a glass and we’ll pour…your perception is better than anything we could describe!

Sangria

For years, we’ve been offering pitchers and carafes of Sangria during our summertime events at the winery. We’ve finally decided to capture the refreshing and crisp flavors of Sangria in the bottle. Using our San Realto as a base, we’ve added some natural fruit flavorings to give this wine a wonderfully fruity nose of wild strawberries and groves of orange trees. Once you try the first sip, you’ll be hooked as a smorgasbord of fruit flavors explodes in your mouth. This wine should be taken home and put on ice. Add a little bit of your fruit concoction if you so desire to push it over the top!

Blackberry Mead

Our regular mead with an blackberry twist to it. All our fruit meads are made by adding that particular flavoring to it.

Cherry Mead

Our regular mead but with a splash of cherry to it. All our fruit meads are made by adding that particular flavoring to it.

Sparkling Wines

Dry & Semi-Dry Whites

Sparkling Edelweiss

We’ve taken our most popular wine and added bubbles! The best way to describe this sparkling wine is by one word: YUM!

Sparkling Brianna

Think of sitting on a tropical beach somewhere, listening to the waves slowly lapping up on the sand all around you as the cool ocean breeze blows by you. That’s the feeling you’ll get when you try this sparkling wine created from our award winning Brianna.

Sparkling Barbara Ellen Rosé

This semi-dry sparkling wine has some dry strawberry flavors that coexist very nicely with the bubbles that you find throughout. Made from the San Realto, this is a sparkling wine with a bit of an attitude!

Dry Whites

Dry Lacrosse

Description coming soon!

Semi-Dry Rosé

Horizon

Strawberries fill the air as you breathe the nose of this gorgeous semi-dry wine. Made from St. Croix, the rich and ripe strawberry flavor then fills every corner of our mouth with subtle hints of red licorice adding to the fun. Make sure you take the time to truly experience the finish of this wine, as it is beautiful, long and lingering. A truly delightful summer-time wine that is perfect with anything off the grill, especially chicken and fish.

Semi-Dry White

Nebraska White

Crisp and clean, our Nebraska White is made from 100% LaCrosse. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, this semi-sweet white is refreshing. There is sweetness to this wine, created from the fruitiness of the grape. Beautifully packaged in a crimson red bottle.

Dry Reds

St. Vincent

A light bodied dry red that elicits rosy plum flavors with a hint of raspberries that have been soaked in dark chocolate. Aged in older American barrels, this lightly oaked wine is soft, elegant and easy to drink and will elevate any thick homemade pasta drenched in a flavorful red sauce.

Nebraska Red

Consistently the favorite of all JAV’s dry red wines, this medium bodied dry red is a perfect table wine for any occasion, casual or elegant. A blend of St. Croix, St. Vincent, and Frontenac, our Nebraska Red was aged in American Oak for nearly a year before bottling. This red features a wonderful earthy and slightly vegetative nose that changes to a spicy, almost peppery sensation on the palate. The lingering finish on this wine is impressive. The winemaker suggests that you drink this wine while it’s still young, but it will age well. The perfect food pairing with Nebraska Red would be typical “American” cuisine, such as pizza or hamburgers. However, there is enough backbone, it would also hold up very well with a good Nebraska steak!

The High Road

This St. Croix blend is crafted with those who enjoy a more full-bodied wine in mind. Aged in heavily toasted American oak for nearly 2 years, the acidity is carefully balanced against the wines thickness and rich texture, making it a great food wine and also a very age worthy wine. There’s a bright fruit quality that translates into black currant fruit. A wine that would be perfect with a nice cut of prime rib.

Marquette

The grapes from our Marquette come from Old School Vineyards in Hordeville, Nebraska. A light to medium bodied wine, it is characterized by black fruit and earthy notes with some subtle hints of tobacco and leather on the nose. One should enjoy Marquette early in its life, to really experience the richness it offers.