James Arthur Vineyards: JAV Fans

Thursday, May 22, 2014

A Passion for Nebraska & Misconceptions Cleared - by Owner/Winemaker, Jim Ballard

Since our purchase of the From Nebraska Gift Shop, in the Historic Haymarket District in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, we’ve received a few comments, phone calls, and even a letter, from people who are upset with the fact we no longer sell ALL Nebraska wines – and, only sell our own JAV branded wines there. Hopefully, the next few thoughts will clear up any of the misconceptions which may be leading to those upset feelings.

We will operate as the James Arthur Vineyards Tasting Room AND the From Nebraska Gift Shop. We will continue to carry Nebraska-made gifts, gourmet food items, and other great Nebraska-made products very similar to how the previous owner had. None of that is going away. Our family is very excited that we’ve been given the opportunity to purchase the store and will do everything we can to continue the 25-year tradition that has been established under previous ownership, by highlighting the best our state has to offer. Again, that will not change. Being born, raised, and having lived in Nebraska all of my life, I especially am looking forward to this new venture!

It is true we no longer carry other Nebraska wines. There are a number of reasons behind this. We are James Arthur Vineyards, so our first priority is to market the award-winning, Nebraska wines we have worked so hard to create. More importantly, however, is that our Farm Winery license allows us to sell only what we produce ourselves. Therefore, even if we wanted to sell other Nebraska wines, we would be unable to do so in accordance with the Nebraska state liquor laws.

Here at James Arthur Vineyards, we have built our business, and in essence our reputation, on creating a great Nebraska product. We have done everything possible to create a legacy here at JAV that future generations of Nebraskans can be proud of. We hope to continue that legacy in the Historic Haymarket District.

We invite everyone to stop by the store at 8^th & Q Streets and see that our family is thrilled to be a part of the Haymarket. We are making some exciting changes to even better market the best of Nebraska products, including our passion for what we feel is a great Nebraska product in and of itself…James Arthur Vineyards wines.

Jim Ballard

Owner/Winemaker

James Arthur Vineyards

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Edelweiss and The Tornado

On the afternoon of May 20, 2013, an EF5 tornado, with peak winds estimated at 210 miles per hour (340 km/h), struck Moore, Oklahoma, and adjacent areas, killing 23 people (and an additional person indirectly), and injuring 377 others. The tornado was part of a larger weather system that had produced several other tornadoes over the previous two days. The tornado touched down west of Newcastle at 2:56 p.m. CDT (19:56 UTC), staying on the ground for 39 minutes over a 17-mile (27 km) path, crossing through a heavily populated section of Moore. The tornado was 1.3 miles (2.1 km) wide at its peak. Despite the tornado following a roughly similar track to the even deadlier 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado, very few homes and neither of the stricken schools had purpose-built storm shelters. Credits: Wikipedia

Shortly after this tragedy, we received a Facebook message from Kendra Voss of Morse Bluff, Nebraska. Here's the unbelievable story she shared:

This past Christmas, I brought a bottle of your wine down to my brother's home in Moore, OK. Unfortunately, we never got around to drinking it. His home was destroyed in the May 20, 2013 tornado (he, his wife, and my nephew are just fine). We found the wine on our first day of digging through their rubble, and it brought us a little joy to know it survived an F5 tornado. We'll save it for when our family is together again under better circumstances. Thought you'd like to know!