Whiskey Run Creek Vineyard & Winery Review
Address: 702 Main St. Brownville,Nebraska 68321.
Phone Number: 402-825-4601
Tasting Hours: Memorial Day-Labor Day: Wed-Sat 10:00-5:00, Sun 1:00-5:00
Region: Nebraska
Reviewer: Mark and Sonja
Review Date: 6/14/2014
Reviewer: Mark and Sonja
Rating: 4
The Review
Brownville, Nebraska, is a tourist destination unto itself. With incredible historic houses to tour, an entire main street (and an old school) full of used bookstores, a working steamboat, and the mighty Missouri rushing past just yards away from all of it, Brownville would be an easy place to spend a day getting lost and found again in an historical town on Americas Great Plains. As special and as much fun as used bookstores, cute cafes, and antiquated river travel can be, however, the town would be incomplete without its winery.
Located at the far end of the tiny towns main street, Whiskey Run Creek Vineyard and Winery is one Nebraskas most beloved operations. People who visit Brownville for its many attractions are unlikely to leave without a bottle of their fine product. Whiskey Run Creek has for years produced the only Riesling being crafted anywhere in Nebraska, and its a fine bottle of white wine to be sure. One we thing we truly appreciated was the vast selection of wines being offered for patrons to try. Twenty different wines were on display and could be part of your tasting for a modest fee.
In addition to Riesling, Whiskey Run Creek is making whites out of Seyval, LaCrosse, Edelweiss, Chardonel, and other white varieties youre likely to find across the Midwest. Definitely on the sweeter side, we enjoyed them all. The red selection was large as well, and many of the vintages were approaching five or six years, even more, giving visitors a chance to try wines of Nebraskan terroir that had a little age to them. For the most part, they held up quite well. The Chambourcin is one of the sweetest weve had of that varietal, and we didnt love it for that, though the Marechal Foch was a sturdy, medium-bodied red that boasted some character and had benefited from aging a bit. The DeChaunac had an earthy nose, giving way to ripe fruits, and the “1854, named for the year that Brownville was founded, was a curious blend that we enjoyed as much as any we tried that day. Though sweeter than dry, we preferred the whites to the red, and applaud the production of Riesling wine which is unique to the state of Nebraska.
We should mention that there were also several rose and fruit wines to try. The Frontenac Rose was something we hadnt seen before, a sweeter wine which we enjoyed. Pyment is wine made from grapes and honey, distinct from Meade, and not commonly found. We enjoyed the chance to try some. Last but not least, the Apple Raspberry fruit wine, made of 90% of the former, 10% of the latter, is sweet while tart, and highly addictive, sure to please a sweeter palate.
The unique tasting room is in a large, 100-year-old barn, situated overtop a creek with a deck overlooking the small canyon below. The inside of the tasting room is a bit tight, with lots of gifts and nick-knacks available for sale. Behind the bar youll probably find Ron, the owner and winemaker. Hes always there, and always happy to be of service. But perhaps the most interesting feature of the entire place are the caves. So far as we can tell, they are the only caves in Nebraska. Once the home of a brewery, the caves were excavated more recently, and today you may enter them while you enjoy your wine, or they can be used to host a small gathering.
If youre driving between Omaha and Kansas City, youll pass within five miles of Brownville on I-29, and if youre already that close youd be a fool to miss this little gem. The town is something special, one of the few like it left in our ever-modernizing country, and, at least in our opinion, Whiskey Run Creek Vineyard and Winery is the best of many wonderful attractions. Stop in for a tasting or to pick up a bottle, and be sure to save enough time to stick your head down in the cave.