Nebraska City, Nebraska, home of J. Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day, is also home to sundrenched orchards. At Arbor Day Farm, guests can sip signature wines crafted from the luscious orchard fruits grown in this fertile soil.
Beverage manager Sara Wiebold has been in the hospitality business for years—for her the world of wine encompasses myriad aspects, most importantly the guest experience. The Certified Sommelier started at Arbor Day Farm as a consultant in 2021, where she dove headlong into Nebraska wine production. “One thing always leads to another, and I just fell in love with the property and potential,” she shared.
Arbor Day Farm offers local white, red, and fruit wines, including a unique Pommeau—a fortified, lightly sweet wine made from Arbor Day Farm apple cider that spends 24 months aging in oak barrels. Guests can savor tastings in the Apple House Market, an 80-year old structure recently renovated after a 2020 fire. Wiebold fondly refers to it as the “Taj Mahal” of Nebraska tasting rooms.
Wine flights include a branded Arbor Day Farm wine glass and four 1.5-ounce pours. Sunset Orchard wine tastings are well attended in late summer and early fall. Charcuterie boards are available for purchase, and customers can purchase bottles for consumption in the orchard—very popular at sundown in the hot summers.
Currently growing on property is the Midwest grape edelweiss, with an additional five new varieties destined for future bottles. Though grapes are grown and harvested on the farm, vinification (the actual wine making process) happens in Brownville, Nebraska, at Whiskey Run Creek. The sweeter, less complex fruit wines are favorites with the clientele, but red blends and the edelweiss are also big sellers. “By far the most popular are the peach wines,” Wiebold said.
She also enjoys hosting wine dinners at Lied Lodge with US producers outside the Nebraska area, to introduce locals to different types of wine. Keep an eye on their social media accounts for upcoming late summer and fall events including Bloody Mary Sundays (local grower canned goods used for all garnishes on the Bloody Mary bar). A visit to this iconic destination is a must for any Nebraskan.
