Celebrating With Food and Drink!

Dan and I were married for two years last Saturday. My, how Father Time rushes past without a backward glance. How we stare after him, open-mouthed and breathless, wishing we had snatched golden opportunities instead of waiting for hypothetical tomorrows...

In true "seize the day" spirit, we vowed to make the most of our day, infant and all. With Cass in tow, we set off for the Farmer's Market this morning and browsed the local tasties and crafts. Sipping iced mocha, we strolled hand-in-hand and smiled at the hustle-and-bustle. Ever the frugal twosome, we satisfied ourselves with take-home purchases of Wisconsin buffalo wing cheese (exactly what it sounds like) and a jar of honey. After all, there are still four months' worth of marketing left. Have to save some goodies for next time..




Next, we decided to visit James Arthur Vineyards in Raymond, NE. For $5 you can sample any six of JAV's 20 wines. We took our first pick, a dry red, to a shaded table in the courtyard, where the air was fragrant with summer blossoms and there was a lazy breeze to keep us cool.

JAV would be a beautiful spot for a wedding reception or golden anniversary party. We left with a bottle of full-bodied St. Croix and an award-winning Edelweiss. In truth, we easily could have left with all six of the wines that we sampled BUT lo and behold...The Wine Passport.


A compilation of Nebraska wineries: hours, contact info and map. It's one of those "visit-to-receive-a-stamp-and-get-discounts-and-prizes" type things. So, sure, twist our arms. Since we had such a good experience at James Arthur and since there just happened to be another winery in Raymond...yes, well. You can guess our next stop. WindCrest Winery was much smaller and more intimate. Owner Dale was extremely personable (and generous - he let us sample TEN wines for $6!) and though his wines didn't have the "drinkability" of James Arthur's velvety reds and buttery whites, they did win points for originality. For example, WindCrest has a whole line of cherry-based wines and the chocolate color of their hearty De Chaunac is intriguing in itself.

So, I found a whole host of new places to check out right here in America's heartland. And the Mr. and I are not waiting around for our next anniversary to visit them!