With more than 20 participating wineries, nationally recognized 98-point scores, and a free digital passport that launched today, there has never been a better time to get out and discover what Nebraska wine country has to offer.
March 11, 2026 (Lincoln, NE) — The sun is out, the vineyards are waking up, and Nebraska’s wine country is officially open for the season. The Nebraska Wine & Grape Growers Association has officially launched the 2026 Nebraska Wine Passport, inviting wine lovers across the state to do something simple and deeply satisfying: get in the car, pick a direction, and go find great wine.
Across more than 20 participating wineries and tasting rooms — from the scenic rolling hills southeast of Lincoln to surprising stops tucked along Nebraska’s back roads — the state’s winemakers have been quietly doing extraordinary work. They have the scores to prove it, the stories to share, and a glass waiting for anyone willing to make the drive.
The Craft Behind the Label
Nebraska’s winemakers are a particularly stubborn bunch. They planted grapes in a state where the winters push to minus 35 degrees, where the soil isn’t forgiving, and where no one handed them a roadmap for success. Through years of trial, adaptation, and an unwillingness to settle for anything less than exceptional, the results have begun to turn heads at some of the most competitive wine competitions in the country.
In blind tastings, where reputation and region carry no weight and only what is in the glass matters, Nebraska has delivered:
- 98 pts Miletta Vista Winery, Elephant Ear Red — Double Gold, Best of Class, Los Angeles International Wine Competition
- 98 pts Prairie Creek Vineyard, Edelweiss — Best of Show, California Wine Competition
- 97 pts Whiskey Run Creek Winery, Frontenac — Best of Show Rosé, International Eastern Wine Competition
- 96 pts James Arthur Vineyards, Sweet Charlotte — Double Gold, Best in Class
Cellar 426, Nebraska’s most decorated winery, has earned 15 wines at 91 points or higher — including two 98-point scores and one 97-point rating — and has accumulated 13 Best of Class and Best of Show awards along with 41 Platinum, Double Gold, and Gold medals since 2022 alone. Their Linoma Lighthouse was named Best White Blend in the Country under $23 at the San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition, the largest competition of North American wines. These are not regional participation trophies. These are the results of serious craft being recognized on a national stage.
A Passport Built for Exploring
The 2026 Nebraska Wine Passport is designed to get people out the door and into the experience. The free Discovery Pass — available now at NebraskaWinePassport.com — uses a digital check-in system that allows passport holders to earn points with every winery visit, redeemable for Wine Bucks, a collector’s t-shirt, or exclusive prizes. No purchase is required to check in, and the program runs through December 31, 2026, with rewards available through January 31, 2027.
New to the 2026 program is the Nebraska Wine Explorer Pass, a $50 premium experience designed for wine enthusiasts who want to go deeper. Explorer Pass holders receive a curated tasting of three to four wines plus a full glass of wine at five unique participating locations — a wine trail experience that turns a weekend drive into something worth remembering.
With geo-location check-ins now standard across all participating locations, the 2026 passport is also the most seamless version yet. Arrive at a winery, open the app, and your stamp is waiting.
Local Wine, Local Roots
What sets Nebraska wine apart is not only what is in the bottle — it is where it comes from and who made it. These are sustainable, small-production farms where the winemaker is often the same person who planted the vines, tended the rows through August heat and November frost, and hand-selected the harvest. When a passport holder pulls up to a Nebraska winery, they are not walking into a tasting room staffed by someone reading off a script. They are likely meeting the person whose hands made what is being poured.
Renae Littrell, Executive Director of the Nebraska Wine & Grape Growers Association, experienced that connection firsthand recently — and it reminded her exactly why this work matters.
“I’m the person at the grocery store reading every label — looking for products made well and made with care. After enjoying a bottle from one of our member wineries, I flipped it over and discovered the grapes were grown just miles away from my own small town. That’s what makes Nebraska wine special — quality, intentional craft, made locally, paired with a story rooted close to home. The Nebraska Wine Passport invites you to discover those stories one glass at a time. Go find your bottle.”
Renae Littrell, Executive Director, Nebraska Wine & Grape Growers Association
That sentiment is at the heart of what the Wine Passport program has always been about. Since launching, the program has built a community of more than 20,000 Nebraska wine fans — a loyal base of explorers who return year after year, logging visits, collecting stamps, and discovering corners of Nebraska they might never have found otherwise. The most engaged users average 20 to 30 winery visits in a single season, not because they were told to, but because Nebraska wine country has a way of pulling people back.
Go Taste Nebraska
The 2026 season is open and the vineyards are coming alive. Across the state, Nebraska winemakers are uncorking bottles they are genuinely proud of — wines grown from Nebraska soil, crafted with intention, and recognized by judges across the country.
“I am proud to live and make wine in a Nebraska small town. People would be amazed at the treasures hiding in communities like Central City and in dozens of small towns just like it across this state. Be a tourist in your own town this spring. Your next favorite bottle is out there waiting.”
Nick Ryan, Winemaker, Prairie Creek Vineyard
This is the season to take the Sunday drive you have been putting off, follow the passport trail somewhere new, and walk through a vineyard door with no agenda other than to taste something made by someone who cares deeply about what they do. Nebraska wine country is not a secret to be stumbled upon. It is an experience worth seeking out — and the 2026 Nebraska Wine Passport is the best reason to start.
The free Nebraska Wine Passport and the new $50 Explorer Pass are both available now at NebraskaWinePassport.com. Follow along at @NebraskaWines and share your visits using #NebraskaWinePassport.
About the Nebraska Wine & Grape Growers Association
The Nebraska Wine & Grape Growers Association (NWGGA) is the statewide trade association representing Nebraska’s farm wineries, tasting rooms, and grape growers. NWGGA supports the state’s wine industry through advocacy, education, marketing, and signature programs including the Nebraska Wine Passport and TOAST Nebraska Wine Festival. Learn more at nebraskawine.com.
