To gain some insight into the mind of James Arthur Vineyards winemaker Jim Ballard -- from his creativity to the fun he brings to an industry with a well-earned reputation for snootiness -- you need only give a glance to the local winery's take on port wine.
It's a wink, perhaps a finger in the eye -- you decide which finger -- to an industry that earned its pinkies-out elitism over centuries by, among other things, deeming that only wines originating from the Duoro region of Portugal could be designated Ports.
Obviously, James Arthur's Tropasti -- hold the bottle up to a mirror to find the wit, snark and creativity in the name -- is made right here in the Cornhusker State.
Tropasti is to Portugal what Genoa, Nebraska (pronounced ja-NO-a around here, I've learned) is to eye-talian salami.
And just to turn the knife a bit more the verbiage on the wine's label uses words that feature those same four letters -- portray, portfolio, important, supportive, opportune and portal -- in describing it.Â
People are also reading…
It's just more in-your-face creativity from Ballard, who wasn't born into the wine business, but has earned his seat at the table.
The former journalism major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has shown that you can take the writer out of the newsroom, but a little wine will always lubricate those creative muscles. Especially on deadline.
Put him in a vineyard and the sky's the limit. And that's where this story gets interesting. He believed that his father-in-law's farmland in Raymond was fertile ground for growing grapes.
With Jim Jeffers' blessing, Jim planted 100 grapevines in 1992 with the hope that his hobby would someday produce fine homemade wine and something to share with family and friends.
That hobby -- predicated on fun, always fun -- took a new twist five years later when James Arthur Vineyards opened for business.
"Wine should be fun," he said. "Sometimes, we take it a little too seriously, maybe rightfully so."
When it's your business, your way of keeping on the lights over the last 26 years, you take the craft seriously, but that doesn't mean you don't have fun in the process.
Ballard and his team have never forgotten that. Case in point: the newest vintage is called Bossy Sister, named for the sibling who complained of never having her name grace one of two dozen wines James Arthur produces.
Another example is Ballard's latest experiment: aging certain wines in barrels that contained other spirts.
Aging red wine in bourbon barrels has been tried at other U.S. wineries in recent years, but there is no evidence that anyone has tried aging semi-dry white wine in tequila barrels or sweet blush in a barrel that once held rum.
James Arthur is currently going through the filtration and bottling process for small batches -- a combined 600 gallons (12 barrels) of the three.
"It’s a test market, trail and error, to see what people think," he said. "If they like it, there are all sorts of other barrels out there we can use."
Off the top of his head, Curaçao- and Mezcal-aged barrels were some of the other flavors he's been considering.
But first things first: Mastering the barrel-aging process is a priority -- and determining if there is a market for such a product will follow.
"Maybe it will grow into something that we will have on a regular basis," Ballard said.
And maybe it won't. Regardless, Ballard is never going to stop trying new things. In any competitive industry -- and making wine is one of them -- those that stop growing the product line are doomed to rot on the vine.
"This business has changed," he said. "We’ve been doing this almost for 26 years now and from the day we first opened, our business plan has evolved. It’s always evolving and changing."
The one part of the business plan that hasn't changed is the one that mandates fun. Sure, it's called work -- the king of all four-letter words -- for a reason, but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed.
For many, wine is a special-occasion beverage, one to be savored and cherished. The James Arthur mindset is that it's wine o'clock somewhere and can be enjoyed -- in moderation, of course -- virtually anywhere: at a tailgate party, while watching a movie or after a long stressful day at the office.
It was James Arthur that showed us which wines to pair with our favorite junk foods -- Reese's Peanut Butter Cup is best when paired with Sweet Charlotte, a semi-sweet red; while Cool Ranch Doritos are the perfect accompaniment to Kira, James Arthur's semi-sweet blush -- and to do so without shame or hesitation.
"Fun is an operative word and we try to be creative with our product because there’s a lot of competition out there, especially with the younger generation.
"They want different and unique."
Don't we all?