With an expansive array of varietals for every palate, fun year-round events and a picturesque setting, Cellar 426 Winery and Cider Haus delights oenophiles with a customer experience like no other in Nebraska.
“Our lodge-style winery has a distinctive feel and ambiance that complements the amazing views from our deck,” said owner Richard Hilske. “The sunsets are a must-see!”
Located halfway between Omaha and Lincoln, the Ashland-based operation has been voted Best Winery by Omaha World-Herald readers for seven years running, and Yelp reviewers have named it the Best Winery in Nebraska. The lead bartender in the Tasting Room has also won this year’s Omaha Choice award for Best Bartender, an example of Cellar 426’s commitment to customer service.
Hilske opened Cellar 426 with his wife, Amy, in 2012 as a way to celebrate their combined loves of wine and the great outdoors.
“The inspiration was a merger of Amy’s love of grapes and my business background,” Hilske explained. “Amy worked with grapes while completing her undergraduate degree in horticulture at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and I have a business degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha.”
Hilske enjoyed a successful marketing career for 20 years but had always harbored dreams of launching his own tourism-based hospitality business.
“After Amy and I got together, we started visiting wineries and thought it would be something we’d like to do,” he said.
Their first year in business, the Hilskes sold 600 gallons of wine, growing steadily to the point of now producing 6,000 gallons (around 30,000 bottles) annually, sourcing grapes from a 4-acre vineyard on the Cellar 426 property, as well as from other regional growers. The result is a wide-ranging inventory that covers everything from barrel-aged reds, dry whites and unique rosés to semi-sweet wines, sangria and seasonal offerings. Hilske says the best seller is Rocky’s Red, a semi-sweet red wine named for the vineyard’s first dog mascot, a black Lab.
“We like to say that we have a wine for everyone,” he added. “We’ve garnered a lot of medals at international competitions for our white wines — our Uplifting has won many gold medals, and our Sweet ’N Sexy was awarded 92 points and our Linoma Lighthouse was awarded 97 points at the Monterey International Wine Competition.”
Cellar 426’s inviting atmosphere welcomes guests to enjoy wines by the glass or the bottle to accompany charcuterie, cheese and bread plates on a lovely terrace overlooking the wooded landscape and the Lincoln skyline.
“We also offer guided tastings for those who want more education, or flights for those who want to just sit back and enjoy conversation with friends while sampling our wines,” Hilske mentioned.
Monthly tour-and-taste experiences give guests the chance to learn more about the history of Cellar 426 and the wine-making process. During the summer, the winery features live music on an outdoor stage, and themed crafting classes provide a fun incentive to pay a visit through the winter months.
“In the fall, we have harvest events where volunteers come in and can help pick grapes in the morning, then we have a harvest lunch/wine celebration and they receive a T-shirt,” Hilske said.
Can’t get to the winery for an in-person visit? Look for Cellar 426 products on sale in local stores, wine shops and other outlets. For more information about Cellar 426 Winery and Cider Haus, call 402.944.8109 or visit cellar426.com.
