A beloved mother, a bossy sister, two brothers and a three legged cat are each honored on wine bottles at James Arthur Vineyards, a winery near Raymond. Winemaker Jim Ballard, coowner of the vineyard with his wife, Barb, said the business grew from a hobby. He heard a professor talk of growing grapes and began to grow his own.

His father in-law, James Arthur Jeffers, had the land. Ballard had the vines. And now the people of Nebraska get a taste of wine grown in their home state.

"I know that if it's a good product, Nebraskans are going to support it," Ballard said. The winery was the second to open in the state and is currently the oldest still operating and largest in Nebraska. In its 27th year, the winery is now part of the Nebraska Passport Program.

The program encourages Nebraskans and people from other states to discover the state's hidden treasures, like bakeries, boutiques, breweries and more. With 70 stops and 15 bonus businesses, the program offers visitors stamps at each stop to fill up their Nebraska Passport. People can earn prizes based on how many stamps they gather.

Ballard is currently training his son-in-law to be the next winemaker, and his son works on the business side of things. The family also runs a tasting room in their From Nebraska Gift Shop in downtown Lincoln, where his wife works most days. "It's like a farming operation, so hopefully we can hand it down to the next generation and it can continue down for years and years and continue that vision .