Iowa Wineries on the Iowa Wine Trail
Author: PenelopeSanMateo Total views: 8 Word Count: 484
Travel across Iowa and you will have the delight of finding wineries in almost every area of the state. The agricultural move toward non traditional products brought the move to the wineries back into the forefront of the minds of people with the land and willingness to create the vineyards you will see.
Going back just to the last century Iowa was the sixth largest grape producing state in the USA. When Prohibition became law the production dropped dramatically and the farmers moved to corn and soybeans. Those that had remained in grape growing saw the damage of the drift of herbicides and then the Armistice Day blizzard of 1940 wiped out a number of grape acres.
The industry re-birth has seen more than 600 acres of land planted to grapes with more being converted to grapes every year. State records of 2007 show that there were sales of approximately 256 thousand gallons of wine sold and that they anticipated a gross of $22 million for 2008.
There are approximately 20 varieties of grapes that have adapted to the Iowa climate, including native Catawba, the French-American hybrid Marechal-Fock, La Crosse and St. Croix. Other well suited varieties are Delaware, Norton/Cynthiana, Leon Millot, Seyval Balc and Vignoles.
Family run wineries are the most common in the state of Iowa. They have faced the challenge of finding the right grape to produce the best wines that will please even the most discriminating wine lover.
There are historic wineries and new ones. There are those that have wine tasting every day and those that have it on certain days but one thing remains the same, those that dedicate themselves to growing the grapes to produce Iowa wines have become believers in the ability to make wine lovers happy with the selections available in this state.
There are a number of "wine trails" in Iowa that will give you the exposure to the different types of wines available and a great tour of the state. For instance the Western Iowa Wine Trail will take you from Elk Horn to Thurman and back to Crescent. All offer free tasting and the time to sit back and enjoy the beautiful countryside.
If you are in the upper Mississippi Valley region you will be able to taste wines at wineries in Lisbon, Baldwin, Anamosa, Bankston, Marquette, Decorah and West Branch. You will be able to sample well-crafted wines and ciders in the comfort of the array of tasting rooms along the way.
Stuart, Iowa Falls, Pleasantville, Des Moines, Tama, Indianola, Adel, Ames, Runnels, Madrid, Osceola, Leighton, St. Charles, and Cambridge all have wineries on the Heart of Iowa Wine Trail which covers nearly the central one third of the state from north to south. Friendly people and beautiful settings wait for you to come to visit and taste their wines in the comfort of their tasting rooms.
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About the Author
Penelope SanMateo is a travel writer who writes for the Iowa Beautiful travel guide. If you are planning your next vacation, then check out this guide to Iowa Travel. And while you are there, explore the East Iowa Tourism region to discover more interesting attractions that will make your family vacation a memorable experience you won't forget.
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