Wine Tasting Vacation in Iowa

Iowa Wineries are now a growing product for the agricultural area of the state. When the change to less traditional products became necessary there were many in the state that went back in history to see that Iowa was indeed a good place to grow the grapes for great wines.
It is not a new industry for Iowa. In the early 20th century Iowa was the sixth largest producer of grapes in the country. The demise of the industry was attributed to Prohibition, when the growing of corn and soybeans took over. The industry was also damaged by the drift of herbicides and the Armistice Day blizzard of 1940.
Today the industry has seen a re-birth with over 600 acres planted to grapes and that figure is growing every year. In the fiscal year ending in June of 2007, state records showed Iowa wine sales of 256 thousand gallons with 2008 wine sales anticipated to total more than $22 million.
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.
Getting the family together in a venture such as running a winery isn't always the easiest challenge faced by those that want to live this type of lifestyle. But through working together and doing the research to find the best grapes to grow in this area has turned out some of the most wonderful wines available anyplace.
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.
On the Western Wine Trail you will travel from Elk Horn to Thruman and back to Crescent while enjoying wine tastings along the way and seeing the beautiful countryside that makes Iowa so special.
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.

Article Source: http://www.thedrinkingplace.com/articles2

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 experience more interesting attractions that will make your family vacation a memorable experience you won't forget.

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated