EXPLORE: Wine list of central Iowa

By Jeff Pitts

A meadery, several wineries and a cidery... Down the hatch? Here’s to mud in your eye! Bottoms up. Chin, chin.

COVERED BRIDGES WINERY
2207 170th Trail, Winterset, just off Highway 169, north of Winterset
www.coveredbridgeswinery.com
Enjoy wine made from 100 percent Iowa grown grapes while listening to live music and gazing up at the clear-blue Iowa skies.
NOTE: Live outdoor music events at the winery run through Sept. 4. Check online for details.

MADISON COUNTY WINERY
3021 St. Charles Road, St. Charles
www.madisoncountywinery.com
A tasty selection of wine to entice those who prefer a sip of something sweet, something dry or somewhere in-between, plus a unique array of flavored wines, wine-a-ritas and select craft beers.
 
SUMMERSET WINERY
15101 Fairfax St., Indianola
www.summersetwine.com
If you believe that wine should be fun and that wine tasting makes life a little sweeter, Summerset Winery wants to meet you.
DON’T FORGET: Indianola also offers two other wineries. If you are out that way, you might also try Annelise Winery, at 15110 Highway 92, Indianola, or La Vida Loca Winery, at 7852 Jesup St., Indianola.

THE CELLAR WINERY AT WHITE OAK
15065 N.E. White Oak Drive, Cambridge
www.whiteoakcellar.com
The delicious wine made from locally sourced, cold-climate grapes has people raving about the Cellar Winery at White Oak.

TWO SAINTS WINERY
15170 20th Ave., St. Charles
www.twosaintswinery.com
A family-owned boutique, Two Saints Winery is surrounded by the idyllic rolling hills of Warren County, just south of West Des Moines, and offers handcrafted wines from the luscious grapes grown from the rich Iowa soil. “You can taste the love in every glass.”

JASPER WINERY
2400 George Flagg Parkway, Des Moines
www.jasperwinery.com
Located near downtown Des Moines, Jasper Winery is only two blocks from Gray’s Lake.

SNUS HILL VINEYARD & WINERY
2183 320th St., Madrid
www.snushillwine.com
An award-winning, family-owned winery, Snus Hill creates wine with a regional identity reflective of the soils and climate. Expansive decks offering pastoral views of the quiet and peaceful countryside await.

PENOACH VINEYARD AND WINERY
26759 North Ave., Adel
www.penoach.com
This is a working winery, which means you’ll frequently find the owners in work clothes doing chores or making one of Penoach’s 14 wine offerings. It also means you’re likely to get personalized service.

Not technically wine, but...
WINTERSET CIDERY
1638 Hwy. 169, Winterset
www.wintersetcidery.com
Refreshing and crisp tasting, these hard ciders are crafted with homegrown apples, without adding any sugar or water, then aged for several months after fermentation. You can’t rush these flavors.
TIP: Order the Lime Habanero. It “explodes with flavor and will bring some heat with each sip. A unique blend of apples, which is refreshing and finishes with the slight sweet heat of habanero and lime,” according to co-owner Nick Williams.

Also not wine…
BUZZED BEE MEADERY
1755 340th St., Melbourne
www.buzzed-bee-meadery.com
Mead, also known as honey wine, is an alcoholic drink made by fermenting honey and water. Mead can be dry, semi-sweet or sweet. The Buzzed Bee Meadery produces an ever-changing offering of small batches, typically a half dozen meads are available at a given time.

Last but not least…
IOWA DISTILLING COMPANY
4349 Cumming Ave., Cumming
www.iowadistilling.com
Whether it is the hardcore heat of its Prairie Fire cinnamon whiskey, or something stiff like Swell Zone Vodka, Iowa Distilling Company serves homegrown and tasty concoctions that have locals cheering... “Bottoms up!”
TIP: “Thursdays at Jasper Winery” is a summer concert series that runs through Aug. 5. Check online for details.