Lately, I’ve (literally) been filling my cup with things that make me happy. I’ve been trying to take on more experiences; activities that stimulate my senses and expand my knowledge and it feels so good. I’m all about the little things, the simple pleasures, and really savoring those moments. Having a great glass of wine with stimulating conversation is truly one of life’s simple pleasures, and I am so grateful I got to experience that the other night with Travel Iowa’s Virtual Winery Tour.
I truly love wine. I love the taste, I love the social aspect of it, and I love learning the roots of where it came from. There is always such a special story and connection to wine, and when you get the chance to learn about it, it just deepens your love for that bottle even more. Connecting with other women and hearing directly from those whose hands got dirty to make these blends was an unforgettable experience I’ll never forget.
I’ve now lived in the Midwest for over five years, and have such an appreciation + admiration for this region. Supporting local and small businesses is something I’ve always prioritized. And now, it’s truly more important now than ever, and is something we can do safely from the comfort of our homes as well. I’m so excited to share more about this experience, these growers, and these wines because I know that you will absolutely love them too. Keep reading, because there’s promo codes for each of the bottles, too ;)!
We began the Virtual Winery Tour with introductions, hearing from three wineries: Summerset Winery, Glyn Mawr Winery and Soldier Creek Winery. And the entire zoom was filled with women — it was SO powerful! Starting with Summerset Winery, we heard from Megan Farley who is the winemaker of their Caba Moch. Summerset Winery is based outside of De Moines in Indianola Iowa, and they produce award-winning Iowa wine from locally grown, central Iowa grapes. It is also one of the oldest wineries in the state.
Caba Moch is one of 15 wines and is their #1 seller. When all of us on the zoom took our first sip of the blush style wine (the only blush of the tour), we were immediately transported to patio season in the summertime. It immediately made me think of Sangria and the bottle even has a description on it saying it’s “A party in a bottle”. The wine is served chilled and is just the right amount of sweet and soo refreshing. It’s fragrant with tropical fruits, and the acid balances it out beautifully. This first wine really educated me on so much more about Iowa grapes and wine in general. It is so unique because it’s blended with grapes that are specifically native to Iowa. Also, Megan shared that Summerset Winery is a close community of females and is all-female operated aside from Ron. I loved hearing about the business and am so excited that they shared a promo code!
To get your hands on Caba Moch, use code TravelIowa15 for 15% off HERE.
Next up was Glyn Mawr Winery, located in Mount Vernon, Iowa. They are a small, local business that started in 2009 with 1,100 grapevines on two and half acres. The tasting room makes 12 varieties, and have produced over 21,000 lbs. of grapes each summer, and over 9,000 bottles of wine each year. Anna Wilson + Brenda Broulik are a mother-daughter duo who shared more about their story, and it was so inspiring!
While drinking the St. Pepin bottle, a dry white wine made with Midwest Grapes, Anna and Brenda shared a lot of insight on Midwest vs. California wines. Those same grapes wouldn’t thrive in the climate and soil in Iowa, however, you can easily find a unique wine that relates to a California wine, just made with local grapes. And truly – the uniqueness and local aspect makes it better and so much more special! This wine was SO good, both crisp and citrusy and once again so refreshing. We were all joking about how we pictured ourselves on the patio once again, or at a picnic pairing this with a hearty salad, fruit, or even salmon. The wine was super juicy in body and complex.
You could feel the heart in this wine, all the way down to the label they do with their own hands as well. Get 10% off St. Pepin or any of the other 11 varieties with code SPRING10 and is a 10% off coupon code on glynmawr.com HERE.
Lastly, we heard from Anne Zwink of Soldier Creek Winery. This is another family-owned business, located on Solider Creek, which is the inspiration behind the name, the property has been on their family farm operation for over 50 years. What was once a farm transitioned into their family-owned winery!
Their wines are made on-site from locally-grown grapes, and they have selected 10 French-American hybrid grape assortments that thrive in Iowa’s climates year-round. The La Crescent variety was dry and extremely aromatic, with accents of guava, citrus, tropical fruits, and honey. It’s bright and crisp and is great for Sauvignon Blanc fans! This winery is also women-run. Anne was on the zoom from their tasting room and it made me want to be there in real life!
You can try the Soldier Creek for 10% off with code MADEINOWA on soldiercreekwinery.com HERE.
This was truly such a special experience — surrounded by women winemakers, enjoying the DELICIOUS local wine. While we may not be able to visit in-person, being able to transport while connecting during this Virtual Tour was such a fun and insightful experience. I learned so much about Iowa, the uniqueness of the grapes + soil, and also truly how much heart goes into these wines. The stories shared by the winemakers allowed us to see truly how much time, craft, skill and love goes into making every single bottle. In Iowa, winemakers face a lot more challenges than those in California or other regions. There is so much camaraderie and support between the wineries too. I am so inspired and cannot wait to continue supporting!
One last thing I want to share for all of the wine lovers! The Iowa Wine & Beer Passport is a fun way to support Iowa-owned wineries and breweries, while receiving a curated collection of deals and discounts — and you’ll have the chance to win a $100 gift card to the winery of your choice! It’s free to sign up and the more wineries and breweries you visit, the more chances for prizes. Learn more here.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Travel Iowa. All opinions are 100% mine.
Photos by Paige Babilla
