You’ll find over 60 different types of wine in the Amana Colonies. Local vintners have been making wine for well over 150 years. Our wine production has its roots in Germany and has long been part of the culture. When our ancestors came to Iowa it was clear that the European grapes wouldn’t grow here so they began experimenting with other varietals and other fruits. Vineyards and orchards were common in each village and wine was made by the village winemaker and stored in the basements of the church. Each adult received an allotment on a monthly basis. Today the wineries are private businesses and offer both fruit and traditional grape wines. Dry dinner wines and sweet dessert wines are available for sampling throughout the village of Amana. Walk into any of the wineries and you’ll be greeted with “Hello, would you like to try some wine?”. We encourage you to try several, it’s great fun.

Back Roads Wine Trail is a collaborative effort by wineries located on or near Highway 92. Since our origination in 2016, there have been 4 wineries. However, in the autumn of 2021, two of those wineries closed. The two remaining are Nearwood Winery & Vineyards in Knoxville and La Vida Loca in Indianola. Back Roads Wine Trail got its name from an evening of brainstorming ideas over a glass (or two) of wine at the Nearwood Winery tasting room in Knoxville. Back Roads are off the beaten path, allowing your imagination to run a little wild with the possibility of adventure. Back Roads aren’t in the city, even though they are only about an hour drive from Des Moines, Iowa. Back Roads run along rolling green hills, picturesque pastures where cattle and horses graze, winding streams, vineyards and lightly traveled highways. Get out of the city congestion to travel the Back Roads and enjoy some Iowa wine along the way.

The Heart of Iowa Wine Trail is made up of 8 wineries and 1 meadery spread across much of the central one third of the state from north to south. We are a group working together to promote Iowa's wine industry to both native Iowans and all the visitors we welcome annually to our beautiful state. For more information click HERE.

Traveling East or West on I-80, you’ll find 10 award winning wineries within 10 miles of the interstate. Follow the I-80 Wine Trail map to see how easy it is to turn your cross country drive into a wine tasting adventure. Take a ten to fifteen minute detour off the interstate highway to experience the ambience of the local wineries along the way. Sample some wine and then, if you have the time, kick back and relieve that driving stress with some relaxation in “wine country.” Don’t forget to pick up a few bottles of wine to share with your friends or family at your final destination!

Visit The Iowa Wine Trail by traversing the upper Mississippi Valley wine region at Baldwin, Bankston, De Witt, Decorah, Fredericksburg, Guttenberg, Marquette, Waukon and West Branch. Sample well-crafted wines and ciders in the comfort of excellent and diverse tasting rooms among our heritage farms and vineyards, nestled river village, and hilltop chateau. Wineries can be visited almost daily and semi-annual Special Events shouldn't be missed. At each site a winemaker is likely nearby to answer questions about growing wine using the region's special varietals. Visitors can view operations, enjoy the grounds, and sample award winning wines carrying that special Iowa taste. Enjoy the region's designated scenic byways, alpine hills, and cold water streams full of trout. This exquisite hill country was spared recent glaciers thus leaving soils, slopes, caves and aquifers well-suited for irrigation, drainage, circulation, and sun to produce the best grapes. The area is adorned with landscapes as selected by Artist of the Heartland, Grant Wood. We know you would enjoy the hospitality of the trail's bed & breakfast partners, so consider staying the weekend.

Located in the heart of the Midwest, visitors can enjoy the rolling hills and beautiful rivers along the wine trail. On your journey you'll encounter several sites with historic significance as well as some of the most culturally diverse areas of the Midwest.

The 6 Western Iowa Wine Trail wineries are producing award-winning wines from “cold climate” grape varieties and locally produced fruits. The winemakers are always ready to visit about their unique wines and love to show off their wineries and vineyards. You’ll find that the wine and hospitality at our small wineries is excellent! Seven wineries currently dot the wine trail stretching from Elk Horn to Thurman and back to Crescent. All of the wineries along the trail offer free tasting (often poured by the winemakers themselves), local art works, and retail wine sales. Many offer sales of wine by the glass and food items to be enjoyed on their decks or in their tasting rooms.