The Wine Road- Iowa
The first thing a wine writer notices on the way to the wineries of Amana is the complete lack of vineyards.
Since I knew most of the wines were made from fruit, this was somewhat expected, but I had read about Riesling and even Zinfandel being made here, and I was curious where the grapes (much less the fruit) were hiding.
It turns out that almost none of the fruit, and absolutely none of the grapes are grown here. Zinfandel and Riesling from California, and fruit from the local grocery freezer seem to be the basis for these wines. All told, any decent home winemaker could do as well or better than most of the wines I tasted.
Rhubarb and Dandelion wines are the exception. With a long tradition of making these wines at home, the wineries of Amana have carved out a niche, no matter how unusual it may be. These wines were actually fun, and differed from winery to winery.
I wouldn't expect anyone to drive out of their way to try rhubarb wine, but the Amana Colonies are a tourist destination with more to offer than wine (they have a brewery too).
The name Amana may be written on a piece of equipment in your kitchen, and indeed this is the origin of those familiar appliances. Formed in 1855 as a communal society, this tight-knit group still practices their own brand of Christianity, even if the communal life style ended in the 1930s.
The towns (there are several of them that make up the Amana Colonies) are cute and quaint, and draw tourists from far and wide. I was disappointed to see that the gift shops were full of schlock from around the world, instead of the hand crafts that they were once known for.
A careful look around will yield some incredible crafts still being offered, but they are few and far between. Especially check out the unique Garden Critters, hand made copper yard ornaments.
There are better than a half dozen wineries in walking distance from each other, but bring your sweet tooth. The better wines (and I use the terms better and wine loosely) are very sweet and they will wear out your palate quickly.
When the wines and gift shopping have tired you out, be sure to visit the Millstream Brewing Company for good beer (and even better root beer).
Since I knew most of the wines were made from fruit, this was somewhat expected, but I had read about Riesling and even Zinfandel being made here, and I was curious where the grapes (much less the fruit) were hiding.
It turns out that almost none of the fruit, and absolutely none of the grapes are grown here. Zinfandel and Riesling from California, and fruit from the local grocery freezer seem to be the basis for these wines. All told, any decent home winemaker could do as well or better than most of the wines I tasted.
Rhubarb and Dandelion wines are the exception. With a long tradition of making these wines at home, the wineries of Amana have carved out a niche, no matter how unusual it may be. These wines were actually fun, and differed from winery to winery.
I wouldn't expect anyone to drive out of their way to try rhubarb wine, but the Amana Colonies are a tourist destination with more to offer than wine (they have a brewery too).
The name Amana may be written on a piece of equipment in your kitchen, and indeed this is the origin of those familiar appliances. Formed in 1855 as a communal society, this tight-knit group still practices their own brand of Christianity, even if the communal life style ended in the 1930s.
The towns (there are several of them that make up the Amana Colonies) are cute and quaint, and draw tourists from far and wide. I was disappointed to see that the gift shops were full of schlock from around the world, instead of the hand crafts that they were once known for.
A careful look around will yield some incredible crafts still being offered, but they are few and far between. Especially check out the unique Garden Critters, hand made copper yard ornaments.
There are better than a half dozen wineries in walking distance from each other, but bring your sweet tooth. The better wines (and I use the terms better and wine loosely) are very sweet and they will wear out your palate quickly.
When the wines and gift shopping have tired you out, be sure to visit the Millstream Brewing Company for good beer (and even better root beer).
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