Our Story
Joann and Mike
Knoxville's First & Only Winery & Vineyards
Nearwood Winery & Vineyards started with hopes, dreams and seven acres of grassy pasture where Mike planted an acre of grapevines.
In early 2016, we began to define the vision and manage financial resource skeptics, zoning restrictions, and design/build searches. Ultimately, our house and winery began to take shape. Both were completed and the winery opened for business in August of 2018.
We invite you to visit us and enjoy our wines made from our vineyard or locally-grown sources. Our wine is processed and sold on-site. We offer reds and whites with selections dry to sweet. Beer, non-alcohol, and bistro-style food also available. We are thankful for each and every one of our customers and hope to see you soon.
Mike & Joann
Contact us for more information.
Nearwood Winery & Vineyards started with hopes, dreams and seven acres of grassy pasture where Mike planted an acre of grapevines.
In early 2016, we began to define the vision and manage financial resource skeptics, zoning restrictions, and design/build searches. Ultimately, our house and winery began to take shape. Both were completed and the winery opened for business in August of 2018.
We invite you to visit us and enjoy our wines made from our vineyard or locally-grown sources. Our wine is processed and sold on-site. We offer reds and whites with selections dry to sweet. Beer, non-alcohol, and bistro-style food also available. We are thankful for each and every one of our customers and hope to see you soon.
Mike & Joann
Contact us for more information.
What We Offer
- A variety of great wine made on the property, beer, soda pop, bottled water
- Friendly, personalized service from the owners
- Indoor/outdoor seating
- Light bistro style meals and snacks available daily
- Rock Star dinner - a unique wine and food 3-course pairing. Reservation required (contact us for details)
- Wine accessories and gifts, art by local artists, books by local authors, online gift cards
- RV camp area for Harvest Hosts and RV Overnight members . Reservations required.
- Rental space for reunion, club retreat, bridal showers start at $5/pp from 10-50 people
Property Amenities
- Approximately 2,000 sq. ft. of public entertainment/gathering space
- Stage with lighting and microphone for performance or presentation
- Two non-gender large restrooms complete with showers
- Outdoor seating with view of rolling hills, vineyard, and prairie
- Directly off Hwy 14 - no travel on gravel roads, located 2 miles south of Knoxville, 3 miles from racetrack
- Parking area (gravel) with hard-service handicap space. Can accommodate most RV/buses
- Free wifi
- Working winery processing and bottling area available for tour upon request
- Six 60" round tables, three 8' rectangle tables, several small round tables, all with table coverings, black chairs
- Kitchen with stove, microwave, toaster oven, refrigerator, 4 sinks
- Two different room lighting options: string lights for party or task lighting for classes
- Leashed pets allowed on patio or outdoors
- RV camping space with deck, fire pit, table & chairs, electric, access to showers, reservations required
- More photos on Pinterest
See more images on Pinterest/NearwoodWinery.
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Our History
Mike's Story Owner and winemaker Michael Van Natta began making wine as a hobby around 1979 and after a few failed attempts, learned the value of great starting materials. After winning the Iowa State Fair amateur wine making contest, he promptly planted a small vineyard. Alas, life would intervene and he abandoned the operation to pursue medicine. In 2010, he replanted some grapes and caught the wine making bug in a much bigger way, expanded the vineyard and opened the Nearwood Winery Tasting Room in downtown Knoxville. In 2018 he and his wife, Joann, expanded again to the new location on Hwy 14, 2 miles south of Knoxville, IA (see map on the left). |
Left: Illustration done in 1996. Right: view from the vineyard 2016. Note the similar shapes and colors.
Joann's Story
An uncanny coincidence convinced me this was to be my life from this moment on. I don’t remember the exact day but the moment of revelation descended upon me like a surge of absolute affirmation. Shortly after I met Mike in 2015, I stood in the vineyard gazing at the white clouds puffed up like cotton balls, drifting in a dreamy ocean of blue sky. The rolling, lime green distant hill had suddenly burst out color that contrasted with the red barn and white roof. Buds from the grapevines had blossomed in rows of green. The visual connection my artwork created 2 decades before I met Mike and this moment filled me with a sense of confidence that this place was destined to be my new home. Life as I knew it was about to change. We've been happily married since 2018, the same year we built our new house and winery.
An uncanny coincidence convinced me this was to be my life from this moment on. I don’t remember the exact day but the moment of revelation descended upon me like a surge of absolute affirmation. Shortly after I met Mike in 2015, I stood in the vineyard gazing at the white clouds puffed up like cotton balls, drifting in a dreamy ocean of blue sky. The rolling, lime green distant hill had suddenly burst out color that contrasted with the red barn and white roof. Buds from the grapevines had blossomed in rows of green. The visual connection my artwork created 2 decades before I met Mike and this moment filled me with a sense of confidence that this place was destined to be my new home. Life as I knew it was about to change. We've been happily married since 2018, the same year we built our new house and winery.
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