Traveling in Iowa this Summer?

Young grapes on the vine - July

July is travel month for a lot of folks. We get visitors at the winery from all over the Midwest and as far away as the coasts 

​I love to travel but summer is a busy time at the winery and vineyard so we tend to stay home. The next best thing is to enjoy the tales from our traveling guests. A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of hosting 3 blogging friends that I met online in a Facebook group; Becky, Heidi, and Libby. Becky traveled from New York, Libby from Louisiana and Heidi from Missouri. They were doing a blogger’s retreat to enjoy time together and stayed at a local Bed & Breakfast not too far away from the winery the previous evening. The winery was closed to the public the day they arrived, so it was quiet and they could work on projects and socialize. During the times they took breaks, we would sit on the patio of the winery and watch the horses graze in the pasture next door, or walk through the vineyard and around the grounds. We talked about growing grapes, how and when we harvest, and the attention vineyards need to thrive until its time to pick, crush and ferment the grapes in tanks. Everyone was especially interested in the fact we grow our own grapes, process, and sell our wine on site. 

I prepared a light lunch with a pairing of wine for them which they really enjoyed and then suggested additional activities they may like to do. Lake Red Rock is only 15 minutes away, and nearby is Cordova tower, a structure that is several stories high and has a spiral staircase leading to a great view of the Lake. Downtown shopping was also a possibility. After some discussion about it, they decided to forego the excursions, finish up their projects and head home.​

It was great making friends with them and sharing time here. The possibility of a visit next year with more friends was tossed around. We always welcome groups for meetings, retreats and get-togethers. As I waved good bye, I was already making arrangements for our next guests, Harvest Host members that would be staying the night in their RV on the property. More traveling stories to look forward to!

#staycation #agritourism #vinetobottle #nearwoodwinery

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