If you are a cider lover like me, you have to check this place out out of 8 cider I tried I took…read moremultiple home...would have done all but they were out

We were just passing thru from town to town and saw this new Cidery. Beautiful building!!! We…read moreordered 2 flights consisting of 4 tastes of the cider made there. They had music playing. Very clean. Cute merchandise and free popcorn. Many tables inside, couches and a loft area with seating too. You could also go outside on the deck and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Prices were very reasonable. And when we couldn't figure out an 8th cider for our flights they let us have a tiny sample. They do have crackers and meats and cheeses for purchase for snacking too. Outside there are 2 sand volleyball courts and a stage. They are closed for the season but have special dates they are open for pop up events, today 11/22/25 was their Bottle Extravaganza where all bottles were $1 off! We left with 3 bottles. Love the atmosphere here! We will definitely be coming back!

Very peaceful patio that was dog friendly. Live music inside was very good. You could just barely…read morehear it outside. The breeze was wonderful and patio was shaded. Seating comfortable. The berry sparkler was wonderful. Revelation mulberry gin and citrus soda with huge berries. We also had the dirty martini which had a unique flavor and was delicious. Service was friendly with a smile. They even found a dog bowl for water which they added ice to for the girls. For a first visit it was a plan again visit. Great atmosphere, great service and very very good cocktails.

Full disclosure: Rob and Christi Taylor have been friends for at least 15-years. Christi is a…read morebrilliant physician, and community leader. She is a loving and committed wife and mother. Rob has been a great friend. He is a very successful businessman and entrepreneur. He served our great state of Iowa for 8-years as an Iowa Representative. He is a man of honor. He loves his country, state, wife and children. NEXT CHAPTER: Rob and Christi opened Revelton Distillery. They have created a fantastic facility and are creating AMAZING spirits. The products, services and facilities are all stellar. Don't just take my word for it - go check them out.

Checked out Hot Air Brewing while visiting family nearby. We enjoyed trying all the different beers…read more-- no bad one on the menu. The open space with a big garage door for nice days was a bonus. We will be back next visit!

I was able to attend a small event recently at Speckled Hen Farm encompassing Speckled Hen and a…read morecouple of businesses they closely partner with including Covered Bridges Winery. Kevin from Covered Bridges Winery was an excellent host and let us know about their business in the same way as our hosts from Speckled Hen Farm and Lone Oaks Farms did. Where they started, where they are now, and what they have coming up. He offered tasting of 8-10 different wines from sweet to dry of his different blends. I tried the St. Croix (dry red), Frontenac Gris (dry red), LaCrescent (dry white), Marquette (dry white), Petite Rose (dry rose), and Rattlesnake Red (semi-sweet red). I'm not a huge wine drinker...some over the years...and I know my taste leans to dry and not overly sweet. I enjoyed all the samples I tried; both red and white! Ask Kevin about how the name rattlesnake red came to be...! Since we were on the Speckled Hen property we didn't get the full winery experience, but Kevin had the same enthusiasm as Kris (our host from Speckled Hen Farm) and Luann (our host from Lone Oaks Farms). You can tell why they all partner together so well! Winterset is just a 30ish min drive from where I live in Clive. A trip to the Northern part of Ankeny or to the South side can take me just as long...so it's really not far away at all and it's a nice drive. If you're like me and you enjoy a little bit of a day trip to find new things... It's worth the short drive from the metro! Check out upcoming events at Covered Bridges Winery on their Facebook page and site (as well as those for Speckled hen Farm and Lone Oaks Farms on their respective pages). https://coveredbridgeswinery.com/ https://www.facebook.com/CoveredBridgesWinery

Good wine, great service and nice location…read more I stopped here with Harvest Hosts for an overnight stay. It was packed when i got there with live music and a packed house. One of the owners saw me trying to find a place to park and pointed me to the best area to park, said after the band was over people would think out and I could park anywhere i wanted on the grounds. After getting setup i came in and grabbed a bottle of red wine and a charcuterie plate. The owners and staff were wonderful, the wine was great and the music was fantastic!! I had a great time staying with them and if i lived in the area i know i wold be there often.

We spent a beautiful afternoon at the winery. The staff is not only helpful but very friendly. The…read morewines were delicious. The views perfect. It will be a summer repeat again and again.

Madison County Winery is located in - you guessed it - Madison County. My mom and I participated in…read morethe Madison County Fall Crawl and ventured here. There is much to do in this area and MCW is not an exception. It is worth noting this area is absolutely beautiful, especially in the fall. I really like Madison County Winery's setup - the vineyards are abundant, visible, and accessible (perfect for that Instagram moment you are dreaming of). They have a large patio area with traditional outdoor tables and limited indoor seating. OUtside, they also have an offset pergola and firepit area with their own patio furniture, which would be fun for a small group. I had the wine slush which melted really fast and was very sweet, but who am I kidding I still enjoyed! My mom had the PINK wine (semi-sweet Rose) and liked it so much that she bought a bottle to take home. Down the steps from their patio, they also have a tent with personal pan fire grilled pizza - would also recommend. What is honestly better than wine, pizza, and beautiful fall day. It was such a great Sunday afternoon, I can't wait to take friends back soon!

In comparing two great meatloaf sandwiches in the surrounding area Wilson's Orchard and Farm in…read moreCummings offers the best in portion size, taste, modest price, ample parking, and service. My wait staffer -- Kay - was very helpful in offering suggestions of seasonal entrees with David - Day Manager - filling in trivia of how this prized restaurant in the middle of a beautiful well landscaped farm started that offers what's in season from homemade breads, delicious dips, fresh lemonade and chips made from scratch that are extra scrunchie. The high end farm to table offers a picturesque vibe that warms your soul with deliciously well portioned seasonal food which gives you the comfort of home.

This place has a lot to offer. We were visiting family in the area and glad we stopped here for…read morelunch. The menu is larger but the brunch menu had some extra options. They do rotate some menu options to keep it fresh. The food was fresh and was flavorful. The service was friendly and prompt. And the vibe was modern/industrial farmhouse. They had an extensive gift shop that had so many goodies. So much more they offer that I am not mentioning. Food specifics I tried included a delicious fig & pig pizza and the duck poutine fries and I also had the dry cider flight to drink.

We had a wedding reception here last night. It was a terrible place and I wouldn't ever recommend…read moreit, especially for the price! We had to pay for two days so we could decorate it a two hours the night before. Plus they wouldn't let us bring any type of drink while we were decorating the night before. As we are decorating, the Owner is following us around looking and investigating all of it. During the wedding reception, he has his long black haired dog, walking around everyone while we have white tablecloths and decorations up. While the nieces were playing with the dog and chasing it he told them to leave the dog and not to chase it. I'm sorry, but we payed $3500 a day to celebrate and not put up with the dog or this man's action. If I could give less than one star I would. DON'T USE THIS PLACE!!

DO NOT HAVE YOUR WEDDING HERE!!! My daughter just had her…read morewedding ceremony at Annelise Winery. She wanted an outdoor wedding & Annelise Winery was one of a few places that had a place to have the ceremony inside if the weather was bad. Before going to the winery my daughter emailed the owner & told him that she would like the ceremony there & he gave her some prices. When we got there he didn't remember the email conversation with my daughter. Then the owner proceeded to say that we couldn't have the wedding ceremony there without having the reception there also. He then had a 10 minute conversation with himself while we stood there watching. At the end of " his" conversation he decided it would be "Ok". Note: none of this was written down while we were talking. Through the year engagement they went there 2 to 3 times & each time he didn't remember them or the specifics of their contract. He badgered them each time about them having their reception there. One month before the wedding we went there because the owner hadn't contacted them about chairs, how they wanted them set up & other specific details about the ceremony. When we arrived he made the comment "it's a good thing you guys came because I wouldn't have known how to set up the chairs". He also rented out the changing rooms that we needed for the wedding party to get ready to some one else for their graduation party. Then the day of the wedding when we got there, he said that the graduation party was over & we could use the changing rooms after all. We had gone & bought a bunch of dividers & other items to use so the girls could change & had to transport them down there - all for nothing. He yelled at people for bringing water bottles in because he sold them, but he never told us that before. He never offered help but was always there to yell at us if we did something wrong. Bottom line - the owner is an a**hole, doesn't communicate & is NOT a business man!!!!

We live on the East Coast and were planning an "Elevated Picnic" rehearsal dinner that took place…read morein Iowa, so finding someone we could completely trust from a distance was incredibly important. Off the Griddle exceeded every expectation. They truly took care of everything--tables, coolers, beverages, plates, silverware, napkins, desserts, flowers, decorations, and the most amazing charcuterie spread for 45 people. Every detail was thoughtful, beautifully done, and completely stress-free for us. The food was absolutely incredible, and days later our family and friends are still talking about how beautiful and memorable the event was. What stood out just as much as the food and setup was the communication. They were exceptionally communicative throughout the entire process, responsive to every question, and made planning from across the country feel easy and manageable. The entire evening was exactly what we envisioned and more. We are so grateful for the care and effort they put into making such an important event feel special and seamless.

Kristie and her crew were amazing! The food was delicious and they were on top of getting…read moreeverything setup and keeping it stocked. We had a taco bar at our wedding of about 125 and everything went super smooth. We couldn't have asked for a better experience!