Beautiful spot for a little wine tasting! We sat outside and enjoyed a wine flight. As first time customers, a little more guidance would have been helpful. We didn't really know where to go or how everything worked. We didn't know or see a sign saying they sold charcuterie/snacks, until we found out after the fact. We did enjoy some of our wines & definately will come back & try more! read more

Prairie Moon Winery - four glasses of wine on a table - Wineries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

This is really a 3.5 star review. came here yesterday afternoon with some of my sorority sisters after our spring alum chapter meeting. It seemed like the thing do after our meeting and lunch. It took a bit to get out there because it is on the north side of campus and Ames. I had actually never been here because it didn't exist when I was in college. Though there has really been a winery boom in the last couple of years. The winery baristas were able to explain the 10 different wines to us. It would have been amazing if they had all of the white wines because one was sold out. The deal of trying 8 1 oz glasses for 8 dollars is great. We ordered two of their cheese and charcuterie plates (later we found out this was all that they had made). The seating was not ideal and we stayed at the wine bar instead of trying other locations. There was not a tasting card given to you when you got your flight of wines so you had to really pay attention so you knew which ones you wanted to buy. The Iowa grape wines were for the most part great. However, the chardonnay grape that was purchased from California was not good. It either wasn't store correctly in the barrels or not a high quality. Chardonnay is one of the wines I have grown up drinking because my Grandma loves a good chardonnay and I believe I have 4 different bottles of chardonnay at home. Overall not bad place, just I've been to better wineries. read more

Prairie Moon Winery - The wines that were available - Wineries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

See all

Short Version: Neat little winery. It accomplishes what it needs to do, but it seems seating is pretty limited during special events (only about three sets of tables and chairs). Good wine and enjoyable experience, but it doesn't seem quite like they want you to linger around too long. Once you've done a short tasting and purchased a bottle (if you want), I'm not entirely sure what you'd do aside from leave. Good experience for what it was, though. Long Version: Our group was over at Alluvial, and we thought we'd walk over to Prairie Moon and see what they had going on over there. At the time, they had a wedding and wedding reception going on in their back area, but they were still happy to serve customers in their front bar area. Things I would have wanted to know before I went: -They can host events and weddings here, so depending on when you come, you may not have full access to the whole building. You have access to the front which is more-than-enough for tasting the wine and purchasing wine, though. -There are a couple of tables with two chairs for sitting and sipping. Insanely gorgeous lighting in this building. -They offer up to three wines to taste for free. You can taste all of the wines for $5, and they'll also give you a free Prairie Moon stemless wine glass if you choose that route. (WORTH IT. DO IT.) -Bottles seem to run $10 to $13 per bottle. -They accept credit cards. -They offer little pieces of paper with their wine names to take wine notes if you want. I'm not quite cultured enough for that much, but our group had fun talking over the wines (and sometimes with the bartender as well). -They also sell beer for the non-wine-drinkers among you. -They do NOT seem to offer any sort of non-alcoholic drinks for drivers. -Building is air-conditioned. -They also offer public events such as concerts and whatnot. I imagine this place is very busy but enjoyable during those giant public events. -No need to come back out here all the time if you love their wine. Their wine is sold at most Hy-Vees in Iowa as well as Cyclone Liquors in Ames and other liquor stores. I see their wine around pretty often. Our group's thoughts: -I don't think they want people staying at the bar to enjoy wine tastings. It seemed odd that there weren't any chairs to enjoy your wine tasting, but instead, you'd need to stand. -Wines were good. They're organized by dry, semi-sweet, and sweet as well as white, red, and blush wines. Purchasing a bottle of wine is really simple. -Employees were friendly. They seemed very laid-back about wine, and they didn't seem snobby or unfriendly at all. They were happy to answer any wine questions we had, and they loved making recommendations. They did seem pretty busy, though, but we still felt like we received good attention. -Located in a gorgeous area, but if you're used to Iowa rural land, it looks about like the majority of Iowa. Nice little area, though, outside of Ames and in a peaceful spot of land. Alluvial Brewing and Prairie Moon Winery are owned by people within the same family. Both are small businesses. They are located within a very short walk's distance across from one another (across the parking lot), and you can even see the Prairie Moon vineyard from the seating in Alluvial Brewing. Both buildings are located within a 5 minute drive outside the outskirts of Ames, but it's probably outside of the realm of walking there, so you'll need a driver. (I've seen some people bike here) Alluvial sells Prairie Moon Wine bottles by the bottle (but not by the glass), while I wasn't able to figure out if Prairie Moon Winery sold any of Alluvial's beer. It's very, very easy to go to one location then make a stop in the other location, and I saw multiple groups of people do that. If you're hoping to sit around and drink, though, I'd recommend Alluvial over Prairie Moon as Alluvial has a lot more seating. read more

See all

Getting to Prairie Moon winery is not much different than most of the wineries in Iowa; rural farmland, long roads and presto! There it is. Prairie Moon seems to focus more on the event side of their business (particularly weddings) than their wine. Scenic-wise, it is a beautiful property inside and out. They told me that they do about 2 weddings per weekend there, and I can certainly see why. The wine is another story. Honestly, it is just not very good (even by Iowa standards; don't be offended by that remark my fellow Iowans - the state does not offer Napa quality ANYWHERE). This winery leans toward the sweet end of the wine spectrum both on their reds and whites. We decided to come to Prairie Moon in advance of the ISU vs. Baylor game, since the location is just north (10 mins) of campus. But, sadly, we will not likely come back, unless we are invited to a wedding of course! read more

See all

Fun place to visit for a tasting! Great variety with both indoor and outdoor seating. Staff was very warm and helpful!

So today is my 62nd birthday and I'm buying a house out in this area drove my family by to take a look at it spotted the Prairie Moon winery decided to stop in and just check it out. What a pleasure... stayed for a tasting got to meet two wonderful ladies Holly the owner and Cheryl the tasting and wine aficionado.... what a pleasant afternoon fantastic conversation and delicious wine very reasonably priced thank you so much look forward to seeing my new friends more often. read more

I dig Prairie Moon Winery! It's a few miles out of town, but worth the drive! I love that they have live music and free winery tours on Sundays in the summer! I have been to a couple weddings and other events out here as well! The lay of the land is quite beautiful and I have enjoyed every moment out here! I'm not a huge wine drinker but my family and friends always dig whats going on in the wine department. If you looking for a relaxing place to spend a summer sunday afternoon, bring a DD and head out to Prairie Moon! read more

I love their Honey Moon wine, one of my all time favorites. It is a very sweet red. This is a pretty vineyard with big summer crowds for their live picnic music events at the crib. They serve wine, sangria, and outdoor brick-oven wood-fired pizza made to order. They also have indoor events like pop-up markets and rent buildings for weddings/ private functions. The road to it is paved, but the parking lot is gravel. read more

the venue and employees were respectful and courteous. One employee was disrespectful and hostile towards our group. We were being cooperative and respectful and the employee was antagonizing us. Overall good venue but one employee ruined the service and night for us. read more

Admittedly, it is somehow possible that I have been to Prairie Moon but did not try the beer or wine since I had a 3-hour drive back to the Twin Cities ahead of me, but I did have kombucha and certainly appreciated this as an option. Every Sunday afternoon in the summer, they have live music and brick-oven/wood-fired pizza which is definitely the time to go. Split the margherita and portabella mushroom/arugula pizzas which were both quite good and ready quickly. Pizzas are $9-12 which is maybe a little pricey for the size but I like supporting locally. Beautiful outdoor space to admire the scenery and sit back and enjoy a drink or two. There are a few tables with umbrellas, otherwise there are trees where you can bring a blanket and enjoy the shade. There is a $4 entrance fee for those 21 and over, and this includes a free sangria. The day I went was smoldering hot, so it was nice to be able to go inside after awhile to cool down. The indoor space is nice, too; I love the artsy vibe and the pieces on the walls. Seems like a great place to hold events. Prairie Moon is easy to get to, not far off the highway if you're just passing through, and there is a large parking lot, but it was pretty full so you may have to be flexible and park on the side. I love that they have compostable cups, but wish they had an organics receptacle instead of having to put them in the trash. Definitely a place to come back to. read more

Prairie Moon Winery - Arugula and mushroom, and margarita - Wineries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Prairie Moon Winery was an absolutely beautiful setting for our daughter's wedding reception. The grounds are amazing and the event coordinator is fully capable of assisting with every aspect of executing the perfect wedding reception. It was amazing! We enjoyed great wine and spirits on the outside patio and moved into the adjacent hall for dinner, dancing and music. Prairie Moon Winery delivered exceptional service ~ a memorable day. read more

I recently visited the Prairie Moon Winery, only to be treated with complete disrespect. Being of legal age to drink, I was denied the ability to order one glass of wine because one of the employees claims I slurred one word and was unable to drink more. Not only did she say that but continued to target me and my friends for the rest of the night. After being denied, I accepted and was minding my own business only for the same employee to continue to harass my friends and I and asking what we were talking about, telling us to leave because we didn't look like we were enjoying ourselves. Nobody should ever go to Prairie Moon Winery unless they wanted to be treated with nothing but disrespect and specifically targeted by their employees. WORST customer service I've ever experienced. read more

I'm not a wine guy so usually the whole ¨this wine has subtle highlights of peach and after-taste of cherry" is lost on me. Not Prairie Moon's wine. Very flavorful if you ask me. But, then again, I'm not a Napa Valley snob like reviewer Dave M. read more

The wine isn't 5 stars, but this is Iowa. The winery is scenic, nice bar that also serves beer from their brewery and some of the wines are ok. Check out the beer at their brewery - alluvial. It's phenomenal. read more