We had a great time visiting this beautiful winery while in Iowa. It's right down the road from my…read moresons house and what a treasure it is. We brought our own chairs, glasses, etc. and sat outside for hours in the spacious yard. We listened to a 60s-70s band while watching the sunset. They had wine by the bottle for sale and a variety of beers so for the 4 of us each one of us was covered for drinks. They had facilities to use and strict guidelines were followed... we felt very safe. We will definitely come back again.

Penoach is a pretty good winery. Came here on a Saturday afternoon. They have a free tasting for…read more5 samples. Really enjoyed their Picket Fence White, wasn't sweet like a lot of Iowa wines. They also have an apple wine that tastes like apple pie. You have to buy a bottle of wine to have a glass here. They have a nice area outside to enjoy it. The people working here were very nice.

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.

I've been here a few times and usually have an ok experience. We often sat with empty glasses even…read morewhen we've gone on slow days because the wine attendants usually seem to be caught up in their own conversations. But tonight was awesome! We did a wine tasting and our attendant Gabby recommended wine that made my non wine loving husband reconsider. She found a wine he greatly enjoyed and we got a bottle just for him. She was so much fun and her knowledge was astounding. She said she'd only been there about a month but you could tell she took her job seriously. We never had an empty glass. I was super disappointed that she left before we could fully cash out because we wanted to tip her. She was super busy running back and forth between multiple guests but kept a smile on her face the whole time and still found time to talk to us like actual guests and not just paying customers. Her knowledge on the new Vinho Verde was spot on! We had to get two bottles! I definitely recommend her as a wine tasting attendant if you go there! She's amazing and very attentive!

Great service and cool wine bar vibe here! Definitely the type of place you want to come with a…read moregroup and do some wine tasting and share some nice apps. Overall the food was good, but nothing blew me away. The chicken picatta was not overly flavorful and neither was the Asian salmon. We enjoyed the crème brûlée dessert but it was a little more pudding on the inside than I usually like. Even though food is fine, the wine tasting aspect is fun and the servers are great about helping you pair wine and food and making recommendations!

I've been coming here for years now. Every employee makes an effort to make a personal connection…read morethat keeps me coming back. The selection is great and the deals are great and the employees will help you out with suggestions and look out for you. It's not just your neighborhood store it's your neighbors

Excellent customer service, great selection of scotch, bourbon, tequila, pretty much everything you…read morecan think of. 10% discount for paying cash on .750 or larger bottles of liquor

This was such a cool brewery! The staff were friendly and suggested a beer or two (I'd never been…read morethere). It a was a bit quieter. But I was willing to spend a quiet afternoon so that I can do it table. Go

I had never been to the Twisted Vine. I had been wanting to check this place out since they…read moreopened. I came down for a baby shower. It was a great space. The shower had the run of the place. It was neat seeing the old safe and walking through it. The place was very open and inviting. They even had football on the tvs. Definitely will be returning.

Love that they carry so many Iowa wines and can recommend and give you a sample! I love that they…read morekeep it local without increasing the price a ton. Prices are that which you would get at the actual winery. Staff is super friendly and knowledgable! Make sure you have your ID with you. I love all of the fruit wines and varieties of both sweet and dry all in one stop while staying local. Beautiful little tasting area.

Valley Junction is full of stores like this one- carrying all local made products. This shop is…read morefull of wines that are all grown and produced in Iowa. They are quite unique wines, not the conventional one you may be use to. These are made with berries and other locally grown fruits. The shop keepers are very excited about pouring you a sample if you are over 21. They are proud of the Iowa wines they sell and want you to fall in love with them all.

A couple friends and I decided to try this little place out. It's located amidst a couple other…read moreplaces in a small strip "mall" type area. The outside was pretty cool with their signage and decor. Once inside, it was bigger than it appeared from outside. There were several tables both low and high top with lots of room to move. Many were playing card and board games while enjoying a beer. It was close to the end of the night on a Friday and they had a guy walking around with some pizza for sale right on site. Good deal! We tried 4 different beers and they were all pretty dang tasty. My personal favorite was the Greenbelt Trail Mile #4 (Hazy IPA). It had a lot of flavor and perfect for a hazy. I'd definitely visit 515 Brewing again when I'm in the neighborhood for a tasty beverage!

Good beer and close to the bike path. Coincidence? I think not. Have a good time with good food…read moreand beer and then avoid the Po Po on the way home.

Confluence Brewing Company in Des Moines is one of those places that just understands the…read moreassignment. It is right off the trail, has free water, free live music, free bike parking, and a great patio. Add in cold local beer at fair prices, and it is pretty hard to complain. The people serving were mostly friendly, the beer was very good, and the selection is always great. If you go inside and head up the stairs, the selection gets even better. My only suggestion: please consider selling mix-and-match 4-packs or single cans to go. We wanted to buy some to take with us, but we could not agree on one flavor, so we skipped buying more and just stuck with what came out of the tap. For cyclists, bridge beers and bike beers are a real thing, and it feels like there is a missed opportunity there. That said, we will absolutely be back for all the "free" stuff, the local beer, and that amazing patio. Great trail stop, great beer, and a perfect place to take a break. Keep up the Lord's work. Cheers!

Added Confluence to our route while biking on a beautiful summer Friday night because they are…read morelocated right off the trail and had a live band playing that night. Plenty of bicycle parking, outdoor shaded seating with an outdoor bar and they were hosting a food truck. More of an A/C type, there is seating inside with the main bar and a variety of board games to keep you entertained. I appreciate the wide variety of beers, including a couple sours, seltzers and NA options. Staff were friendly and super helpful! What a great night out.