Van Wijk Winery

Definitely in the middle of nowhere, but a very nice establishment with some very good wines and a friendly staff. It’s safe to say that it’s the biggest draw in town besides the diner down the street. The diner has some really good food by the way.

This place rocks. Cool atmosphere with a lot of history. Great service. Definitely worth the trip.

Found this winery as part of the Iowa I-​80 wine trail. Google does not list the name and address, but if you put in the address in google maps you will find it just fine. Now, I went with my boyfriend and a friend and we didn’t know what to expect. The town is small quaint and very cute. When you pull up (parking right outside) this place looks like it used to be a church (which it did) or an old castle (which it wasn’t). When you step inside you are greeted by a nice little shop (carries wine saver which is enthusiastically and successfully used by the workers to preserve wine!). We were greeted by a very friendly lady (not part of the family) and then had a nice long conversation with two of the sons of the owners. This is a family run business and we were made to feel like part of it! The wine itself was great, you had options from dry to sweet, each with a great story behind it. We were also given a nice demo of their banquet hall (they host small weddings and parties) and will now be back for a dinner theater night and other activities. They host «Art and Vino» where you paint a picture while sipping their wine! The person who hosts the class is an amazing artist (her artwork is up all over the winery). Long story short, we loved this place! Thought it was one of the best wineries on the trail and really enjoyed the owners! I would say this should be a stop you allocate at last 1 hour and a half to as they serve food and great conversation!

Great wine and a great venue to have a special occasion or wine taste. Cool building with lots of room for receptions. Had a blast here doing wine tastings. Worth the trip!