Covered Bridges Winery

Well I did my research and found three different lists to help guide me on my adventure. The first list had over fifty wineries and the last two added an additional forty-three wineries for a total of ninety-four. I also wanted to have a map to reference so I could do some grouping and hit multiple wineries at once to help save time. I took out an old Iowa map and started drawing circles around all the cities where a winery was located. Everything was now ready.
It had been a couple of weeks since my visit to John Ernest Winery and once again, I was looking for something to do on my Saturday afternoon. It was September 10th, 2011 and my husband made the pick. He chose Covered Bridges Winery in Winterset, IA. He was intrigued because he had never visited any of the infamous Covered Bridges of Madison County. Us both being born and raised Iowans, we had to be true to our state and visit one of the few things that makes Iowa a tourist attraction. I looked up their website to make sure they would be open, and I discovered that they were hosting a local band that evening. With our enthusiasm piqued, we jumped in the car and started driving. Rather than taking the boring stretch of interstate 35, we took this opportunity to explore some of the back roads of Iowa. We finally arrived at our destination tucked behind rows and rows of grapevines. There was a patch of grass that had been turned into a tasting room and music festival. We walked up to the covered bar where they were giving samples and introduced ourselves. The people were so helpful and friendly and best of all, their wine was delicious. Even my husband was amazed. We got to sample all of their wines and my favorites were Cedar Bridge, Brianna, Francesca's Folly, and Hogback Bridge. After we finished sampling, we bought a bottle and headed to a couple of empty seats, sat back, and let the afternoon slip away while listening to the smooth sounds of the band. After finishing the bottle, and then another, we bought a couple more and headed home. But our mission was not complete. On our way out, we found one of the covered bridges and stopped to explore. We read all about the history of Hogback Bridge, took a walk down it's wooden planks, and even carved our names for an everlasting memory of our presence. It turned out to be a glorious day and even today, having visited twenty-nine other wineries in Iowa thus far, Covered Bridges has remained one of my favorites. So if you are ever in the area and are touring the famous Bridges of Madison County, make sure to stop and visit our friends and Covered Bridges Winery. You will surly be pleased.