Well I have one last post to be all caught up. There was one last trip to finish out 2013. A few girlfriends and I decided to take a weekend trip on November 23rd, 2013. We headed to Western Iowa and what was probably the furthest we had ever traveled to visit a winery. We also took this opportunity to do some more letterboxing and visit a brewery too.
Our first winery of the weekend was Loess Hills Winery in Crescent, IA which is just a few miles North of Council Bluffs. The owner served us samples of his wine and they only had five different wines to try but the four that I tried were all quite good. The first one I tried was their SBR or better said, Sneaky Bastard Red. It was a full bodied red and had a nice cherry flavor. It was dry but not too dry. To me it was similar to a concord wine but drier. The next wine I sampled was their Loess Hills Blanc. It was very smooth and had mild acidity. The next wine and was also one of my favorites of the day was their Shooting Star. It had some nice tropical flavors and it was not too sweet and only had a hint of acidity. The last one I sampled was Luscious Lushes. This wine is a semi-sweet blush and from what I remember, is named after a group of gals that visit the winery quite often. Our first winery of the day was a great visit. The owner was hilarious and entertained us which made the visit that much more enjoyable.
The second stop took us to Prairie Crossing Winery in Treynor, IA. This winery was extra busy because they were open for regular business as well as hosting an open house for Tupperware, Lia Sophia and many other dealers. You were only able to sample five different wines for free so I started with their Windswept White. This wine is a semi-dry that was bursting with citrus flavors. The next wine I sampled was their Howling Coyote. It is a semi-sweet blush made from Catawba grapes and was a little more acidic than I prefer but it was decent. I then sampled their Edelweiss. It was quite good and just how I like it, not too sweet and not too dry. Next I tried their Kit Kat which had a very interesting flavor that hit you right off the bat. It was a blush and had a nice hint of cherry.The last one I sampled was their Row 13. It is a sweeter white made from LaCrosse grapes and nice and fruity but not too sweet. Overall it was a great little spot but I wish we would have visited during a less busy time so we could have had some more one on one time with the owners.
Our third winery of the day was to King's Crossing Winery in Glenwood, Iowa. This was a great little place from first glance. It was all decked out in a renaissance theme to fit with their royal name. By our third visit, we were glad to see that they also served some snacks. We were able to enjoy a great little cheese plate. But first came the wine. I tried their White St. Croix which was a nice middle range white with some nice floral hints. I also tried their Rhubarb Apple wine which was quite good. Next was their Vignoles. This is nicknamed their "Hot Tub Wine". I thought it had strong alcohol content and had a very interesting flavor. Let's just say it wasn't my favorite. The fourth sample I had was their Princess Rachel's Blush. It had a hint of spice to it and was quite acidic but it did seem to grow on you the more you drank it. The last wine I sampled was their Fairy's Wine which was a decent white but was quite sweet. Overall it was a good stop and we had a lot of fun taking pictures in their vineyard even though it was freezing cold out.
Our fourth winery for the weekend was Vine Street Cellars which is a newer winery in Glenwood, IA. This winery was beautifully decorated and we were the only people there which gave us a break from our crazy busy day. The guy working the winery was very nice and he had good conversation with us and gave us some good advice on what wines to try. The first wine I tried was their Jail House Red. At first taste it seems very dry but it finishes smooth and semi-sweet. It was an interesting wine and I enjoyed it very much. The next one I tried was their After Glow Rose which to me tasted like black licorice. The next wine I tried was their St. Pepin. It was a middle range white and had good fruit flavors. My favorite of theirs was their Vignoles. I also tried their Edelweiss and Brianna which were both pretty good. This winery was a great place to have a little party or to sit and enjoy a bottle with friends and if you are also feeling like having some beer, there is a newer brewery just down the street.
The last winery of our weekend trip and of the day was to Prairie Hawk Winery in Council Bluffs, IA. I mainly focused on their white wines but I did try one red which was their Old Number 9. It was a semi-sweet with some good spice flavors. The whites I tried were their Niagara, Edelweiss (2009), Smith & Jones Special, Edelweiss (2012) and their Prairie Song. Most were very good but my favorites were both of their Edelweiss'. It was so amazing to me how they were both from the same grape yet tasted completely different. They were both exceptionally good and I ended up buying both to bring home.
It was a jam packed weekend full of lots of good wine, tons of letterboxing and a little bit a brewery beer as well. We had a nice girls bonding weekend and it was a perfect end to the wine adventures of 2013.
