Iowa’s Grape & Wine Industry History

It's no secret that Iowan's know a thing or two about agriculture. In fact, grape-growing is an important part of Iowa agriculture and is nothing new to our state's ag history. Grapes were grown in the state as early as 1857 when a vineyard was planted in the rolling hills of western Iowa near Council Bluffs. In 1893, the Grape Growers Association was established to help sell the region’s grapes and other produce. Fast forward a few years and Iowa ranked eleventh in grape production in the United States in 1899.

In 1919 just before Prohibition, Iowa was the 6th largest wine producer in the nation, with commercial vineyards and wineries established even before more well-known grape growing states in the US!

A movement toward the production of more row crops, developments of new herbicides in the mid 1900s, coupled with a severe blizzard in 1940 all served to nearly diminish the number of grapes grown in Iowa.

A resurgence in the industry occurred in 2000, when the Iowa Wine Growers Association was established to represent the wine grape growers and wine makers across the state of Iowa. Today’s industry is vibrant and growing. We are well-positioned to take advantage of growth opportunities and become greater contributors to the agricultural and economic vibrancy of the state of Iowa. If you haven't visited an Iowa winery lately, we encourage you to taste the experience that Iowa wine has to offer! Trust us, getting there is half the fun.

Learn even more about our industry’s early history thanks to the Historical and Preservation Society of Pottawattamie County or check out the book A History of Iowa Wine: Vines on the Prairie by John N. Peragine.