Grape and Wine Facts


Horticulture and Farmers Market Bureau
Iowa Grape & Wine Facts
Grapes were grown in the Council Bluffs area as early as 1857. Iowa ranked eleventh in grape production in the United States in 1899. Iowa ranked sixth in production in 1919 in the United States with more than 12 million pounds. Iowa grape production peaked in 1929 with a yield of 15.8 million pounds. Drift from the use of 2,4-D on Iowa corn fields damaged vineyards and was deemed a contributing factor for the drop in Iowa’s grape production. As of 2004, Iowa had just over 200 vineyards. Today there are over 350 commercial vineyards in Iowa. Iowa had 11 licensed wineries in 1999. Currently the number of commercial wineries stands at 65+. Over 230,000 gallons of wine are currently produced in Iowa with an estimated market value of over of $12.3 million. Iowa currently has five wine trails: Amana Colonies Wine Trail Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Iowa Wine Trail Scenic Rivers Wine Trail Western Iowa Wine Trail. A list of Iowa wineries and web site links can be found at http://www.iowawineandbeer.com. Return to Grape and Wine

Mailing Address: IDALS, Wallace State Office Building, 502 E. 9th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319: PH: 515-281-5321