Whining My Way to Des Moines
by BETH POGGI
Alright, so I haven��t been a very good friend.
I��ll admit it.
Janice, my best friend since second grade and her husband, Steve, moved from Chicago to Central Iowa after our fun-filled (and of course, educationally rich) stint at UIC. That was 10 years ago. Since then, they��ve made the drive to Chi-town every two years or so to visit, while I slithered out of every opportunity to visit them in Des Moines.
Of course they��d want to come to Chicago��I��d tell myself��it��s CHICAGO, after all! But what adventures could possibly await me in Des Moines? After having voiced my opinion over the phone to Janice and being promptly hung-up on��I decided to make the drive from Chicago to Central Iowa. Why not? I have my brand new GMC Acadia, so even if the trip was a bust, it would give me a chance to hit the open road and enjoy my cool, new 2008 crossover from GMC.
Now Janice, being the people-pleaser that she is, knows that I have a weakness for ��the grape.�� So, she used that ammunition to make my trip to Des Moines something I wouldn��t soon forget. Who knew they had four wineries less than an hour from the city? Maybe this trip won��t be so bad after all!
Upon arrival, and after settling in for the night, I was informed that I would be handing over the keys to my Acadia to Steve in the morning, as he was going to be our designated driver during our wine-tasting extravaganza over the next few days. I think he just wanted to get his hands on my new GMC��but I wasn��t going to argue.
Using my OnStar navigation, off we headed to the Jasper Winery in Newton��XM satellite radio blaring my favorite jazz station��for the 40-minute drive in my GMC Acadia. This beautiful little winery is hidden among the rolling hills of Iowa, inside a converted old woodworking building. We started unwinding immediately, sampling some nice wines and local cheeses in the brightly colored tasting room. Then, it was time for a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of winemaking.
This little place produces, bottles and stores its wine on-site, using French and American oak barrels to add depth and flavor. Their grapes come from the Cherry Creek Vineyard, which cultivates a half-dozen varieties of French-American grapes, including Chancellor, Foch, St. Croix, Edelweiss, Seyval Blanc and La Crescent. I was surprised these delicate little things could withstand Midwestern winters��but they��re specially bred to do just that. If you visit during August and September, they even let you harvest grapes on the weekends��which I��ve heard is not for the faint of heart. Thank goodness it was only June. I think I��ll stick to drinking, not harvesting. After four hours of wine, wine and more wine��we decided to keep our collective buzz going and head off to the next-nearest winery, Tassel Ridge in Leighton. Poor Steve, our designated driver was, I suspect, getting a dose of TMI, as Janice and I waxed nostalgic about our days as coeds. Nevertheless, he was quite the trooper for the 30-minute drive, just turning up the radio and tinkering with all the cool little gadgets in my new Acadia.
We arrived just as the sun was setting��and let me tell you��it was a picture-postcard moment as we nibbled on gourmet cheese and wine on the gorgeous terrace. We arrived a little late and missed the tour, but the folks at the winery were kind enough to hang out with us on the patio and give us a little history lesson in Iowa grape growing��from the vineyard planting and harvesting process, to the processing, fermenting, blending, and bottling of wine. Thanks to their hospitality and great vino, we were all-too-happy to purchase a case of their one-of-a-kind wines. They informed us that by the next time we visit, they��ll be offering rides in the vineyards on their ��Grapemobile.�� Construction is also underway on their fourth vineyard, located on the eastern edge of Oskaloosa.
Soon it was time to load back into the GMC Acadia and make our way to a little hotel close to the winery for the night. After a great night��s sleep and a few Advil for my mild morning headache, we were bound for the hour-long trip to Madrid��to the Snus Hill Vineyard and Winery.
Located on a quiet and beautiful countryside, this family-owned winery in rural Iowa boasts pastoral views from its expansive decks with plenty of rocking chairs and shaded lawns for relaxing. This family has mastered the art of creating American and French-American varieties with a regional flare, reflective of the soils and climate of Iowa. It was a great way to kick back and prepare for the night of craziness that still awaited us at the next stop on our wine tour: the Summerset Winery in Indianola.
The Marks family runs this little place, which boasts its retail/tasting room in a beautiful and spacious upscale barn. I thought Janice was nuts, pulling up to a winery at 7 p.m., but little did the Parrot Head in me know that I would be spending the night in Margaritaville!
They call it Jimmy's Buffett, and it��s the next best thing to Cancun. Janice pulled out some flowered shirts she had hidden in the back of the GMC Acadia, and marched me into the event��straw hats and all. With the cover band ��FreeStyle�� blasting Jimmy��s music in the background��wine tasting, hors d��oeuvres, dinner and crazy cavorting soon followed.
