I-80 Wine Trail Uncorks Potential for X/C Tourists

 10 Million Vehicles Travel on New Iowa Wine Trail

I-80 Wine Trail Tempts Cross-Country Travelers to Sample Iowa Wines

Marengo, IA (August 18, 2011) – A new wine country is emerging amongst the rolling hills of corn and soybeans in Iowa tempting cross country travelers to exit the Interstate and to sample the new fruits of the land – Iowa grown and made wine!

The Iowa (and Midwestern) wine industry is growing by leaps and bounds in recent years and many wineries have banded together to help tourists identify local wineries by creating wine trails.  However, for cross-country travelers finding conveniently located wineries, in close proximity to I-80, has proved difficult.  The I-80 Wine Trail was developed in response to this tourism need.

More than 10,800,000 vehicles pass through central Iowa along I-80 each year!

(Statistic based upon the 2008 Iowa DOT Vehicular Traffic Map)

“One of our goals, says Fireside Winery owner and an I-80 Wine Trail organizer, Rona Wyant, was to make it easy for travelers to find wineries that are relatively close to I-80 (within 10 miles of an exit)”.  She adds, “We frequently have visitors from states like California, Illinois, and New York tell us how wonderful it is to find a winery in the Iowa and are pleasantly surprised by the high quality wines they taste and purchase”.

A colorful and informative I-80 Wine Trail brochure, including a map, winery contact information and exit number, is available at all State of Iowa Interstate Welcome Centers.  Visitors planning a trip through Iowa, via I-80, are encouraged to visit the I-80 Wine Trail website: www.I80WineTrail.com to plan ahead.

Current members of the Iowa I-80 Wine Trail, include (from east to west):

·         Brick Arch Winery (West Branch)

·         Fireside Winery (Williamsburg)

·         Jasper Winery (Des Moines)

·         Penoach Vineyard and Winery (Adel)

·         Dale Valley Vineyard and Winery (Stuart)

·         Danish Countryside Vines & Wines (Exira)

·         Breezy Hills Winery (Minden)

Down the road, organizers of the I-80 Wine Trail envision working with other I-80 connected states and adding them to the trail, until ultimately, tourists traveling coast-to-coast can visit I-80 Wine Trail wineries from New York to California.

The colorful and informative I-80 Wine Trail website serves as an illustrative guide and links to I-80 proximate wineries.  Visit: www.I80WineTrail.com for additional information.