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 | Guests enjoy stomping grapes at the Grape Stomping Festival. |
While most people picture Iowa landscapes filled with corn and soybeans, Park Farm Winery has a quite different look. Situated among the rolling hills of northeast Iowa, the Cushman family of Bankston has made their vineyard and winery part of Iowa’s growing viticulture industry.
The story of the Cushman family’s endeavor into the wine industry began when parents Dave and Liz decided to convert their 165 acres of land into a vineyard. After their children began to show interest in the project, the plans for Park Farm Winery began to flourish.
Today, Park Farm Winery features a 5-acre vineyard, wine production and storage facilities, event room and a 1700 sq. ft. deck. Visitors to Park Farm are treated to a tour of the vineyards and then learn about the wine making process. The experience concludes with a tasting of Park Farm’s award winning wines in the farm’s chateau styled winery.
Along with guided tours, Park Farm offers a variety of year-round events. The vineyard can be reserved for private events like weddings and receptions, with a number of special events open to the public. On Sunday evenings throughout the summer, the Toast and Jam concert series hosts a varying array of musicians.
Park Farm is also part of the Iowa Wine Trail and
boasts the distinction of being located in the recently designated Upper
Mississippi Valley Wine Region. Spanning northeast Iowa, northwest
Illinois, southeast Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin, the Wine Region
was designated as an American Viticultural Area in July, 2009.
For more information and to view their calendar of events, visit Park Farm’s website at www.parkfarmwinery.com or call 563-577-3727.
| A view of the Chateau style Park Farm Winery located in Bankston, IA. |
Past spotlight sites:
- Hartman Nature Reserve Center
- Brucemore
- Mines of Spain
- UNI Museums
- Heartland Acres Agribition Center
- Four Mounds Estate Historic District
- Kinney Pioneer Museum
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