FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where can I find ticket prices and information?
Check out details on the general admission and VIP ticket options here.
What's included in the ticket packages?
General Admission tickets (single and couples options available) include entry into the festival event, a commemorative wine glass, an Iowa Wine Guide and a $5 coupon off your first bottled wine purchase.
VIP Guest tickets include all GA benefits listed above, as well as a complimentary bottle of Iowa wine, an additional VIP tasting hour from 12 - 1 p.m. with reserve wine tastings from each winery, and a Winemakers Meet & Greet - exclusive access to visit with local winemakers in a casual setting.
At the event, all guests can enjoy wine tastings from more than a dozen local wineries, access to purchase food from local food trucks / vendors, live, local music throughout the day as well as Winery Spotlights, Sips in Session and Meet the Winemaker series throughout the day in the big tent.
Can I bring my kids or pets?
Unfortunately, kiddos and pets are not allowed on Festival grounds during the day of the event.
What items can we bring into the event?
Festival guests are allowed and encouraged to bring in their own chairs and blankets for outdoor seating, however outside food and drinks are not allowed. Both Covered Bridges Winery and Park Farm Winery will have additional food and beverage options available for purchase inside the winery tasting room that guests are allowed to purchase and bring on to the Festival grounds.
How do I get to the Festivals?
Ummm... Google should know the way, so plug in either address and you should be good to go.
PARK FARM WINERY / 15159 THIELEN ROAD / DURANGO, IA 52045
COVERED BRIDGES WINERY / 2207 170TH TRAIL / WINTERSET, IOWA 50273
Is parking available?
There will be plenty of parking available on-site at each winery the day of the Festival. Look for Festival Crew Members to help direct you to event parking.
Can I purchase bottles of wine at the event to take home?
TBD.
VEGETABLE SESSION
Plasticulture Onion Production
Ajay Nair, ISU
DESCRIPTION TBD.
BUSINESS/MARKETING SESSION
Crop Insurance for Specialty Crops
Barry Terhark, USDA FSA
DESCRIPTION TBD.
SPECIALTY CROP SESSION
Apiaries
Andrew Joseph, IDALS
DESCRIPTION TBD.
12:15 - 1:30 p.m. - LUNCH & ANNUAL MEETINGS
IWGA - CONFERENCE B / ROOM 107
IFVGA - CONFERENCE A / ROOM 106
1:30 - 2:30 p.m. - BREAKOUT SESSIONS
VITICULTURE / ROOM 108
ENOLOGY / ROOM 109
FRUIT / ROOM 112
VEGETABLE / ROOM 113
BUSINESS/MARKETING / ROOM 114
VITICULTURE SESSION
Spray Program Overview & New Grape Varietals Being Developed
John Thull, University of Minnesota
DESCRIPTION TBD.
ENOLOGY SESSION
Yeast and Nutrition Q & A
Jason Mabbett, Pinnacle Yeast/AB Biotek
Jason Mabbett will address your questions and issues regarding yeast and nutrition in the wine making process.
FRUIT SESSION
Technology
Joe Hannan, ISU Extension & Outreach
DESCRIPTION TBD.
VEGETABLE SESSION
Biodegradable Plastic Mulch
Ajay Nair, ISU
DESCRIPTION TBD.
MARKETING/BUSINESS SESSION
Farm Finances
Craig Chase
DESCRIPTION TBD.
SPECIALTY CROP SESSION
Christmas Trees
Jesse Randall, MSU
DESCRIPTION TBD.
2:30 - 3:00 p.m. - EXHIBITOR NETWORKING BREAK
ATRIUM
3:00 - 4:00 p.m. - BREAKOUT SESSIONS
VITICULTURE / ROOM 108
ENOLOGY / ROOM 109
FRUIT / ROOM 112
VEGETABLE / ROOM 113
BUSINESS/MARKETING / ROOM 114
VITICULTURE SESSION
Grape Bunch Rots: How to distinguish and control it in the vineyard
Annie Klodd, University of Minnesota
DESCRIPTION TBD.
ENOLOGY SESSION
Polyphenols in grape and wine
Aude Watrelot, Midwest Grape & Wine Industry Institute
Polyphenols are very reactive and interact with various polysaccharides and proteins in grapes during winemaking. These interactions lead to a reduction of the tannin concentration in red wine that affect the astringency perception as well as the color stability. During this session, you'll hear from Aude Watrelot, assistant professor of enology at Iowa State University, where she will cover the reactivity of macromolecules in red wine and how it contributes to astringency.
FRUIT SESSION
Strawberries & Insect Disease
Joe Hannan, ISU Extension & Outreach
DESCRIPTION TBD.
VEGETABLE SESSION
Pumpkins, Gourds and Squash
John Thull, University of Minnesota
DESCRIPTION TBD.
MARKETING/BUSINESS SESSION
The "Why" Behind Your Brand
Scott Kolbe, Market Your Craft
We can’t make a customer feel a certain way about our brand – we can only give clues and hints as to why they might VIBE with us. Leading brands like Patagonia, Starbucks, TOMS and Southwest have experienced incredible success because they are authentic to the core and live their brand stories every day. We’ll discuss how to design an impactful brand story to inform all customer-facing efforts, from packaging to social, digital and events and everything in-between.
SPECIALTY CROP SESSION 1
Transitioning to Organic Production
Craig Chase, ISU
DESCRIPTION TBD.
SPECIALTY CROP SESSION 2
Maple Syrup
Jesse Randall, MSU
DESCRIPTION TBD.
4:00 - 5:00 p.m. - EXHIBITOR NETWORKING BREAK
ATRIUM
6:00 p.m. - IOWA SPECIALTY PRODUCERS AWARDS BANQUET
Join us for a fun evening celebrating our industry and the people who make it great! Our banquet features an Iowa Wine social hour, a multi-course dinner paired with a selection of delicious Iowa wines, our annual awards presentations followed by live music!