The Iowa Quality Wine Consortium is a partnership between the IWGA and ISU’s Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute.  It was established to help enhance the reputation of Iowa wine and ensure the quality of Iowa wine overall.  Members of the IWGA can submit their wines for evaluation, and should it pass a sensory analysis test from a panel of chosen evaluators, they will receive a mark of excellence which can be affixed to the wine bottle.  Iowa Decanted visited ISU on the day of an evaluation to get a few behind-the-scenes shots and speak with those involved.

For this month’s Movers & Shakers feature, we visited Kirkwood Community College, where students are given a chance to learn the workings of the wine industry, and experience firsthand just what it takes to grow grapes and produce wine in Iowa.

Check out our Facebook page for photos of our visit.

The Iowa Wine Trail is one of five established trails in the state, but is the only one whose members reside within the only federally recognized viticultural area in Iowa, the Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA.  Through the collaborative nature of the wine trail, visitors are encouraged to travel to each member through a number of incentives, including themed weekend events which create unique experiences for participants.  ‘Around the World with Iowa Wines’, which was held on November 2 & 3, is one such event.  Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Paul Tabor of Tabor Home Winery & Vineyard in Baldwin, Iowa Decanted was given the opportunity to attend and partake in the unique pairings of Iowa wine with international cuisine.

The Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute out of Iowa State University is a program which those involved in the Iowa wine industry are quite familiar with. It leads the state in viticulture and enology related research, and provides a number of valuable services to wine-makers and viticulturalists around the state and the midwest. One of the programs it offers is a two day intensive wine tasting proficiency class, headed by institute director Dr. Murli Dharmadhikari.