Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery

I freaking love this place. It’s so nice to just sit outside and enjoy nice weather, and the wines are pretty decent for Iowa standards. All blends. Many of them are sweet, but they have a good variety. I don’t care for the brandy or whiskey but my husband enjoys them. I love that they try other things, too, like limoncello. The food is always really good. The pizzas are amazing, I’ve had almost all of them. Prices are a little high, but the quality of ingredients is better, and it is worth it.

Sunday Brunch: $ 18. The place want not that busy…10% full inside, 80% full outside. They ran out of food a number of times. The «prime rib» was the fattiest piece of meat I have ever had. I know there should be some fat, but holy cow. Biscuit and gravy was marginal. Two type of eggs, they were okay… not much flavor. I ended up putting the potato/​onions and the sausage on the eggs to add flavor.
Maybe the wine is good, the food is not.

Spent a wonderful afternoon sitting outside and enjoying wonderful wine. The staff is excellent and very helpful. Try the semi sweet white wine– it is excellent. We very much enjoy this place and will return.

Pros:
1. Free samples on any of their wines or spirits. Great way to try before you buy!
2. They have a food menu to pair with any of their drinks. Pizza, sandwiches, appetizers. They also do Sunday brunch which I’ve never tried, but would like to.
3. Their wines are pretty easy to drink and smooth. Being a Midwest Vineyard, they tend to be a bit on the sweet side, but in my sampling many are good. Can only buy wine by the bottle, fortunately they will seal it for you to take home whatever you don’t drink.
4. The spirits are where they shine in my opinion. Their single malt whiskey is really good. Their other whiskeys are also very drinkable.
Cons:
1. Way too much salt on the pizza crust we had. You had to scrape it off and in many instances it was still too much.
2. Unable to buy wine by the glass as they do not have a liquor license.
3. Odd weekend hours, close at 5 on Saturday? Odd.

Using various medleys of their own midwest grapes and imported grapes from California, Cedar Ridge bottles some great wine. Not the best I’ve had in the midwest but certainly the best in the corridor. I’m a huge fan of dry reds so on my most recent visit, their Reserve Red was just right.
They have a nice food menu accompanying their wine options and I was excited to try their flatbread pizza, so I settled on the shrimp scampi. Yes, I ordered shrimp with my red wine. Don’t judge me.
The pizza, topped with a generous amount of arugula (sweet sweet arugula, you do know the way to my heart!), looked fantastic upon arrival and our initial bites were spectacular. But, then it happened. My taste buds were under attack. By what? Salt. mounds of painful, cough-​inducing salt. In the future I’d consider ordering the shrimp scampi flatbread again but I’d ask that they not add an ounce of extra salt, because holy shrimp scampi that was a painful experience.
This winery tasting room has some unique quirks to it too. They don’t have a liquor license so you can’t buy a glass of your favorite wine to enjoy on their patio, but you can buy a bottle. Initially I was taken aback by this odd system but as it turns out, they bag your wine bottle if you don’t manage to finish it and use a firm adhesive so you can safely travel home with it (similar mindset to driving with a growler in the back seat I suppose). It is a cheaper option to buy a bottle of their wine for $ 18 instead of buying two glasses of wine for $ 7 each though so hey, guess their tasting room setup isn’t so bad.
Now if only there were more indoor tables and more people working the wine table, because man it was busy and hard to get through our full flight of samples without being a burden.

I came here today with my old college friends for brunch. We were immediately seated in a spacious room with a scenic view of the vineyard. Brunch consisted of a dessert table, fruit tray, salads, eggs, potatoes, biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage, and a pancake station. Additionally they had a selection of serve yourself beverages (juice, coffee, sangria, mimosas) included in the price.
Highlights: delicious homemade biscuits and gravy, mimosas.
My only critique is that the sangria was very very sweet and could have benefited from some fresh fruit.
Overall, delicious brunch buffet for a decent price ($ 16/​adult)

Food was good and the wine is good. It’s a really nice place to have a family gathering or a get together. Friendly helpful and accommodating staff.

Was disappointed in the Sunday Brunch. It could be so much more, with just a little effort! First the positives. The Mimosa was good and plentiful, if not a bit weak. The Sangria was good and plentiful as well, as was the coffee, juices and ice water. But that was it for beverages. Great cinnamon rolls and sausage gravy for the biscuits and gravy. The biscuit did not even look appetizing, so I passed. Two types of scrambled eggs was the extent of the eggs being offered. One cheesy, one with assorted vegetables. A couple of salads and Brussels sprouts. The pancake station offered vanilla and red velvet cakes, unfortunately the young man cooking them was not that experienced and the vanilla cakes were over cooked, as were the red velvet. The prime rib was carved at the same station by the same young man (appeared to of high school age and I caught him checking his cell a few times). A thin horse radish sauce was offered, but that was it. No au jus. A sampling of two types of wine were offered, but no one manning the station to explain about the wines.
I think Cedar Ridge could easily make this one of the première brunches in the corridor. They may have to add a couple dollars to the $ 16 they currently charge (which is too much for what is being offered). How? First, add an omelet station offering cooked to order omelets. Second have a separate prime rib station with a variety of accompaniments, including au jus for those who prefer their prime rib more well done than was is offered. The only other meat offered was bacon. Come one! How about a little ham and sausage! And add waffles to your pancake station, with a cook who knows how to make them.
I would be willing to pay more for a brunch that is worth the money. As it stands, yours falls short. Sorry.

A pleasant surprise! This winery offers a variety of wines and spirits made from local grapes, as well as some blends. The staff was helpful and knowledgeable. After tasting the questionable sweet funky flavors of some East Coast wine varietals recently, I was glad to taste some fruity yet dry or off-​dry wines with some complexity. The lobster bisque was a bit too salty, but the chorizo stew was «darn tasty» according to my husband.

Had breakfast there on a beautiful Sunday morning. Beautiful scenery and wonderful meal. Was pleased with both the Mimosa and Sangria! One of my new favorite spots! :)

We were pleasantly surprised at the selection of wines we saw upon walking into the tasting room AND the number of spirits available.
Upon starting our tasting, the server placed two menus in front of us with two glasses and asked what we like. My husband leans on the side of sweet where I am all over the board. And, although I am able to discuss my likes and dislikes with certain wines, I did feel as though she was randomly guessing which wine I should have next. Throughout the world, wine tasting can be slightly different, but one thing has remained in our experiences: either the tasting room has a set flight and carries you through each wine with valuable information or you are offered a list with suggestions but asked to choose your own flight. this seemed tossed aside and relatively random, which was very disappointing since the wines were relatively delicious.
We were also not provided a list of wines so we could nite what we liked and what we did not like. As we intended to purchase for others, we may have doubled our purchases.
Also disappointing was not having clean glasses between each tasting. traditionally, one would have either new glasses with each taste or have water and a disposal bucket used to rinse your glass out. Neither were made available, so residual from the previous wine always remained, mixing with the next. And, there was no palette cleanser like crackers to ensure a clean taste each time. We had to ask for glasses of water for this purpose. It sea as though they cater, in the tasting room, to the idea that their customers are not knowledgable not wish to enjoy a real wine tasting experience, and this was disappointing and detracted from our overall experience so much, that this review receives three stars instead of four (although at least two other experiences affect this rating also). Wine-​wise, I really enjoyed the Reserve White and Apple Cranberry, the latter which will be a great Thanksgiving table compliment.
Because they also distill spirits, we were able to sample up to three each. We tasted the apple brandy, dark rum, and un-​aged whiskey. He truly enjoyed the apple brandy. I sampled a bit of the un-​aged whiskey which is very clean with just a touch of heat on the back end that quickly dissipates.
I wished to try the grappa and would likely have purchased it and perhaps the pear brandy as well, but neither are available for sampling.
Over all, the whiskeys are very, very good and on their own win a place in my liquor cabinet – even as I prefer Kentucky bourbon overall. They are worthy of the awards they have received.
They do not sell wine by the glass, so we purchased a bottle of Brianna, a wine on the sweet end which was nicely balanced and refreshing. We also ordered two charcuterie boards. (The wine server claimed that all the meats and cheeses were Iowa products, which was not true per the menus where the smoked duck was listed as being from New York and at least three cheeses fro MN or WI. Knowing your menu makes your reputable, not simply telling a customer what you think she wants to hear makes you disinterested and it shows. The boards are a la carte at $ 4 each per item. The blue cheese was delicious and ordered on each board, but the amounts on each board were different – for the same $ 4. The prosciutto was wonderfully salty yet balanced – a perfect accompaniment to the creamy tangy quark. All these foods were Iowa products. The second board includes salmi, with was, against, a very small amount for the $ 4 cost but very tasty. We included cheese curds on the second board which were simply delightful with just a perfect amount of squeak felt in each bite. The curds and salami were also listed as Iowa products.
Prior to reviewing our boards we walked to the patio with a customer number and poured out wine. When our board came out, the server put the board down and just left, never mind that we had no silverware or plates. It took us a minute, never having been there to realize that there were wine plates and silverware on a barrel inside the tasting room. They expect you to pick these items up before seating yourself, which is fine, but staff should think to note that when taking the food order. Not doing so, added to an uncomfortable moment and again influenced this three star rating.
We did purchase three bottles of wine and would purchase the wine again. In fact, we will probably return before we head to Wisconsin to purchase their bourbon. But, we won’t expect the staff to care about the overall experience of the individual wine taster, especially when they are from out of town. The man who checked us out was only interested to a point in our opinion and experience with wineries (after asking us), and how they compared with Cedar Ridge wines and made that clear when he just walked away.
And, that was the third instance that moved our experience at Cedar Ridge Vineyards from a four star experience to a three star experience.

Amazing winery & so much more. We have enjoyed many beautiful summer nights here. The live music is fabulous, and the food and wine are wonderful ! Great staff too!

This is one of my favorite spots in the area. You can just chill with your friends with some apps and wine, or get their fantastic pizza. Or, you can come out for one of their live music nights and let your hair down! I haven’t tried the brunch yet, but have only heard good things about it.
They are also really accommodating about large groups and do their best to help you out! We’ve held several Society of Women Engineers events there (in the reception area) with over 30+ people in attendance, and they were always a pleasure to work with.
You can’t really go wrong with fantastic wine and great pizza, enjoy!

Very nice out door setting over looking the vineyards. Sound of the road noice adjacent distracts from the tranquility. The Reserve White wine was excellent.

We attended a wedding reception here last Saturday night. The place is nice with a very nice setting and backdrop. They have a nice setup for a banquet, but probably no more than 200 people. The food was catered in by an outside catering company, so I will not comment on the food. But I must tell you that the wine, the so-​called «cabernet of the midwest» was the worse wine I have ever tasted, and that includes some two buck chuck! The place is four stars, but that wine was terrible. I wanted to try their own distilled single malt booze (scotchlike) but they can only sell it by the bottle, not by the glass, and you cannot open the bottle and drink it on the premises. So we had a good time in a very nice setting, but I wanted some decent wine with my meal.

I love this winery. Our first experience here was for a Murder Mystery Dinner, which I would highly recommend. We had such a lovely time, and the show was hilarious. Cedar Ridge is set up on a hill surrounded by the vineyard. It’s quite beautiful. When I was there most recently, people were there using the scenery as a backdrop for prom photos. It would be perfect for a wedding. They have tours on the weekend that are fun to see since this is Iowa’s only winery plus distillery. Oh, the wine is also delicious!

I found out about Cedar Ridge from my local Hyvee, I purchased a bottle and was hooked. Wound up getting a bottle for my Dad and a friend. So I was excited to get to stop by Cedar Ridge.
This place is not far off 380 and has great parking. Everything looks nice. When you go in there is a pay counter to the right and products to the left, the middle of the room on the right offers a tasting counter and over to the left is a sitting area with tables.
This can be a pretty loud atmosphere. I decided to sample some of the bourbons. The guy at the counter spoke so quietly I could not tell what he was saying and when asked to repeat he got irritated. I have been to several tasting and it is a huge help to have a list of what you have and a summary of what it is. Very helpful if the guest can write on this also, so they can make notes or circle what they like and go back and buy products. I couldn’t figure out what was what as I could not hear what he was saying so I just gave up.
I decided to buy some different bourbons because I can only get one kind locally. I tried again to ask for a card for the different kinds but it only had a couple listed. I hope they know that being patient with a customer and taking the time to explain what they offer will sell more than the attitude of we are busy and have plenty of customers so we don’t have time to explain anything.
I did wind up buying over 350 in bourbon, so I asked the girl if she would throw in a couple shot glasses on a sale like this, nope they get so much business they don’t care if you come back.
I was a huge fan of Cedar Ridge until this experience and now I feel like these people are snobs. One thing that is great is this stuff is made locally unlike that Templeton Rye that lied to us.

Awesome place to stop for appetizers and wine with views of the vineyard. Love the seasoned almonds and took home a bottle of their gin which was spectacular. Wine was not too shabby as well. Surprising find in Iowa.

Brunch was created to be served in places like this! The view of the vineyard as you dine alone deserves 5 stars, the unlimited mimosas and sangria (and coffee and juice for the non-​alcoholics) make it 6 stars (even though Unilocal only gives me 5)! This place belongs in the Brunch Hall of Fame!
But, the customer focus and food could use a little help. Upon entry, my party and I walked into a somewhat crowded gift shop with a sign saying go upstairs to order. There was a lady at a register, but she didn’t acknowledged my party so I assumed she simply worked in the gift shop. We proceeded to wander around, until following another group to the banquet area were brunch is served. This is a large open room with simple tables and centerpieces, but the view of the vineyards and open country side is everything you could want! We were seated promptly and the reception in this area was pleasant.
Brunch is buffet style… and the worst thing about buffets is food not being served at the proper temperature. Their food fell victim to this buzz kill. I will say, when I mentioned it to an employee, they began to light more sterno containers and try to get everything back heated… but this lack of attention left a slightly unpleasurable memory. When we left, we wondered where to pay. Everyone seemed just as confused as us. Turns out, the lady in the front should have not only greeted us, but had us pay before entering. Maybe she was a little overwhelmed, maybe inattentive… either way it was missed.
Overall, I will definitely go back to Cedar Ridge Winery for brunch or for whiskey and wine tastings. This place has incredible character and scenic views, and what’s better than shopping for wine, whiskey and gifts to take with you after you’ve had a boozey brunch.

With an hour or so to spare before a wedding, what better way to spend it than sampling bourbon, wine, brandy and so on at an Eastern Iowa countryside vineyard and distillery? We were delightfully surprised to find that wine and spirits tasting were both free — 6 mini wine samples and 3 spirit samples (the pour size seemed to depend heavily on who was your point person at the counter).
Before I dive in to the beverages, let me add that the facility is quite lovely and established. From the rolling hills of the surrounding vines to the tall ceilings and windows overlooking the property, it’s a great place to spend a Saturday afternoon. A second building is currently under construction to expand their spirits production. Speaking of which, Cedar Ridge was the first microdistillery in Iowa!
I would totally have given this place five stars had it not beed for the cranky tasting lady who somehow sucked the fun out of the actual tasting process. Who would have thought that could be possible? We would be half way through one round when she would literally say «what’s next?» in a «hurrythehellup» tone. Fortunately, near the end of our spirits tasting an enthusiastic and insightful employee stepped in — he was much more willing to answer questions and share the scoop on the business. Of the nine samples I had, the port wine stood out ($ 16.99) along with the Reserve Bourbon and Apple Pie (20%ABV). I ended up buying a bottle of the port.
Last, but not least, the winery offers an impressive menu with local meats and cheeses and seasonally-​inspired dishes like a pizza with figs, local greens and Maytag bleu cheese (Iowa cheese). Our $ 12 charcuterie board had Maytag, brie, apricot chutney, fresh bread and local proscuitto. All very delicious.