Less than five miles off of Interstate 80 on Exit 220 in East Central Iowa is a family owned winery-the vision of Rona and Bill Wyant. Soybean and corn farmers, Rona and Bill wanted to keep the tradition of agriculture, while passing down a business for generations to come. In 2005 this was realized with the opening of Fireside Winery. Their Tuscan inspired tasting room opens to a Gathering Room overlooking a patio with fireplace and fire pit and plenty of seating. They have a separate facility for larger gatherings and starting next year will be prepared to host weddings in their vineyard and receptions at the winery. Brickyard Vineyard, named after an 1800’s brickyard in the area, is located approximately five miles from the winery on Wyant land. Their wines have already won awards and they’re looking forward to making wine from the own grapes this fall. The winery is located close to the Williamsburg Outlet Mall and the Amana Colonies so plan on spending a few days. If interested in visiting the winery or purchasing wines contact www.firesidewinery.com for more information. Rona was a gracious host and answered the questions below.

What motivated you to open up a winery?

Our desire to diversify our farming operation and to have the ability to work with family.

Who is your winemaker and what kind of training does he/she have?

Our winemaker is our son-in-law, Zach Bott. Zach graduated from ISU with an animal science degree heavy in chemistry. After college Zach was last at Cenex Harvest States employed as a grain merchandiser. As our wine maker here at Fireside Winery Zach’s previous chemistry background enabled him to grasp the necessary skills needed to produce a high quality wine. Currently we have Zach working towards his certification from UC Davis which he will complete his coursework in 2009. (US Davis is the top enology school in the US).

Which wines are your most popular?

Currently our top sellers are BLU, Firefly and Hearthstone but they are followed closely by Matchbox and Serenade.

Which is your personal favorite and why?

I personally prefer a dry white wine, which we have in Midnight Ember and Amberglow. Although this is what I personally prefer they are not our top sellers, nor would they be in most wineries in the midwest. Of our top sellers I also prefer our Hearthstone.