We got an email awhile back from Grant's sister-in-law, asking if we would pick up some wine she had purchased from Tassel Ridge Winery. Located in Leighton, IA, between Pella and Oskaloosa, we knew it wouldn't be too far of a drive for us and what the heck, we love wineries! The winery is at 1681 220th Street, just off of State Highway 163 and the signage leads you right to the winery.

They were all decorated up for Valentine's Day when we visited.

The tasting room is open 7 days a week and offers complimentary samples of their award-winning wines. You can also take a free Winery Tour that will give you a more in-depth look at how Tassel Ridge produces their wines.

Tassel Ridge provides a tasting 'menu' to help guide you through the several wines they offer - it shows where all of their wines are on the dry to sweet scale. So helpful! And on the back are detailed descriptions of each wine they produce along with what retail locations carry Tassel Ridge wines.

We sampled several wines each, of course. We had some reds, dry whites and their lovely 'Tickled Pink.' They have won tons of awards with their wines and we really enjoyed them. Lots of variety and distinct flavors. We decided we would purchase a bottle of the 'Marquette Rose' and enjoy it right there in the tasting room.

This is Lucinda - she walked us through our complimentary tasting. She was really knowledgable about all of the Tassel Ridge wines and it was such a pleasure to hang out with her for an hour or so!

Grant had a wander around to peek at the production side of the winery.

They were all set up for the Valentine's Wine Dinner they were having that evening. Tassel Ridge hosts several events each month - lots of superb wine and food pairings, February had chocoate and wine pairings, and there is even a Moroccan Inspired Wine Dinner coming up in March! Be sure to check out their website for more info on events.

Oh, and here's one of the bottles we picked up - Sweethearts Rose in a cute heart-shaped bottle!

If you're looking for a fun weekend drive from Des Moines, head out on State Highway 163 and stop in at Tassel Ridge Winery in Leighton. The excellent staff, fabulous wines, and beautiful winery are definitely worth the trip. Let us know if you've been to Tassel Ridge!

Tassel Ridge Winery

1681 220th Street
Leighton, IA 50143

641.672.WINE (9463)

Hours

Monday - Friday 9:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday 10:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Event information and much more at www.tasselridge.com