Santa Maria Vineyard & Winery

Wine: Winery: Ambiance: Jun 20, 2011

Pros: Amazing building. They did a great job renovating an old car dealership and the details in the tastingroom from the original building are wonderful! Cons: Not such great wine. I really wish wineries would stop trying to make wine out of Concord grapes, it just never works. For the tasting fee, I was only able to try four wines, but my husband and I tried different wines, so we were able to try each others. He had a red wine which was ok, but I really wasn't wow-ed by anything at all. It would be nice to see more local grown wines rather than California blends.

Wine: Winery: Ambiance: Jul 27, 2009

Favorite Wine: Red Twilight

Rarely, if ever, have you heard the words “artisan” or “renaissance” used in a sentence with Iowa wine…until now! These are the two words that best describe the new Santa Maria Winery, as well as their world class wines. That’s right, world class. From the hand sculpted vineyard murals, wine barrel light adornments, and Tuscan Bridal Balcony of the Event Center’s beautiful neoclassical Italian motif, to the rich dark hard wood decor of their art-deco Bistro and Wine Tasting Room, the Santa Maria Winery is heralding a new, and much needed, invigorating rejuvenation and renascence of Iowa wineries. No longer will you have to stand at the wine bar, or reach over the crowd at the wine bar, or beg for the attention of the wine keeper, to get a sample of wine. Instead you will sit and relax at one of the many bistro tables, sipping samples of some of the finest wines you have ever tasted, all while nibbling on the delicious fare from the Bistro menu. I have imbibed some of the most superb, as well as acclaimed, cabernets and red wines from the oldest and most illustrious wine producing regions around the world such as Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Chile, California, and now from Carroll, Iowa. I recently had the opportunity to sit, sip, and savor four wonderfully tantalizing red wines, Red Twilight a dry red, Jeanne d’Arc a semi dry, Star Shadow a semi sweet, and a sweet red with a picturesque label that would make any hunter’s heart take flight, named Ringneck Red. I would most certainly charge my class, and saturate my prejudice palate with anyone of these extraordinarily sophisticated Santa Maria wines, and my wife says their line up of whites are just as impressive, but she will have to write her own review. I almost forgot the Autumn’s Hush, the very first Santa Maria wine my wife and I discovered, it’s delightfully amusing and enchanting essence set us on the path to find the winery that had produced this charming wine and opened the door an exquisite Iowa winery that will certainly become an Iowa treasure. I truly cannot wait until we can get back to the winery, sit and relax in the new courtyard, savor our favorite wines and sample their soon to be released traditional classics such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Whether you are a wine connoisseur or just enjoy a glass of wine that meets your own personal criteria, which is what wine drinking is really all about, then the Santa Maria Winery will certainly provided you with the exceptional glass of wine you have been searching for, in an atmosphere of unequaled ambiance and wonderful cuisine, just add friends and you will be ensured of an unforgettable Iowa wine experience.