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ANKENY, Iowa — The Iowa Wine Growers Association recently announced the nominees for the prestigious Winemaker of the Year award, and among the talented contenders, Darla Jones of Winneshiek Wildberry Winery stood out as a shining star. "It is such a big honor to be nominated Winemaker of the Year," Jones said. "I have been the winemaker at Winneshiek Wildberry Winery for 17 years. The Winery is a family farm located north of Decorah." Reflecting on her family's longstanding commitment to the craft, she added, "It has has been in my mother's family for over 150 years." The awards banquet, a celebration of Iowa's burgeoning wine industry, took place on Jan. 8th in Ankeny, Iowa. The competition was fierce, with notable winemakers vying for 'Winemaker of the Year.' In the end, it was Zach Bott of Fireside Winery who ultimately claimed the coveted title. Despite not receiving the title, Jones doesn't see the opportunity as a loss, citing the already extremely impressive year that Winneshiek Wildberry Winery has had. "This has been an incredible year for us. Our wines have won medals in international wine competitions and best in class in two of the five categories at the Iowa State Fair," Jones added, emphasizing the remarkable achievements of Winneshiek Wildberry Winery. At the 2023 American International Wine Competition held in New York, Jones entered six wines, and an impressive five received awards. The standout was the Gold Medal for Blackberry Blossom, accompanied by Silver Medals for Berrypatch Howdown and Bronze Medals for Farmer's Daughters, Rowdy Rooster, and Hunga Dunga. Jones's success continued at the 2023 International Women's Wine competition in California, where her wines received six awards. Silver Medals were earned for Blueberry Thrill and Plumb Wild, and Bronze Medals for Hunga Dunga Bird, Kenyon Ridge Frontenac, Rowdy Rooster, and Lazy Days Itaska. "We have a 20-acre vineyard and two acres of rhubarb. We make fruit wines and grape wines. We produce wine from grapes at our farm and that can be grown in our Driftless area," shared Jones, providing insight into the winery's diverse offerings. The accolades continued to pile up at the 2023 Iowa State Fair, where Jones once again took home top honors. Her Blackberry Blossom earned the Gold Medal and Best of Class in the Specialty/Other Class, while Ole Made Lena Blush secured the same accolades in the Sweet Red Competition. Both wines, Blackberry Blossom and Ole Made Lena Blush, were also featured at the Iowa State Fair last Fall. In addition, Darla earned Silver Medals for Blueberry Thrill and Plumb Wild, along with a Bronze Medal for Horny Heifer.

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Darla Jones shines as Iowa winemaker