History of Winery and Location
The winery origins date back to the spring of 2002 when the Miller family planted three grape varieties to establish a small 1.5 acre vineyard in the southeast Iowa country side. The vineyard expanded each year thereafter and by 2007 it had grown to nearly 5 acres with seven grape varieties. During the initial years fruit was harvested and sold to other Iowa wineries. In 2007, Cedar Valley Winery began making wine on a commercial scale with two grape varieties. The following year, Cedar Valley Winery went into full production utilizing grapes solely from its vineyard to produce 2,500 gallons of wine from the seven grape varieties grown on-site. A tasting room was constructed during the winter of 2008 and the winery officially opened its doors to the public on July 4, 2009.
Fairfield and Surrounding Area
Welcome to Southeast Iowa from the northwest direction, Cedar Valley Winery is at the gateway to the southeastern historic area of Iowa. Located in between Fairfield and Ottumwa we are a great starting point or place to finish off touring places like the American Gothic House in Eldon, the Villages of Van Buren and more. Ask us for more tips to make your trip special. When driving between places like St. Louis and Des Moines we are a great place for a travel break.
Winemaker Bio
Cedar Valley Winery’s winemaker, Seth Miller grew up on the Iowa farm that became the vineyard and winery near Batavia. Seth received his undergraduate degree in Finance Management at Iowa State University (Go Cyclones!!) in 2001. Miller then attended and graduated from the University of Iowa Law School (Go Hawkeyes!!) in 2004. In 2008 Seth returned to his hometown after practicing law in Kansas City and contunines his work as house attorney for a major investment clearing house. He was recently named to 40 Under 40 by Investment News magazine.