Top 100 natural sweet wines of Iowa

Discover the top 100 best natural sweet wines of Iowa as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the natural sweet wines that are popular of Iowa and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Discovering the wine region of Iowa

Iowa is a Midwestern state bordered by the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. The continental Climate and unpredictable weather here - as in many Midwestern states - make viticulture extremely challenging, but Iowa's ever-growing wine industry is finding its feet throughout the state. HybridGrape varieties specifically designed for cold climates make up the majority of plantings, with the best wines coming from Marechal Foch, Frontenac and La Crescent. Iowa covers 146,000 square kilometers, between latitudes 40 and 43°N.

Iowa is on par with other states in the European Union. This puts Iowa on the same level as the South of France, although the Terroir is very different. While the vineyards of Provence are influenced by the proximity of the Mediterranean Sea, Iowa has a strongly continental climate, with hot, humid summers and Harsh winters. This presents a challenge for the state's winemakers, which they overcome by using native grape varieties and seeking out more temperate mesoclimates.

News from the vineyard of Iowa

Família Torres establishes new base in Galicia

Torres is best known for producing wines across Spanish regions including Catalunya, Rioja and Ribera del Duero. It also has an international presence with Miguel Torres in Chile and Marimar in Sonoma, California, but for more than a decade it has been producing wines in Galicia too. This aspect of its portfolio started with the purchase of a 6ha vineyard in the Salnés subregion, producing the upmarket wine Blanco Granito based on Rías Baixas’ star variety, Albariño. The wine is made from a uniq ...

Northern Rhône 2020: full report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2020 overall rating: 4.5/5 A reliably fresh, balanced and approachable vintage – a return to classicism after a series of powerful years. Excellent white wines. Northern Rhône 2020 red wine of the vintage: Domaine Rostaing, La Côte Brune, Côte-Rôtie  2020 Northern Rhône 2020 white wine of the vintage: Domaine JL Chave, Hermitage 2020 The main features of the year were drought, heat and a very early harvest. Thankfully there were heavy rains in October, November and December 2019 w ...

Meet Decanter’s US team

From the vineyards of Oregon on the west coast to those of New York’s Long Island in the east, the wine regions of the United States are vast and varied. And increasingly important to us here at Decanter – across not only the magazine and website, but our Decanter Premium channel online, the annual Decanter World Wine Awards and events such as our inaugural New York Decanter Fine Wine Encounter in June 2022. We strive to provide the best coverage for our international audience and so felt it was ...

The best wines of Iowa in other styles