#EpicIowaRoadTrip - Fireside Winery
Scott Siepker puts Fireside Winery's friendly staff to the test while on the #EpicIowaRoadTrip.
Fireside boasts a warm ambiance and gorgeous sunsets on the patio that set them apart. Learn more about tastings, tours and their live music during the summer on traveliowa.com.
Wine Production in the Corridor
MARENGO, IA (CBS2/FOX28)-Iowa winemakers are not only seeing a rise in wine production. Wine lovers from all over the country are coming to our state to grab a glass of wine.
We see a lot more people coming from out of state, not just from locally and regionally, Fireside winemaker Zach Bott said.
He added that tourists are starting to explore the Midwest vineyards and not just travel to California to sip on wine.
Barbara Damm traveled from the Quad cities to grab a glass of wine with her daughter and niece.
We like to try new wineries, she said. Her daughter, Tarrie Mordhorst added, It's a family atmosphere.
This isn't the first time they have come to Fireside Winery. It's our favorite, Damm said.
Fireside is one of 70 vineyards in Iowa, but Bott said that number is growing.
He is excited to see the wine industry continue to grow.
We are seeing growth, we're seeing a lot of new wineries, he said.
The wine and grape industry is starting to see a constant increase as wine production numbers continue to rise.
According to a study by Frank, Rimerman
Iowa County Unemployment Rate
IOWA COUNTY, IA (CBS2/FOX28)--With the exception of an occasional bump, Iowa's unemployment rate has fallen steadily from a year ago.
There is one Eastern Iowa County though that's not keeping up with that trend.
Only four Iowa counties saw a year-to-year increase in unemployment and Iowa County was the only one on this side of the state.
Local developers say they might know what the problem is and what can be done to turn it around.
For folks at Fireside Winery in Iowa County, summer is good for business.
We're seeing a lot of people coming out on our Friday nights through the weekends, we're seeing a lot of travelers coming through during the weekdays, said Brittany Blunk of Fireside Winery.
It's also a good time to make more hires.
We've been hiring more people this summer. We've seen an influx of customers which is allowing us then to obviously hire more people from the area to help staff the winery, she said.
Fireside is one the few local businesses in Iowa County that hires a size able full and part-time staff.
Most of the small businesses in Williamsburg Square say they either run their own shop or hire a couple employees, but there are some larger companies in the county like Kinze manufacturing, Tanger Outlet Mall and the Whirlpool appliance in the Amana colonies, adds Craig Hamilton of the Iowa County Economic Development Comission.
When those large companies close though, it affects more people.
Quad Graphics was one of those big employers until they closed in March.
The Iowa County Economic Development Commission says that might be why the county's unemployment rate increased this year.
We had a layoff of a 138 people at the quad graphics printing plant in Marengo, Hamilton said.
The commission is working for the economic betterment of Iowa County.
We work with existing businesses to help them expand. We work with any leads that are generated from outside the area to try to find opportunities within Iowa County for new business to come in, he said.
Hamilton says aside from the Quad Graphics closure, what they do works and Iowa County is still doing well economically.
Back at fireside, they too want to help the county's economy.
We want to keep seeing customers come out. We have so much fun we hope to keep adding staff members, Blunk said.
The Economic Development Commission says they are working to get another company to fill the vacant building now that Quad Graphics is gone.
Wedding party, July 26th , Winterset, Iowa
ECIPA 6,700lb Light Super Stock Tractors in Marengo, IA 8-23-2014
Poweshiek County, Iowa, IA, I 80 to Johnson County
Watch in 720p full-screen to view map info. Visit for more info. - Waypoints (approx.):
0:14 60th St
0:16 415th Ave
0:19 90th St
0:23 US 63
0:28 145th St
0:41 B Avenue
0:41 Victor
0:47 216th Street
0:50 Iowa County
0:55 Merango;North English
1:00 State Highway 149, IA 149
1:01 South IA149;North B77;Williamsburg;Parnell
1:04 R Avenue
1:05 220th Stret
1:12 N US151;S CO21;Amana Colonies
1:18 Y Avenue
1:19 340th St SW
1:22 Black Hawk Ave SW
1:22 Black Hawk Ave NW
1:26 Eagle Ave NW
1:30 Johnson County
1:32 Piffen
1:33 Avenue of the Saints, US 218;27
1:33 Avenue of the Saints, I 380;US 218;27
1:33 US218;IA 27 South;Mount Pleasant;Keokuk
1:35 2nd Street, US 6
1:35 Exit 240
1:36 Coral Ridge Avenue
1:36 Coral Ridge Mall
1:37 North Ridge Trail
1:39 1st Avenue
1:41 First Avenue;Hospitals-Sports Area
1:42 North Dubuque Street
1:42 Dubuque St NE
1:44 Dubuque Street;Coral Lake
1:46 North Dodge Street, IA 1
1:46 North Dodge Street
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Poweshiek County, Iowa, IA, I 80 to Johnson County
Nov 2011
Cartography data (c) OpenStreetMap.org
Thanksgiving 2009 @ Piano Lounge (#2) - 11/26/2009 - Cedar Rapids, IA
Kevin Bassett with soulful house to bang your girl to.
Thanksgiving 2009 @ The Piano Lounge (Cedar Rapids, IA) - 11/26/2009