About Summerset Winery
Summerset Winery is permanently closed. The owners announced the decision in April 2026 after a waterline ruptured and caused major damage to the property at 15101 Fairfax St near Indianola, Iowa; rising material costs, high interest rates and repair estimates far above expectation made a rebuild unworkable, and deferred maintenance on an ageing site sealed it. The winery had already skipped the 2025 season. Grapes went into the ground on Summerset Ridge in 1989, which made it Iowa's oldest winery and, in time, one of the state's largest producers; the barn that most visitors knew had served since 2001.
The wines were made from locally grown Iowa grapes and collected regional awards over the years. A visit meant a tasting and, often, a tour of the cellar, with a wine shop attached and vineyard views from the grounds. The site did a great deal more than pour: it ran as a wedding and event venue for four decades and operated The Inn at Summerset, an on-site lodging that let guests stay the night rather than drive back to Des Moines.
Nothing is bookable here now. The website remains online as an archive with no reservations or services, and the owners said an auction of equipment, furnishings and site items would follow the closure announcement. Indianola sits about twenty minutes south of Des Moines and still has other Iowa wineries within an easy drive, so a wine day in Warren County is not off the table. Confirm current details and hours directly with any winery before you set out.
This winery is listed here for reference. It is closed, so there is no tasting room to visit.
