First Iowa Distillery Since Prohibition Opens Johnson County Facility

Uncorked: Cedar Ridge Winery and Distillery now open near Swisher

Chris Umscheid NORTH LIBERTY LEADER

What began as a hobby has ripened on the vine; combined with the fruits of labor, it has also become the newest winery- and only distillery- in the Corridor.

Cedar Ridge Winery and Distillery held a ribbon cutting and grand opening November 27, celebrating the completion of a 7,000 square foot facility on a 27 acre tract of land nestled among vineyards. The new complex sits at 1441 Marak Road, a mile south of Swisher along Highway 965.

While the official groundbreaking was held in June, 2009, the plans had been fermenting since the land was purchased in 2002 by Jeff and Lori Quint. Grape vines followed the next year, and the winery opened in 2004. The distillery followed in 2006, and was the first to be granted a license in Iowa since the repeal of prohibition.

The winery and distillery shared space in the Benz Beverage Depot near downtown Cedar Rapids before record flooding in 2008 nearly washed the enterprise- and Jeff Quint's dreams-away."We had three and-a-half feet of water," Quint said, less than many places in the Czech Village that had over eight feet of water in their buildings, but the toll on inventory and equipment more than made up the difference. "We lost eight thousand bottles," he said. Though the bottles were sealed, "it wasn't spring water flowing over them," Quint said. Several barrels of product were also lost along with some equipment.

The business was back up and running within a few months, and attention turned to building a new facility in the vineyards.

The new building, built by Merit Construction Company of Cedar Rapids in four month's time, features a large tasting room, a kitchen, restrooms, a small meeting room and a production area/warehouse. The kitchen will provide breads, cheeses, meats and olives to compliment the fourteen different wines, while the meeting room can be used as a viewing room looking into the production area, or for private gatherings. An outdoor patio is being constructed, and plans also include a large tent. Both areas will be available for gatherings such as wedding receptions or large meetings.

"We have a lot to do yet," Quint said.

Currently, Cedar Ridge can sell their wine by the bottle or by the case, but not by the glass, although Quint is working toward a license which will eventually allow it.

For the distilled spirits, Iowa law currently does not allow Quint to sell his own products. With the support of area legislators, he hopes to add a new section to Iowa Code, chapter 123, granting him the right to sell his distilled products to the public.

"We spend our time giving tours and samples, but we can't sell anything," Quint said.

The winery is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Private parties are welcome, and live music will be featured on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons.
"Hopefully this will be a nice addition to the corridor," Quint said.