Get to know your winery
Wooden Wheel Beginnings
Mike and Connie Vincent purchased the farm and vineyard location from Mike’s father in 1978. While the farm crisis in the 80’s took them away from the farm, they always aspired to return with a viable agriculture enterprise. In 2010, Mike and Connie sold their insurance agency in Altoona and returned to their farm planting their first vines and beginning the construction of the winery and event center.
Wooden Wheel Vineyards LLC is located on the family farm first settled by Mike’s Great – Great Grandmother, Isabella Clark Wright. Isabella received the farm as a land grant from the US goverment because her father was a veteran of the War of 1812 and died when she was but 2 years old. As an orphan and minor child of a veteran, she became eligible for an 80 acre land grant.
Her brother who was traveling in Iowa learned of the program, then returned to Ohio on horseback to have Isabella complete the paperwork. Isabella turned her claim in 2 weeks before she turned 18 upon which she would have been of age and no longer qualified as a minor child for the program.
During the next year she married John Wright and came to Iowa by riverboat in 1850. After building their log cabin they settled on the farm in 1854.
The Vincent Family Event Center is the last original building built from the time when John and Isabella raised their family on this farm.
Rich with stories of the pioneer life, many of the wines are dedicated to the family’s ancestors.
We invite you to come and experience the wines of Wooden Wheel Vineyards.