Wine and Bridges of Madison County

Spend a day experiencing the beautiful fall colors and serenity surrounding the bridges of Madison County. Madison County originally had 19 covered bridges but today only six remain. The covering protects the timber trusses and wooden deck from the elements, drastically expanding their lifespan. The fictional novel The Bridges of Madison County is one of the bestselling books of the 20th century with 60 million copies sold worldwide. The popularity of the bridges as a tourist destination has increased even more with the release of the novel’s 1995 adapted film by Clint Eastwood.

Upon arriving in Winterset, Iowa, we will meet our local guide and historian for a morning tour of three of the famous covered bridges. We will visit the 1883 Roseman Covered Bridge and walk in the footsteps of Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep from the movie The Bridges of Madison County. The 1880 Holliwell Covered Bridge was also featured in the movie. This historic bridge, which measures 122 feet in length, is the longest covered bridge in the area. The 1870 Cutler-Donahoe Covered Bridge is located in the beautiful Winterset city park. The bridge was originally located over the North River and moved to the park in 1970. It features an interesting pitched roof.

After a home cooked lunch at the historic First Presbyterian Church in Winterset, Iowa, we will visit the John Wayne Birthplace and Museum. The life story of John Wayne began in the small central town of Winterset. He was born Marion Morrison on May 26, 1907. His father was a pharmacist who worked on the south side of Winterset’s historic town square. Their modest four room home has been restored to reflect its appearance in 1907. Adjacent to the home is the John Wayne Museum featuring a large exhibit of John Wayne artifacts including original movie posters, film wardrobe, scripts, letters, and artwork. The facility also includes a movie theater where visitors can watch a documentary on John Wayne’s film career.

Our final afternoon attraction is the Covered Bridges Winery. Owner, Kevin Fifo was honored as the 2020 winemaker of the year by the Iowa Wine Growers Association. Over the years, the Covered Bridges Winery has won many awards for their variety of wines. In 2019, their Rattlesnake Red was awarded the “Best of Show” at the Iowa State Fair Wine Competition. We’ll sample some of their best wines during a wine tasting presentation by Kevin.