By: Gerald Dlubala
Bryce and Julia Flaherty appear to be typically busy parents, with Julia recently leaving her job to be a stay-at-home mom for their three children, all under the age of four, and Bryce holding down a physically and mentally demanding job as a full-time firefighter/paramedic. Now add everything that comes with owning, maintaining, and operating a family vineyard and winery to the mix, and you can see that the word busy, when describing Flaherty’s lifestyle, is quite the understatement. They purchased a 13-acre plot on a former golf course in LeClaire, Iowa, intending to start a vineyard and winery using Iowa grapes while honoring the region’s history. That was the birth of Olathea Creek Vineyard and Winery.
“The property was an original 9-hole golf course for 30 years, with ownership plans to expand it to an 18-hole range,” said Bryce. “That plan never materialized due to health reasons of one of the owners. The course eventually closed permanently for about five years. When the property became too much to maintain, the owner sold it in lots. We took the opportunity to purchase a 13-acre plot to begin our dream of planting a vineyard and opening a winery here in LeClaire.”
Olathea Creek Vineyard and Winery is named in reference to the property’s history. The former golf course was named Olathea Golf Course. Additionally, the property was once the campsite for the Sauk and Fox tribes. The word “olethe” is the Fox term for beautiful, which perfectly describes the vineyard and winery’s pleasing country setting and picturesque creek that serenely sits along the Mississippi River.
Hobbyist to Winemaker
The Flaherty’s jumped right in with no previous vineyard, winery, retail, or service industry experience between them.
“It was a huge learning curve for us,” added Bryce. “The Kirkwood classes and programs helped us out tremendously. They were heavy into hands-on training and experience, aimed at those who wanted to open wineries or were heavy home producers and growers, generally, those who produced at least 50 gallons annually for home use. There were four wineries that opened just from our class alone, so everyone was willing to share and bounce resources and ideas off each other. We shared good and bad recipes, contacts, and resources, and discussed problems winemakers ran into and how to fix them. It was a great group, and we continue to network and use these folks for any questions or resources we need.”
“Additionally,” said Julia, “We learn, and continue to learn, through other winemakers and grape growers in our region through the Iowa Wine Growers’ Association. It is a very connected network open to sharing ideas and helping each other.
First Plantings
The Flaherty’s planted their first grapevines in 2019. The first production was in the Fall of 2020, and by their third harvest, Olathea Creek Vineyard and Winery production came in at 5000 pounds.
“I was ecstatic with that production,” said Bryce. “Currently, our two-acre vineyard contains about 75% Petite Pearl vines and 25% L’Acadie Blanc vines. The Petite Pearl is a red wine grape that we use for our darker, bolder selections, and is probably the closest we can get to a true cabernet within our climate. The L’Acadie Blanc is a white grape from Nova Scotia that we use for our dry white selections and a recent sparkling wine we’re making. We’re excited to be one of only two growers in Iowa making wine with L’Acadie Blanc grapes right now, and we’re one of only a few to make wine using both varietals.”
The Flaherty’s were concerned that because the ground was a golf course for 30 years, it could be over-fertilized and exceed the desired nutrient thresholds. However, numerous core sampling results showed optimal ranges for the soil, eliminating those concerns. Because the course was closed for five years before planting, the excess nitrogen had burned off. The vineyard had excellent, farmable soil in a rivershed landscape, only needing micronutrients due to normal wear and time.
“All of our winemaking focuses on using Midwest grape varietals,” added Bryce. “Everything currently on our menu here is an Iowa-specific grape, and we work with other Iowa grape growers for use in the selections we don’t specifically grow here.”
Bryce told The Grapevine Magazine that all production and processing are done on-site. For the first 3-4 years, everything was hand bottled, corked, foiled, and labeled. The Flaherty’s received a “Choose Iowa” grant for value-added agriculture and were able to purchase a bottling line to make their life a little easier.
“We updated to a ViMeg 500 bottling line that fills and corks four bottles at a time,” said Bryce. “We still manually shrink wrap and label the bottles, doing 10-15000 bottles annually.”
Visitors Enjoy Great Wines, A Modern Farmhouse Vibe, And Country Scenic Views
“We like to keep an open attitude towards wines because many people are nervous about trying new wines,” said Julia. “Visitors can have tasting flights upon entering our tasting room. Our wine tenders are truly knowledgeable in helping our guests choose tasting flights based on their likes and dislikes. We offer wine and chocolate pairings as well. But once you decide, you’re welcome to take your flight, glass, or bottle out back to enjoy while you take in our serene country setting and river views. We have a variety of indoor and outdoor seating, including a gazebo and a large patio and lawn area for outside seating.”
“It’s a modern farmhouse vibe,” said Bryce. “We have the front six acres that includes everything now, with the open room in the back for future expansion. We’re close to town but still secluded outside. We encourage guests to wander the vineyard and enjoy all the property offers, including views of the Mississippi River, only about 100 feet from the property. Guests can come to hang out, or they can enjoy our scheduled special events or weekend live music events.”
Located in the Midwest, sweeter fruit wines are the most popular, including Olathea Creek Vineyard and Winery’s raspberry and blackberry wines. Other, unique seasonal offerings include jalapeno-flavored and hibiscus-flavored wines. Olathea Creek Vineyard and Winery also have a returning core of dry wine drinkers who come specifically for their Petite Pearl and “The O.C.,” a premium dry white wine that mimics a quality chardonnay made from Iowa grapes.
Parties, Events, And Advice for Future Winemakers
Olathea Creek Vineyard & Winery offers several outdoor areas to hold that special event, party, or wedding reception, including the gazebo overlooking the vineyard, an arbor wedding in the vines, or under an elegant chandelier on a white bridge with outdoor spaces located near the tasting room.
“Our max capacity inside right now is around 99 guests,” said Bryce. “We have a small party room with a sweet spot of about 40-60 people, so we regularly host showers, family gatherings, and similar-style events. We can manage between 150-250 guests outside for larger weddings. Of course, there’s always anxiety over the weather for outdoor weddings, but those who have done it and rented tents have loved our facility and surroundings.”
“It’s always been in our extended plans to build a wedding venue barn to be able to host larger weddings on a year-round basis,” said Julia. “For right now, we are in a smaller event niche. We do have live music and food trucks every other Sunday, yoga in the vineyard, wine and chocolate pairings, and this July 19th, we are partnering with Mississippi Bend Trykes to sponsor a 5k run to support children with disabilities and help provide specially made bicycles for those who cannot ride traditional bikes.”
“We also offer winemaker series classes for those that want to learn more about winemaking in a little more detail,” said Bryce. “We offer those classes in things like sugaring, oak sampling, and more to pull the curtain back a little to allow interested guests a way to come in and learn the ropes of certain tasks and get an insider’s view of winemaking.”
Bryce advised future vineyard and winery owners to develop a trusted network consisting of those who they feel comfortable leaning on for help, questions, contacts, and advice.
“Here in Iowa, everyone is so helpful,” said Bryce. “It’s a Napa-style attitude that no visitor comes to the area for just one winery, but they will come for a group of wineries. When we help each other individually, we’re helping to support the entire Iowa wine industry, and that’s good for everyone. Everyone here was more than willing to open their books, share contacts and resources, and share how we can all save money in our industry. No one may make the trip to visit just one winery, but they will make the trip to visit three or four and have a wonderful day of visiting and touring the area.”
Another money-saving tip Bryce added was that many wineries are willing to take on help and use those people who are looking to gain valuable winery experience. Customers and interested people can fit into an apprentice role in many areas and help get tasks done quicker than if they had to do it all themselves. It’s a great idea for new or young, family-owned businesses.
Olathea Creek Vineyard & Winery is open from 12-7 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 12-6 pm on Sundays. For more information on their wines and upcoming events, or to contact the Flaherty’s, head to their website or call:
Olathea Creek Vineyard & Winery
23456 Great River Road
LeClaire, Iowa 52753-9141
(563) 726-1892
