Lubben Vineyards & Wines continues growth with new Anamosa tasting room, increased acreage

ANAMOSA — Hobbies heading into retirement can vary from couple to couple.

Some take up golf, others travel.

But as Judy and Dan Lubben thought about how to approach the end of their careers, they had done both. Judy, a former chief financial officer for Raining Rose, and Dan, a fire inspector for the City of Cedar Rapids, wanted something to do together.

“Our youngest son, Dalton, was brewing beer and wanted me to make wine,” Judy said.

After finishing her MBA, she finally had some time for wine. First with a kit she bought, then with classes at Kirkwood Community College, and now with the couple’s first tasting room opened off U.S. Highway 151.

“We had a blast and everything just fell in our path,” Judy said.

Needless to say, the Lubben Vineyards & Wines they founded in Marion in 2017 has become more than a hobby. But with their ironically named signatures in the “High Brow” line, they don’t take things too seriously, either.

In an industry not culturally known for its accessibility, this winery leaves pretension at the door. And, by some measures, consumers are taking notice.

  Buy Photo

With just 2.5 acres of vineyards planted, Lubben has produced 5,000 gallons of wine, or 25,000 bottles in its most recent production year — double what they made the year before. Increased demand, Judy said, was enough for them to realize it was time to open a physical location to allow their brand to expand beyond farmers markets and wholesale.

Now, with a tasting room opened in September 2024, they have a window overlooking the future of their business. Before too long, they’ll have vines on another 15 acres, which will mature over several years.

Live music draws a crowd from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sundays, and a full kitchen offers flatbreads, paninis and soups to complement each pour.

“Our intention is for people to come out, relax, have a conversation. People love to go to a winery and talk to a winemaker — and they can,” Judy said. “Bringing something back home was a big deal to us, and (we are) hoping we can bring people to Jones County.”

  Buy Photo

The high school sweethearts are bringing one of their biggest ventures together — an investment of a couple million dollars, all in — back to their hometown.

They’ve reconnected with old friends and met distant relatives they had never known before. But perhaps what’s more for the couple is helping others fall in love with the budding Iowa industry that captivated them.

At this winery, Judy serves them in jeans and a sweatshirt.

“We don’t want people to be uncomfortable around wine. We got started by going to Hy-Vee to the tastings. We drink wine with ice cubes,” Judy said. “We’re not hoity-toity.”

  Buy Photo

But they do see room for Iowa to grow beyond the stereotypes it has received in the winemaking community with its sweet, fruit-forward options. Here, the cold climate hybrid grape varieties are given a new application specializing in dry reds and whites, some of which have won Double Gold awards.

Through multiple options, consumers are finding accessibility in the notes of reds like Marechal Foch, Petit Pearl and Marquette, or whites like La Crosse, St. Pepin, and Frontenac Blanc.

None of them rely on standard-bearers of other famous wine regions like Cabernet or merlot. At Lubben Vineyards, they aren’t afraid to experiment.

  Buy Photo

When they started making their Marechal Foch wine, for example, they left the skin of the grapes in the barrel for 7 to 10 days — running the risk of the “Foch funk.” But with some risks, they’ve found niches that work.

“We kind of broke the rules and we didn’t know we were breaking the rules,” Judy said. “We did things because we probably didn’t know any better, and it worked.”

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.