Exira Winery: Visiting Danish Countryside Vines & Wines in Exira, Iowa

Danish Countryside Vines & Wines is the family-owned winery in Exira, Iowa, and the place most people mean when they search for "Exira Winery." It sits in a restored 1913 barn on the Petersen farm at 1398 280th St, Exira, IA 50076, and pours about 20 different wines made on site from 3.5 acres of estate grapes. It's a good fit if you want a countryside tasting stop near Elk Horn and the surrounding Danish-heritage area; it's not a large commercial tasting room, so plan around the posted hours and call ahead for groups or off-season visits.

Where it is and how to reach it

The winery is on a farm setting outside town, not on a main street, so plug the address into your directions rather than searching by name alone.

For planning, the phone is the fastest way to confirm same-day availability, and email works well for questions about group visits or appointments.

Hours, including the winter season

The winery added winter-season hours, so it's open daily year-round rather than closing for the cold months.

Visits are also available by appointment outside these times. If you're driving in from out of town, a quick call before you go is worth it — hours can shift with the season, and the site lists appointments as an option alongside the posted schedule.

What to expect when you visit

• About 20 wines. The lineup is made on site by vintner Loren Christensen, who manages the vineyard and continues the winemaking tradition.
• Estate grapes. 3.5 acres of vines were planted in 2003 and reached fruit-bearing maturity about five years later.
• A barn setting. The tasting room occupies a barn built in 1913 and restored between 2003 and 2006; the winery became operational in May 2006.
• Family ownership. Andy Petersen gave his father Allan a winemaking kit on Christmas Day 2001, which started the whole project. In January 2016, ownership passed to daughter Jennifer Christensen and son-in-law Loren Christensen.

A practical example: if you're spending an afternoon in Elk Horn exploring the Danish-heritage sites, the winery makes a natural countryside stop on the way back — arrive with enough time before the 5:00pm close on weekdays and Saturdays, or before 4:00pm on Sundays.

Planning your stop

1. Check the day and time against the hours table above, and note that Sunday closes an hour earlier.
2. Call (712) 764-2991 if you're visiting as a group, coming from a distance, or want a time outside posted hours — appointments are offered.
3. Use the street address for navigation, since the winery is on a farm rather than in a town commercial district.
4. Allow time for a tasting of the roughly 20 wines rather than treating it as a quick retail stop.

The main snags to plan around are the rural location and the earlier Sunday close. Neither is a problem with a phone call and a directions check beforehand.