We’re Roy & Melanie Olsen, Sioux City natives and high school sweethearts. We’ve lived on our 15-acre rural Woodbury county acreage located just east of Sioux City, Iowa, since 1989. 
The day we looked at the property, it wasn’t the house that sold us – it was the land. And the view. With the backyard view to the west – of rolling Loess hills, mature cottonwood trees, and an acre-and-a-half spring-fed pond – sunset watching became a daily ritual. It seemed selfish to not share this with others.
After years of research and pondering what to do with the hilly land, we ultimately decided to plant a vineyard between our house and the pond. To better share the experience, we custom-built a building to support the vineyard operations that includes a wine tasting area, a one-of-a-kind venue for a variety of gatherings, a patio overlooking the original vineyard and pond, and a covered patio just feet from the vineyard.
2016 – Planting the final vine
The first 200 Frontenac blanc grapevines were planted on May 7, 2016, with the help of friends and family from as far away as Florida, under the guidance of Iowa State Extension and Outreach Viticulturist Mike White. The planting day was sponsored in part by the Northern Grapes Project, making Oscar Carl Vineyard the first commercial vineyard in Woodbury county.
On May 5, 2018, with the help of 36 friends and family from as far away as Nevada, another 200 Frontenac blanc grapevines were planted, followed by 100 in 2019, 500 in 2020, and another 600 in 2021 for a total of 1,600!
With the help of 21 friends and family, our first harvest was Labor Day 2018.
First Harvest Ever! Labor Day 2018
Our much-anticipated first wine, “Loesscato,” vintage 2018, was bottled in 2019, just in time to celebrate Melanie’s dad’s 90th birthday. Cheers to friends and family!