Our Staff
Get to know the people carrying on the historical traditions of Ackerman Winery.
Rona Wyant
Owner
Rona takes great pride in carrying out the legacy of the Ackerman family. Fruit wines are a rich piece of American history. The wines are versatile and can be enjoyed individually or made into fun cocktails using one of our recipes. Wine doesn’t always need to be serious, though Ackerman wines have taken some very prestigious awards over the years.
Mead – one of the oldest types of wine with Ackerman’s made from Iowa honey
Cassie Bott
Operations Manager
Cassie has enjoyed learning about the rich history of the Amana Colonies. She’s honored to be part of the community working so hard to keep its history alive by sharing their stories. Prior to 2015, Cassie didn’t have much experience with fruit wines, but she’s been having fun learning more about these unique and delicious wines that people have enjoyed since 1956.
Zach Bott
Winemaker
Zach has been with the winery since the beginning when his wife, Cassie, brought him along for the ride. As our winemaker, he enjoys the challenge that comes with differences in the fruit from year-to-year versus the expectation of sameness from our customers. In his free time, you can find him playing golf, watching his kids golf, or cheering on the Iowa State Cyclones.
Mark Germany
Assistant Winemaker
As a Texan transplant to Iowa, I found myself immersed in the culture and history of the Amana Colonies. Having German roots, Amana truly feels like a second home to me. Our blackberry wine brings back memories of picking blackberries on my family’s farm in East Texas, and making jellies, jams, and pies with Mom.
Deb Kennedy
Tasting Room & Social Media Manager
Deb became the Manager at Ackerman Winery in 2019. Her favorite parts of her job are creating different wine cocktails and leading wine glass painting classes. When not at work, Deb is highly active in the theatre community. She helps stage productions at Clear Creek Amana High School, the Brooklyn Opera House, as well as productions here in Amana at The Amana Performing Arts Center.
Marilyn Westphal
Tasting Room Manager
Marilyn started at the company in 2016 and came into her current position at Ackerman Winery in June 2020. She loves hearing the memories of people visiting the Amana Colonies as children or on their honeymoon. In her free time, she is into container gardening and propagating succulents.