Our Staff
At Fireside Winery, our team is like family. Get to know our family.
Rona Wyant
Owner
Bill and Rona got into the wine business to diversify their farming operation. It began by converting a portion of 40 acres of farmland into a vineyard. Their mission is to emphasize wine made from Iowa-grown grapes. They have three children and six grandchildren that they absolutely love to spend time with.
Rona’s favorite wine: Changes with the vintage but prefers them to be dry
William Wyant
Owner
Bill and Rona got into the wine business to diversify their farming operation. It began by converting a portion of 40 acres of farmland into a vineyard. Their mission is to emphasize wine made from Iowa-grown grapes. They have three children and six grandchildren that they absolutely love to spend time with.
Cassie Bott
Operations Manager
Cassie has been with the winery since the very beginning when her parents convinced her and husband Zach to join them on this journey. She is a jack of all trades as you can find her anywhere from our Cedar Rapids Farmers Market booth to working the tasting bar in Marengo. If you have a question, she most definitely has the answer, and is always a bright, smiling face when you see her around property.
Her free time is enjoyed by crafting, gardening, traveling and spending time with family.
Changes with the season — a warm cup of Autumn Spice in the chillier month and a glass of Blanc de Brickyard in the warmer months
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.
Kylie Palmer
Social Media, Events, & Tasting Room Manager - Marengo
Kylie has been with Fireside since May of 2025, joining us right after she graduated from the University of Iowa. She manages the Fireside Winery social medias, helps create new events, books our live music, manages weddings, and so much more. Her favorite part about the job is watching live music nights come to life, and meeting people from all over the country. In her free time, you can find Kylie watching a new show with her husband Cole, traveling, or reading the newest romance book.
Storyteller
Mary Stohlmann
Tasting Room Manager - Amana
Mary joined Fireside in 2022 working the Des Moines Farmer’s Markets. She loves how every day is different, with the many visitors from all over the states and all of the different events that go on at the winery. Outside of work, she likes to spend time with her family, dogs and visit new places.
Crownfire
Deb Kennedy
Tasting Room Manager - Amana
Deb has been with the Fireside team since 2019, originally working at our Ackerman tasting room in Amana. She now works alongside Mary at Fireside Winery Amana making incredible wine cocktails, leading craft classes, and providing fabulous customer service to all who pop by! In her free time, Deb enjoying working alongside her husband, Tom putting on productions at the Amana Performing Arts Center, being in nature, and spending time with her sweet chihuahua.
Blu
Brian Culp
Wholesale Manager
Brian has been working for Fireside since 2016. His favorite part of wholesaling for Fireside is working with retailers to find industry trends as well as opening new accounts in different towns. His free time is usually spent with his family traveling and cheering on the Iowa State Cyclones.
Susan Bral
Wholesale Manager
Susan has been with Fireside Winery since 2016. She loves getting the opportunity to travel Iowa while distributing our wines to different areas that may not have immediate access to our product. When she is not being a super mom with her five kids, she enjoys coffee, reading, trying new recipes, or traveling to Florida with her husband.
Mark Germany
Assistant Winemaker
Mark has been in the winemaking industry for over a decade, and has found his calling here at Fireside Winery. He puts his passion and dedication in to every bottle of wine and cider the winemaking team produces. Mark also leads our monthly production tours, where you are guaranteed to have a good time and leave with a wealth of knowledge around our entire production process. In his free time, you’ll find him exploring new breweries and wineries and playing guitar.