Illinois Wine
Country
Illinois’ wine industry is booming with more than 70 welcoming wineries and 450 vineyards around the state. Some of the most scenic spots are concentrated along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail in Southern Illinois and in the rural Southwest region of the state. Most wineries in Southern Illinois offer full tasting menus, some food choices and decks that afford stunning panoramas of vineyards covering the rolling terrain set amid valleys and bluffs. The Shawnee Hills region, bounded by the Ohio River on the east and Mississippi River on the west, sits at a higher elevation than the flat and fertile lands of Central and Northern Illinois. Ice Age glaciers stopped short of Carbondale, leaving the hilly ridges (800 to 1,000 feet in elevation) of Southern Illinois untouched. The Shawnee National Forest, loaded with outdoor recreation options, is located within this area. Grape-growing in the Shawnee Hills dates to the 1860s. In 2006 the federal government designated the Shawnee Hills an American viticulture area (AVA), attesting to the growth of the grape-growing industry in recent years and the quality of its wine. It is one of 328 federally recognized viticulture areas. Vintners who make wines containing 85 percent or more of grapes raised in the area can legally use “ Shawnee Hills” on their wine bottle labels, an indication it is a regional wine distinctive to Southern Illinois. Contact Information:
Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 Angelal@champaigncounty.org Tourillinois.org
Explore Southern Illinois’ Wine Region Suggested Itinerary DAY 1 Carbondale/Makanda/Alto Pass The Shawnee Hills Wine Trail is made up of nine award-winning wineries located along a 30-mile scenic drive through Jackson and Union counties in the Shawnee National Forest. Stop for lunch at the Tuscan-themed Blue Sky Vineyard in Makanda, then visit StarView Vineyards or Owl Creek Vineyard in Cobden. Continue on to the Pomona Winery in Pomona. Afterwards, lace up your hiking shoes and make tracks to Giant City State Park. Enjoy dinner at Giant City Lodge. Catch a live performance at Southern Illinois University's Shryock Auditorium.
DAY 2 Red Bud/ Waterloo/Grafton At Lau-Nae Winery, you can sample a glass of award-winning fruit wine in the charming garden. The wines are produced from fruit orchards located on site at the winery. For lunch, indulge in authentic German fare at Dreamland Palace German Restaurant in Foster Pond. Next, stop by the Waterloo Winery, housed in a historic 1800s log-and-fieldstone mansion. Nearby, Schorr Lake Vineyard and Winery produces estate table and fruit wines from its six-acre vineyard. Travel on to Grafton and have dinner at the Fin Inn, where 21 large tableside aquarium-viewing windows add to the dining experience.
DAY 3 Grafton/Elsah Stop in at Piasa Winery, located on the banks of the Mississippi River. The British-style Piasa Pub next door serves up microbrews and glasses of Piasa Winery selections. Tastings of small batch wines are offered at Chateau Ra-Ha Winery, built into a bluff along East Main Street. Catch a panoramic view of the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers at Aerie's Riverview Winery & Cottages. Next, travel to historic Elsah, home to My Just Desserts, with its delicious lunches and homemade pies. Afterwards, take a scenic drive through Pere Marquette State Park. At 8,050 acres, Pere Marquette is Illinois' largest state park. The Park is famous for the beauty of its fall colors and as a home for bald eagles in the winter.
Contact Information:
Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 Angelal@champaigncounty.org Tourillinois.org
History of Illinois Wine The Illinois wine industry has exploded in recent years, growing from just 12 wineries in 1997 to more than 70 today. During this time, the acreage devoted to grape production has grown at a tremendous rate, and today Illinois is consistently among the top 12 wine-producing states. But while the industry’s recent growth has been phenomenal, Illinois also enjoys a rich winemaking tradition that dates back to the 1700s:
D ELIGHTFUL D ETOURS IN S OUTHERN I LLINOIS
1778-
French settlers in La Ville de Maillet (what is now Peoria) bring the winemaking expertise of their homeland to Illinois. The village features a wine press and an underground wine vault.
1857-
Emile Baxter and Sons open a winery in Nauvoo, along the banks of the Mississippi River. Baxter’s Vineyards remains Illinois’ oldest operating winery, run by a fifth generation of Baxters.
1900-
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Connect with nature at Giant City State Park, named for the unique impressions made by its massive sandstone structures, and Pere Marquette State Park, dotted with over 150 small Native American burial mounds. Both parks feature bountiful fall foliage displays as Mother Nature transforms the parks into a dazzling spectacle of color.
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Some of the best Bald Eagle watching is up and down the Mississippi River from the middle of December through the end of winter. Estimated as the second largest Eagle population in North America, over 3,000 Bald Eagles make their home in this region. Prime viewing locations are found in Alton and Grafton.
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Explore historic communities on the Mississippi River such as Alton, Chester and Ellis Grove, which served as the state capital from 1818 – 1820 and home to the Kaskaskia State Historic Site.
Illinois is the fourth-largest wine-producing state in the nation.
1920-
The Prohibition Act stops all legal winemaking. Some Illinois vineyards continue to grow table grapes, others uproot their vines to make way for corn and soybeans.
1979-1995-
Wineries and vineyards are established throughout the northern, central and southern regions of Illinois.
1995-
The owners of Alto Vineyards, Owl Creek Vineyards and Pomona Winery in Southern Illinois meet with area tourism officials and form the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.
2001-
Illinois boasts 27 wineries.
2005-
September is designated as “Illinois Wine Month.”
Contact Information:
Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 Angelal@champaigncounty.org Tourillinois.org
The more than 70 wineries have also brought with them a host of charming bed and breakfasts and local crafts businesses. The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association predicts continued growth in the coming years as more visitors discover the genuine culture of Illinois Wine Country.
Alto Vineyards
8515 State Route 127, Alto Pass, IL
(618) 893-4898, altovineyards.net
Bella Terra Winery
755 Parker City Road, Creal Springs, IL
(618) 658-8882, bellaterrawinery.com
Black Diamond Vineyards, Ltd
3501 Black Diamond Rd., Nashville, IL (618) 336-5700, blackdiamondvineyards.com
Blue Sky Vineyard and Winery
3150 S. Rocky Comfort Rd., Makanda, (618) 995-WINE, blueskyvineyard.com IL
Cache River Basin Winery
315 Forman Ln., Belknap, IL
(618) 658-2274, crbwinery.com
Flint Hill Vineyards
2075 US Highway 45 N., Muddy, IL
(618) 253-7224, flinthillwinery.com
Genkota Winery, Ltd
301 North 44th St., Mt.Vernon, IL
(618) 246-WINE, genkotawine.com
Hedman Orchard & Vineyards, Inc
560 Chestnut St., Alto, Paso, IL
(618) 893-4923, peachbarn.com
Hickory Ridge Vineyard & Winery
1598 Hickory Ridge Rd., Pomona, IL
(618) 893-1700, shawneewinetrail.com/ UCW/hickoryridge.html
Hidden Lake Winery & Banquet Center
10580 Wellen Rd., Aviston, IL
(618) 228-9111, hiddenlakewinery.com
Hogg Hollow Winery LLC
202-4 Rte 2, Golconda, IL
(618) 695-9463, hogghollowwinery.com
Inheritance Valley Vineyards
5490 State Route 127 N., Cobden, IL
(618) 893-6141, inheritancevalley.com
Kite Hill Vineyards
83 Kite Hill Rd., Carbondale, IL
(618) 684-5072, kitehillvineyards.com
Lau-Nae Winery
1522 State Route 3, Red Bud, IL
(618) 282-WINE, lau-naewinery.com
Limestone Creek Winery
1250 State Route 127 S., Jonesboro, IL
(618) 534-9049
Log Cabin Winery
7294 Shawneetown Trail, Ellis Grove, IL
(618) 859-3813
Orlandini Vineyard
410 Thorn Ln., Makanda, IL
(618) 995-2307, orlandinivineyard.com
Owl Creek Vineyard
2655 Water Valley Rd., Cobden, IL
(618) 893-2557, owlcreekvineyard.com
Pheasant Hollow Winery
14931 State Hwy 37, Whittington, IL
(618) 629-2302, pheasanthollowwinery.com
Pomona Winery
2865 Hickory Ridge Rd., Pomona, IL
(618) 893-2623, pomonawinery.com
Ravissant Winery
5950 Town Hall Rd., Belleville, IL
(866) 837-WINE, ravissantwinery.com
Schorr Lake Vineyards
1032 S. Library Rd., Waterloo, IL
(618) 939-3174, schorrlakevineyard.net
Shawnee Winery
200 Commercial St., Vienna, IL
(618) 658-8400, shawneewinery.com
StarView Vineyards
5100 Winghill Rd., Cobden, IL
(618) 893-WINE, starviewvineyards.com
Von Jakob Vineyard
1309 Sadler Rd., Pomona, IL
(618) 893-4500, vonjakobvineyard.com
Windy Hill Vineyard & Winery
2955 Creal Springs Rd., Creal Springs, IL
(618) 996-3581, windyhillvineyardandwinery.net