2013 SI Wine Guide

Wine Country

Southern Illinois

GET INTO THE GRAPES

wine varieties tasting 101 TAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE A FEW STEPS FURTHER serving secrets

the half-hour rule the EASY way TO GET THE WINE JUST RIGHT

2013

sights & sounds

MUSIC, lodging ENHANCE YOUR OUTING

Free

Food, Fun & Relaxation The Great Boars of Fire can cater a party of ten guests or events of thousands. No party too small, no event too big. We also pride ourselves in being fully mobile. We are very proud to say we have been invited and have traveled cross country to cook for various events.

The Great Boars of Fire Lodge is ideal for any special occasion. This beautiful banquet facility is nestled in the Shawnee National Forest of Southern Illinois.

The Blue Boar Restaurant offers a full menu including Cajun Style dishes, Steaks, Seafood and full breakfast served on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Our full service bar is great for casual or impressive scenery. We complete the experience with football and all other attractions on big screen TVs. The Boars’ Nest Bed & Breakfast offers five cabins and is located in the heart of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail. The Honeymoon Cabin has a private deck and jacuzzi tub. Each cabin has a full kitchenette. Open year round.

618-833-7788 theblueboarrestaurant.com

618-833-5858 greatboarsoffire.com

618-833-6100 boarsnestbb.com

920 Kratzinger Hollow Road • Cobden, IL 800-440-4489

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Southern Illinois | 1

Wines to suit every taste.

If you have ever spent a lazy afternoon enjoying the sunshine and sipping wine at a Southern Illinois vineyard, perhaps a fanciful notion of doing the same in France, Germany or Tuscany came to mind.

Actually, the notion is none too fanciful. Europe may seem a world apart, and not merely geographically, but there are true connections between the wines produced close to our homes and those betterknown — but not always superior — varieties enjoyed on the continent.

France looms large in our winemaking lineage. French settlers in Illinois brought their winemaking ways into what was then the wilderness of the New World. By the 1700s, winemaking was established in Illinois, and the business grew steadily until Prohibition became the law of the land – at a time Illinois was the nation’s fourth largest producer of wine.

That isn’t our only French connection, however. During the 1800s, winemaking in France was devastated by insects infesting vineyards and destroying whole grape harvests. To save winemaking, the French imported grapes native to Illinois and crossed them with French grapes to create a hybrid. Those hybrid grapes later were imported to the U.S. and used to establish new wineries and vineyards throughout Illinois from 1979 through 1995.

France and Southern Illinois are forever connected through the shared grape, but we also have similar, if not exact, characteristics in climate and terrain. When combined with loving human care in the many vineyards across Southern Illinois, our soil, rainfall and sunshine produce high-quality wines.

Our dry red Chambourcin wines enjoy a well-deserved reputation, but you also will find many admirers of locally produced Chardonel, Traminette, Vignoles and other wines. If you enjoy a lovely glass of wine, there is a vineyard somewhere in the region especially suited to your tastes and a product line of wines that will delight and captivate.

Enjoy the bounty of our remarkable and ever-growing grape harvest! est Wishes, B The Southern Illinoisan

A Publication Of The Southern Illinoisan A Lee Enterprises Company Publisher Bob Williams EXECUTIVE Editor Gary Metro Editor Cara Recine Writers Cara Recine Adam Testa Copy Editor Ashley Kendera Creative Direction & Layout Sharon Reynolds-Haege Account Executives Kelly Caudill Brian Flath Meagan Murray Levi Wampler Sales Assistant Michelle Goolsby AD Graphic Design Andrew McBride The Southern Illinoisan 710 North Illinois Ave. Carbondale, IL 62901 www. thesouthern.com For Advertising Inquiries, Call (618) 351-5014

Wine Country Southern Illinois is printed once a year by The Southern Illinoisan. All contents copyright 2013.

All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents, without the prior written permission of the publisher, is strictly prohibited.

This Guide is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Additional Sources: Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association, wineintro.org, Wine Specatator’s Pocket Guide to Wine, The Wine Merchants of St. Louis

The Shawnee Hills American Viticultural Area Illinois received its first American Viticultural Area recognized by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

Southern Illinois’ Shawnee Hills region is the state’s first region acknowledged for its distinctive winemaking properties.

Besides the benefits of name recognition, this federal AVA designation allows wineries to use the term “Estate Bottled” for wines produced on the same premises on which the grapes are grown. To be a Shawnee Hills AVA wine, the wines must derive 85 percent or more of their volume from grapes grown within the AVA, re-assuring consumers that wines with the Shawnee Hills designation on the label are enriched by the region’s characteristic grape attributes.

The AVA stamp confirms the Shawnee Hills region’s capability for producing unique wines that are distinctly Illinois.

Come visit us in the rolling hills of the Shawnee Hills National Forest!

We offer a wide variety of award winning, hand-crafted wines that will surely please any palate.

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Wine country

Southern Illinois | 3

Getting into the grape:

Varieties

Southern illinois winemakers use different grape varieties to produce a diversity of high-quality wines. Many of the top grape varietals are French hybrids, developed by crossing French grapes, such as the Chardonnay, with native American vines, such as Norton, which originated in colonial Virginia. Norton grapes produce a dark, inky red wine with flavors of plums and cherries. The result of this “crossing” is grapes that produce excellent wine, but that are less susceptible to extreme cold — making them ideal for Illinois’ unpredictable weather.

Here are the most common hybrids being grown in Southern Illinois: Chambourcin (Red): A late-ripening, dark blue-black grape that can produce a highly rated red wine with a reasonably full, slightly herbaceous flavor and aroma. Chambourcin grapes are usually used to produce Claret or Bordeaux-style wines, but can also be used to make rosé.

Seyval (White): One of the most widely planted grapes east of the Rocky Mountains, the Seyval grape features aromas of grass, hay and melon. Seyval produces food-friendly white wines that are often thought of as alternatives to Chardonnay.

Vignoles (White): Produces excellent white wines of many different styles, including dessert wines and both dry and semi-sweet varietals.

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Chardonel (White): A hybrid of Chardonnay and Seyval vines, this full-bodied, crisp and dry grape produces European-style wines exhibiting toasty oak, ripe apple and pear flavors.

Vidal Blanc (White): Popular for its fresh and fruity characteristics, the Vidal Blanc grape is similar to Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadet grapes and can be vinified in a variety of styles.

Traminette (White): A floral nose harmonizes with flavors of honey and apricot. An unexpected spicy finish adds to the character.

NORTON (RED): Sometimes call Cynthiana, the Norton grape produces a dark, inky red wine with flavors of plums and cherries.

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Southern Illinois | 5

Wine talk

Here are some helpful descriptors when exploring Southern Illinois wines:

Acid/Acidity: Makes wine taste sharp. Also contributes to the bouquet and brilliance; can have too much or too little.

Appearance: Refers to a wine’s clarity, not color.

Aftertaste: The taste or flavors that linger in the mouth.

Age/Aged/Aging: Improves flavor. All wine is aged from weeks to decades. After a certain point, all wine declines in the bottle.

Balance: A tasting term, states whether the fruit, acid, wood flavors, etc. are in the right proportion.

Chewy: Describes rich, heavy, tannic wines that are full-bodied.

Complexity: A combination of richness, depth, flavor intensity balance, finesse and others.

Crisp: A tasting term, denotes a fresh, wine with good acidity.

Dry: Having no perceptible taste of sugar.

Earthy: Describes a wine that tastes of the soil in which it was grown. Red wines most often have this characteristic.

Fermentation: The process that turns the grape into wine.

Finish: Also called aftertaste. Great wines have rich, long finishes.

Fresh: Lively, clean and fruity tastes, essential for young wines.

Green: Tasting of unripe fruit. Not a bad thing really, especially in a Riesling.

Legs: The droplets that form and ease down the sides of a glass when the wine is swirled.

Mature: Ready to drink.

Nose: The smell or aroma of wine. Also called bouquet.

Palate/Mouthfeel: The feel and taste of wine in the mouth.

Supple: Describes a wine with well-balanced tannins and fruit characteristics.

Tannin: The mouth-puckering substance – found mostly in red wines – that is derived primarily from grape skins, seeds and stems.

Tannin acts as a natural preservative that helps wine age and develop.

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Beyond Grapes Fruit wines hit The (dry and) sweet spot Many people have the mistaken belief that because they don’t prefer sweet wines, they will dislike any wine made from fruit.

But that’s not true.

Grapes have enough natural sugar to produce a stable byproduct during fermentation. Other fruits, like apples, have much lower sugar content and result in a much less desirable result.

The trick is adding sugar to the mix.

But added sugar doesn’t make the wine sweet; instead, it feeds the yeast involved and increases the wine’s alcohol level.

When the wine finds its way to the bottle, there’s no distinguishable taste from the additional sugar, and the same characteristics of grape wines exist.

For those wanting to try something different, fruit wines are an alternative. They come in dry and sweet, red and white, just like grape wines.

Your news, your way, every day.

Whether it’s in print, online or on the go, The Southern Illinoisan has the news and information you want, when you want it. No one in the region does it better.

www.thesouthern.com (800) 228-0429

com

Tasting 101 For many of us, a winery is a place to relax and recuperate in a great setting. But if you’re ready to take your wine experience a step further, learning more about tastings might be on your to-do list.

Tasting isn’t the same as drinking. To experience the full flavor of wines, take the time to pay attention to your senses: Sight, smell and touch, as well as taste. And you don’t need to know much about wine — other than you like it — to begin the tasting journey.

After all, that’s what tastings are all about.

In many wineries, you’ll have the opportunity to talk to winemakers, which will almost always add to the experience, for the wine drinker and the winemaker. And most of them will tell you the most important thing is that you enjoy

the wines and the winery experience. Learning about wines can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be.

It’s also good to venture into wine tastings with an open mind. That’s where a wine “flight” comes in hand. Many vintners will recommend you try five wines in a taste range you know you like – sweet wines, for instance – and one wine outside your known preference. It’s a really good way to broaden your wine palate.

If in the back of your mind you can still hear your mom saying “Don’t spit!” that won’t be an issue. People who spit out wine are almost always involved in wine judging. If they swallowed every taste of wine, they wouldn’t be sober for long.

Before you embark on your tasting, here are a few tips: 1. P ours should and will be small, enough

for a couple of good samples. That allows for swirling the wine around in the glass to release its aromas without splashing. (Ever tried to get a red wine stain out of a white shirt?) And just as important: If you drink bigger servings, you’ll end up tipsy.

2. W ines are usually tasted in a certain order.

Drink whites before reds, dry wines before sweet wines.

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3. I f you don’t like a particular wine, it isn’t considered an insult if you discard it.

4. Y ou can ask for a second pour on a wine.

But as a matter of etiquette, don’t ask for a second pour on every wine you taste.

If you find a wine you like, buy a glass.

Take flight Wine “flights” are highly elevated tastings.

They usually take place in formal settings, in competitions, in samplings of the same wine made by different producers or in a varietal made over successive years by the same winery.

Horizontal tastings: The wine type is from the same vintage (year) but from different wineries.

Vertical tastings: Different vintages of the same wine type from the same winery.

Many reputable sources, including regional experts, recognize the five S’s: See:

Tilt the glass in front of a light surface or source.

Is the color clear or cloudy? It should be clear. Is it rich and deep in color? Many good reds are. Color will vary according to the variety of grapes and wine.

Swirl:

The swirling motion releases the flavors.

Simply put the glass on the table and move the glass in a circular motion. As the wine coats the sides of the glass, it releases its aroma and the wine “crawls” down the side of the glass.

Smell: There are global tasting experts who can sniff

a wine and tell which grape, which vineyard in which country and in what year it was likely released. But luckily, we don’t have to do that. Just put your nose into the glass and take a big sniff. You will likely be able to detect general scents, like fruity, earthy, spicy or floral.

Sip:

Take a little wine into your mouth and appreciate the taste of the wine. It is meant to be sipped, not gulped or swallowed like a shot. When you do take a sip, make sure your mouth is coated because different parts of your mouth pick up subtle tastes and differences in the wine. Did it taste the way you thought it might, the way it smelled? Is it sweet? Acidic? Light? Full-bodied? But the most important question: Did you like it?

Savor:

Have you ever had a wine so good that several minutes after your last sip, it still tastes good? You can still “feel” the wine in your mouth, like velvet. Then you know what it is to savor the wine. Technically, that’s called a wine’s “finish,” and it’s the payoff of any tasting — that, and deciding you probably ought to take a bottle of it home with you.

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Southern Illinois | 9

Vineyards and Wineries

Southern Illinois

29

Castle Finn

8 HEDMAN ORCHARD AND VINEYARDS 560 Chestnut St., Alto Pass 618-893-4923 www.peachbarn.com

7 GENKOTA WINERY 301 N. 44th St., Mount Vernon 618-246-9466 www.genkotawine.com

6 FLINT HILL VINEYARDS 2075 Illinois 45, Muddy 618-253-7224

5 CACHE RIVER BASIN VINEYARD AND WINERY 315 Forman Lane, Belknap 618-658-2274 www.crbwinery.com

4 BLUE SKY VINEYARDS 3150 S. Rocky Comfort Road, Makanda 618-995-WINE www.blueskyvineyard.com

3 BLACK DIAMOND VINEYARDS 3501 Black Diamond Road, Nashville 618-336-5700 www.blackdiamondvineyards.net

2 BELLA T WINERY 755 Parker City Road, Creal Springs 618-658-8882 www.bellatwinery.com

1 ALTO VINEYARDS AND WINERY Illinois 127, Alto Pass 618-893-4898 www.altovineyards.net

17 MONTE ALEGRE VINEYARDS AND PONCE CELLARS 473 Ponce Trail, Carbondale 618-549-3952 www.montealegrewines.com 18 ORLANDINI VINEYARD 410 Thorn Lane, Makanda 618-995-2307 www.orlandinivineyard.com 19 OWL CREEK VINEYARDS 2655 Water Valley Road, Cobden 618-893-2557 www.owlcreekvineyard.com 20 PHEASANT HOLLOW WINERY 14931 Illinois 37, Whittington 618-629-2302 www.pheasanthollowwinery.com 21 POMONA WINERY 2865 Hickory Ridge Road, Pomona 618-893-2623 www.pomonawinery.com 22 RUSTLE HILL WINERY 8595 U.S. Highway 51 North, Cobden 618-893-2700 www.rustlehillwinery.com 23 SCHORR LAKE VINEYARDS 1032 S. Liberty St., Waterloo 618-939-3174 www.schorrlakevineyard.net 24 SHAWNEE WINERY 200 W. Commercial St., Vienna 888-659-WINE www.shawneewinery.com

9 HICKORY RIDGE VINEYARD AND WINERY 1598 Hickory Ridge Road, Pomona 618-893-1700 hickoryridgevineyard@gmail.com

10 HOGG HOLLOW WINERY 202-4 Route 2, Golconda 618-695-WINE www.hogghollowwinery.com

11 HONKER HILL WINERY 4861 Spillway Road, Carbondale 618-549-5517 www.honkerhillwinery.com

12 KITE HILL VINEYARDS 83 Kite Hill Road, Carbondale 618-684-5072 www.kitehillvineyards.com

13 LAU-NAE WINERY 1522 Illinois 3, Red Bud 618-282-WINE www.lau-naewinery.com

14 LIMESTONE CREEK WINERY 1250 State Route 127 South, Jonesboro 618-534-9049 adillard@midwest.net

15 LINCOLN HERITAGE WINERY 772 Kaolin Road, Cobden 618-833-3783 www.lincolnheritagewinery.com

16 LYN-NITA VINEYARDS 514 Coal Road, Elkville 618-568-1719 www.lyn-nitavineyards.com

29 Castle Finn WINERY 1288 N. 1200th Street, Marshall, 217-463-2600 www.castlefinnwinery.com

28 WALKER’S BLUFF 4400 Meridian Road, Carterville 618-559-4893 www.walkersbluff.com

27 VON JAKOB VINEYARDS 1309 Sadler Road, Pomona 618-893-4500 230 Illinois 127, Alto Pass 618-893-4600 www.vonjakobvineyard.com

26 THE BLUFFS WINERY 140 Buttermilk Hill Road, Ava 618-763-4447 www.thebluffswinery.com

25 STARVIEW VINEYARDS 5100 Winghill Road, Cobden 618-893-WINE www.starviewvineyards.com

How is a vineyard different than a winery?

A vineyard is an area of land equipped for the cultivation of wine grapes.

A winery is the establishment at which wine is made. Wineries will typically house winemaking equipment and, in some instances, some may house bottling lines, warehouses and tanks. In many occasions, wineries also operate adjacent vineyards.

The diverse grape growing and winemaking industry in Illinois incorporates both wineries and vineyards.

Get a grasp on the glass How you hold a glass while drinking wine might seem trivial, but there is a right way to do it and a good reason for it. The temperature at which a wine is served can negatively affect the taste, and it takes only a little body heat to change it. Holding the glass in your hand with fingers wrapped around the bowl will quickly warm the wine, making that last sip not nearly as good as the first.

So, make the sweet life last longer by grasping the glass by the stem or the base, whichever is more comfortable to you.

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The quickest route to Southern Illinois Wine Country! winecountrysi.com From maps to locate your favorite winery or vineyard to the local lodging and entertainment, winecountrysi.com is the best website to get all of the information you need to plan your wine country getaway.

Visit us online today and find out why we’re the premier source of wine country information.

Wine country

Southern Illinois | 13

B&Bs, cabins make you feel at home

Stay a while

After a long day of absorbing the breath-taking beauty of the Shawnee National Forest and the landscapes of Southern Illinois’ vineyards, who wants to return to the city to take up shelter in a hotel room?

Much like the wine industry in the region has blossomed through the years, more intimate lodging has also become a prosperous venture in Southern Illinois. From bed-and-breakfasts to rustic cabins, visitors and residents alike have opportunities to escape the urban streets and spend the night surrounded by nature.

Many of these facilities offer their own special amenities, whether it be a taste of Europe or an up-close-and-personal experience with the area’s wildlife. Some adopt a more authentic outdoors atmosphere aimed at those with natural flair, while others offer a five-star escape complete with modern design and conveniences.

Some bed-and-breakfasts can even be found on the same properties as the wineries, making access even easier and allowing guests to sample the wines from the comforts of their own homes-away-from-home.

The warmth and hospitality extended by the staffs of Southern Illinois’ wineries extend to these intimate lodging venues, as well. Ask most any bed-and-breakfast owner, and he or she will say they strive to make their guests feel like part of the family.

And what’s better than waking up after a late night sipping wine on the patio than a homecooked breakfast?

The sound of music On almost any given day, a number of musicians — local, regional and national — will take the stage at one or more of Southern Illinois’ wineries. The performance might be one largely unadvertised or promoted, or it could be a special attraction show featuring musical legends.

While many winery concerts are associated with certain styles of music, the region’s venues offer a wide variety, creating opportunities for everyone. This summer season will see local favorites such as the Ivas John Band or Bill Harper nationally recognized performers including Sheryl Crow.

Find the complete listing of who is playing where at winecountrysi.com or at flipsideonline.com

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| Wine country Southern Illinois

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Wine country

Southern Illinois | 15

Wine in Illinois:

A Rich History The Illinois wine industry has exploded in recent years, growing from just 12 wineries in 1997 to more than 90 today.

Illinois is consistently among the top 12 wine-producing states. Illinois also enjoys a rich winemaking tradition that dates back to the 1700s: 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.

The Lawlor family in Galena opens Galena Cellars Winery.

1984 – Retired SIU Carbondale

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.

professor Guy Renzaglia establishes Alto Vineyards in Alto Pass, planting five acres of grape varieties unheard of in the region – Chancellor, Chambourcin, Vidal and Villard Blanc.

These varieties have since become widely accepted by Midwestern wine drinkers.

1900 – Illinois is the fourth-largest wine

1995 – Wineries and vineyards are

1857 – Emile Baxter and Sons open

producing state in the nation.

1920 – The Prohibition Act stops all legal

established throughout the northern, central and southern regions of Illinois.

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.

winemaking. Some Illinois vineyards continue to grow table grapes, others uproot their vines to make way for corn and soybeans. Two generations of wine-making in Southern Illinois were completely lost because of Prohibition.

2001 – Illinois boasts 27 wineries.

1933 – Prohibition is repealed.

2005 – The State of Illinois designated

1936 – The Baxter family returns to producing wines for the first time since Prohibition.

1979 – Fred E. Koehler and his wife purchase a large prairie-style house in Roselle and start making world-class wines as Lynfred Winery.

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Wine country

Southern Illinois

September as “Illinois Wine Month.”

2006 – A region in Southern Illinois is recognized as the Shawnee Hills American Viticultural Area (AVA) by the federal government.

It is Illinois’ first AVA designation.

Source: IGGVA

Notes

Winery

Wine Vintage Notes

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Southern Illinois | 17

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Don’t be embarrassed;

go ahead and Blush If you have a taste for sweeter wines, a blush might be your favorite. And you don’t need to be embarrassed about that.

But a blush can range from sweet to dry, with fruity aromas and flavors.

But what makes a blush a blush? Color, mostly. Typically a rosé – traditionally the ‘old world’ name – or blush is a type of wine that has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough – if any – to turn it pink.

Winemakers can blend wines to create a blush, or it can be created in the way the juice is fermented.

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| Wine country Southern Illinois

Here’s what you need to know about blush wines: Not for aging: Blush wines are “young” wines; best to drink these wines within several months of their release.

Tiny bubbles? Sometimes. Rosés and blush wines can be made still, semi-sparkling or sparkling.

Regional wines are generally still wines.

Keep your cool: Blushes are served chilled.

Just ask: Winemakers like talking about wines, so don’t hesitate to explore a blush with them.

Pairings

What goes with what.

There are hundreds of wine varietals to choose from and thousands of possible pairings. These are basic suggestions.

A couple of thing to know, though: 1. We list grape varietals, not a wine region, like Burgundy or Bordeaux.

2. All reds and whites are produced in many styles, based on sugar content. Dry wines have less than 1 percent sugar and tend to have more tannins. Sweet wines have much more sugar and higher acidity.

And, above all, know that everyone’s palate is different, even among professionals. You are the final judge of what you like.

Food Wine style Traditional Southern

varietals Illinois varietals Red meat, rich Red meat, lean

Full-bodied, dry red

Zinfindel, Cabernet Sauvignon

Chambourcin, Norton

Medium-bodied, dry red

Pinot Noir, Merlot

Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin

Seafood

Medium-bodied, dry white

Chardonnary, Sauvignon Blanc

Chardonel, Seyval

Pasta, red sauce

Light-bodied, semi-dry red

Chianti

Chambourcin, young

Medium-bodied, dry to semi-dry white

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Chardonel, Seyval

Pasta, white sauce

Spicy food

Poultry, white meats

Medium to light-bodied Pinot Grigio Semi-dry to semi-sweet white

Vignoles Gewurztraminer Traminette

Medium-bodied, dry white

Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc

Chardonel, Seyval

Duck/goose

Full-bodied, dry red

Cabernet Sauvignon

Norton

Hard Cheese

Full-bodied, dry red

Cabernet Sauvignon

Norton

Soft Cheese

Medium-bodied, dry white

Chardonnay

Chardonel

Wine country

Southern Illinois | 19

30 minutes to

perfect wine This is easy. Really. You only have to remember the “half-hour rule.”

“Take white wine out of your refrigerator 30 minutes before you plan to drink it,” said Jason Main of The Wine Merchant in St. Louis. “Put red wine in the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to drink it. It’s that simple.”

This rule will help you get closer to the perfect serving temperatures for various wines, which makes a difference in aroma and taste.

“Most white wines are served too cold,” said Karen Hand, winemaker at Blue Sky in Makanda. It mutes the flavors and “closes up” the wine, which means we miss too many secondary flavors.

“A lot of people think room temperature for red wine, refrigerator for whites,” Main said. “But ‘room’ temperature, in the professional sense, means ‘cellar’ temperature.”

The ideal serving temperature for red wines is about 56 degrees; for whites, it’s about 45 to 50 degrees, Main said. But if you follow the “half-hour rule,” you’ll be very close to that and will better enjoy the full wine-drinking experience.

Store all corked wines on their sides to keep the corks moist; store whites in the refrigerator and reds in a cool, darker place.

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| Wine country Southern Illinois

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