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Which state was the fourth-largest U.S. wine producer
in 1900? You’ll probably be surprised to discover that
it was Illinois, where the wine industry’s roots go back to the
1770s, when French settlers started making wine in the Peoria area. In
1857, Emil Baxter and sons opened a winery in Nauvoo. Five generations
later, Baxter Vineyards is the oldest operating winery in the state.
Wine production here, and across the United States,
was stopped by Prohibition in 1920. But repeal didn’t immediately
resuscitate the business; more than four decades would pass before wineries
returned to Illinois. It was slow going at first: In the first 20 years of
the industry’s reemergence, Illinois had only 14 wineries. By the end
of the 1990s, though, the numbers had begun to increase dramatically. Today
Illinois is home to 79 wineries and more than 350 vineyards, placing it in
the top 12 wine-producing states. The Illinois wine industry generates
substantial income: It’s creating an annual direct economic impact of
more than $253 million dollars. Most of those dollars come from wine sales,
but tourism also plays a part, as does the use of some wineries as event
venues. According to Brad Beam, oenologist at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, the Illinois wine industry is still in its infancy but
“we’re headed in the right direction and the quality is
improving dramatically.”
On May 17 and 18, visitors to the Art of Illinois
Wine Garden will be able to judge for themselves by tasting wines from 20
Illinois wineries. The participating wineries, located throughout the
state, are just some of the members of the Illinois Grape Growers and
Vintners Association. The organization has teamed up with Downtown
Springfield Inc. and the Old State Capitol Foundation to host the event,
which will be held in conjunction with the Old Capitol Art Fair as a
celebration of what Illinois has to offer. The Art of Illinois Wine Garden will be open noon-5
p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18, on the southwest corner of
Jefferson and Fifth streets. The lot is owned by Robert and Jill Egizii,
who are donating its use for the event. The Art of Illinois Wine Garden is
open to anyone 21 years or older. Admission, which costs $10 dollars,
includes a wine glass and five tickets, each of which is redeemable for a
1-ounce tasting. Additional tickets may be purchased for $1 each. Wine will
also be available for purchase by the glass, bottle, or case. Food is an important and essential component of any
wine tasting. The culinary offerings at the Art of Illinois Wine Garden
will highlight the IGGVA’s goal of establishing a store for Illinois
wine and food products in downtown Springfield. Ropp Jersey cheeses from
Normal [see “Heartland holiday treats,” Illinois Times, Dec. 13, 2007] will
be available, and Jerry Jimenez, owner of Darn Hot Peppers, will be teaming
up with Café Moxo to showcase some of his products [see
“Getting the chile bug,” Illinois
Times, Sept. 13, 2007]. Funds raised by the Art of Illinois Wine Garden will
be used to benefit two Lincoln Bicentennial projects. The Tinsley
Initiative “aims to accurately locate and interpret Lincoln’s
only remaining law offices and Illinois’ 1840s federal courtroom
complex in the Tinsley building at the corner of Sixth and Adams
streets.” (Recently discovered evidence has made it clear that the
current layout of offices and courtrooms is incorrect [see R.L. Nave,
“Oops!” Dec. 13, 2007].) The other beneficiary is the
DSI’s Wall Dog Mural Project, an initiative to bring together artists
from Springfield and beyond to create lasting murals related to Lincoln and
the history of Springfield on downtown buildings. The organizers are working to ensure that the Art of
Illinois Wine Garden is not a garden in name only. They’re working
with Lowe’s, which will donate plantings to create an aesthetically
beautiful background in which visitors can sample Illinois wines. The visitors will have a wide range of wines from
which to choose. There will be more than 150 available: reds, whites,
rosés, and fruit wines. Some will be sweet, some semi-dry, and
others dry. So if you’re going to the Old Capitol Art Fair
this year, walk on down the street and give Illinois wines a try. As Justin
Blandford of the Old State Capitol Foundation says, “Where else can
you step from a $150 million museum to one of the longest-running Illinois
art fairs to historic sites and a wine tasting?”
For more information, contact Megan Presnall (IGGVA)
at 217-782-6515, Justin Blandford (OSC) at 217-785-7958, or Victoria
Clemons (DSI) 217-544-1723.
Contact Julianne Glatz at realcuisine@comcast.net.
This article appears in May 1-7, 2008.
