Believe it or not, Illinois was once a leading wine
producer, supplying about a quarter of the nation’s domestic supply.
Then came Prohibition, and, for obvious reasons, business dried up.
In the last 15 years, with encouragement from a state
organization of grape growers and vintners, the number of Illinois wineries
has increased 10-fold to more than 50, with even more expected in the next
few years.
Most of the state’s vineyards and wineries are
in southern Illinois, where the sandy soils and hilly terrain are conducive
to viniculture, but you’ll find wineries throughout the state. Some
have their own vineyards, but many buy their grapes.
In 2004 the Lounsberry family of Oakford opened the
Hill Prairie Winery on the site of their fifth-generation farm, officially
making it the nearest winery to Springfield. They transformed their
93-year-old barn into a wine showroom, complete with an entertainment area
and a museum of Oakford-area history.
Most of the wines offered by Hill Prairie, including
blended whites, blushes, and sweet reds, are made from grapes grown on the
farm.
This summer the Lounsberrys began featuring live
local music on Sunday afternoons, and they try to offer a murder-mystery
dinner theater (with lots of good wine) about once a month. To get to Hill
Prairie from Springfield, take Route 97 through Salisbury, New Salem,
Petersburg, and Atterberry. The winery is on the east side of the road just
before you get to Oakford. Hill Prairie is open for business 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday and
Friday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 217-635-9900 or
go to www.hillprairiewinery.com.
• The Shawnee Hills Wine Trail Festival takes
place this weekend. The festival, launched in 1995 to promote some new
southern-Illinois wineries, has grown into one of the most popular
wine-related events in Illinois. The seven participating wineries are close
enough to each other to be visited in a one-day romp, or you can take your
time and opt for a wine-soaked weekend of lollygagging. The popularity of
the wineries has given rise to more bed & breakfasts, shopping stops,
and other attractions resulting from extra tourists in the lower reaches of
Illinois.
Participating wineries are Alto Vineyards, Blue Sky
Vineyards, Hedman Orchard and Vineyards, Inheritance Valley Vineyards, Owl
Creek Vineyard, Pomona Winery and Von Jakob Vineyard. The festival runs
noon-6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 3 and 4, but you may visit the
wineries most anytime during regular business hours. Start your fun at Alto
Vineyards, the oldest of the wineries, just north of Alto Pass on Highway
127. A $12 entrance fee includes a souvenir glass, wine tasting at all
seven wineries, and a $5 coupon toward a bottle of wine purchased that day.
For more information, call 618-893-4898, 618-893-4500, or 618-893-2623 or
visit www.shawneewinetrail.com.
• Wine connoisseurs should make plans to attend
the Central Illinois Wine Festival, Oct. 8 and 9 in Decatur’s Central
Park. The two-day festival features displays from artists and artisans,
live music, and cooking demonstrations, plus booths staffed by Illinois
vintners.
For more information about the state’s wineries,
visit the Illinois Grape Growers & Vintners Association Web site, www.illinoiswine.com.
This article appears in Sep 1-7, 2005.
