(ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES) — Every year I do an evaluation of life.
What’s going well? What goals do I have for the next year? What needs to be left in the past?
Well, today, we’re not going to worry about those questions. We’re going to talk about good wine, and where you can go to get some.
I’ve had the pleasure of partnering with many wineries across the State of Illinois this past year. I’ve made many friends over a common love for the red and/or white beverage gracing our glasses, and I hope you can do the same.
Not a wine person? Give it a chance! I’ve had many “non-wine” people try the wines I recommend, and they really enjoy it. I’ve had people say “Oh, all Illinois wine is sweet wine!” To whom I then offer a glass of something semi-sweet and they say “oh, that’s really not that sweet.” It just depends! Every winery has a different vibe and their wines have different flavors. They are some similarities, though, especially to which grapes are mainly used in the Midwest.
Illinois is well-known for having “French hybrid” grapes. The main 6 grape varietals grown in Illinois cover more than 75% of the State’s total grape acreage, according to Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance (IGGVA, also known as Illinois Wine). 5 of the 6 top grapes are the French hybrids, as shown below.
These grapes are Chambourcin, Seyval, Vignoles, Chardonel and Vidal Blanc. These are developed by crossing French grapes, like Chardonnay, which are normally grown in France and California, with native American vines.
The 6th main grape varietal in Illinois is Norton, used in dryer wines. It can also be seen in wine blends, which are also popular in Illinois.
To learn more about Illinois grapes and wine, head to the IGGVA’s website.
So let’s get the maps out and see where you can travel this upcoming year for a glass, or two, of delicious Illinois wine. I will go in chronological order from when I started this Illinois Winery Tour.
1: Tres Rojas Winery – Washington, Illinois
Surrounded by Central Illinois countryside, Tres Rojas opened their doors December 2020, during the Pandemic. I met Bob Barry a couple years before this, when he was still searching for the perfect plot of land to start his winery. Well, he found it. The grounds are very serene and perfect for a casual get together with friends, a special party, or even a wedding! They do a great job at building relationships with their customers, and they have adorable dogs to greet you when you arrive. I also enjoy how Tres Rojas partners with food trucks and musicians to add to the experience. Some of my favorite wines are the Sweet Maria, Resurrection Red and Rhu-Berry!
2: Mackinaw Valley Vineyard – Mackinaw, Illinois
Mackinaw Valley is well known for its beautiful landscape and tasty wines. With a lake behind the property, the winery is the perfect place for outdoor music, events and just walking around on a nice day. The Red Dragon and Deux Noir are my favorites. The Red Dragon is a sweeter red wine bursting with flavor, while the Deux Noir is a blueberry/blackberry wine that is right down the middle. The staff at Mackinaw is always very friendly and I enjoy striking up conversation with them.
3: Hidden Hills Winery – Galesburg/Knoxville, Illinois
Nestled into Knox County, Illinois is Hidden Hills Winery. Roughly 35-40 minutes West of Peoria, you’ll find Hidden Hills on your way to Galesburg right off I-74. The winery has a really nice and calm outdoor seating space with plenty of green space. I really appreciated the behind-the-scenes tour my friends and I were given of the winery, that always helps give you a deeper sense of the process winemakers go through. A really exciting product Hidden Hills recently launched is a raspberry hard cider. They sell it at Peoria Chiefs games (and hopefully will have it at Peoria City Soccer games in the near future!).
4: August Hill Winery – Peru & Utica, Illinois
August Hill Winery is one of the most popular wineries in Illinois, and for good reason. You can do a cave wine tasting tour in August Hill’s man made caves at the Peru winery location. They have live music and food trucks there, as well as tours where you can walk up to the vineyards and learn about the history. August Hill helped me find my love for Niagara wines. Normally a sweet white wine, Niagara grapes are typically grown in Niagara County, New York but have become popular across the Midwest. I’d say the flavor of these wines gives me a hit of bubble gum when I sip on it, which I love. August Hill also has its own sparkling wine brand, Illinois Sparkling Co. I tend to steer away from the sparkling wines, but they have some decent ones I have tried before. Recently, I fell in love with the 2023 Nouveau, which is a semi-dry red wine. “Nouveau” signifies the first wine release of the year, just weeks after the grapes are harvested.
August Hill also has a tasting room in the wonderful Utica, Illinois. Mill Street in downtown Utica is a hopping place, full of restaurants, wineries and stores that proves to be an excellent day trip. You can have a flight, wine tasting, food while sitting and relaxing (or standing at the bar) at the wine tasting room.
5: Old Mill Vineyard – Metamora, Illinois
Tucked away in the rural countryside of Metamora, Illinois lays Old Mill Vineyard. The tasting room is called Bent Tree at OMV, an exquisite escape from the hustle and bustle of life. It’s very nice on the inside, with the bar, tables and chairs for you to unwind and relax. Outside you can find additional seating facing a lake behind the property. Old Mill tends to sway towards the dryer wines, so if you are a dry wine fan, then you’ll love Old Mill! I really enjoyed the wines I tried and was happy to get out of my comfort zone when I was just starting to try dryer wines. Now I usually enjoy the range from semi-sweet to semi-dry.
6: Lynfred Winery – Wheeling, Illinois
This is for all my Chicago readers out there. There’s not just 1 Lynfred Winery in the Chicago suburbs, there’s 5! On the way to the Illinois Beach Hotel in Zion, Illinois – my wife and I stopped by Lynfred Winery in Wheeling, Illinois. It was a very fancy yet relaxed vibe in an old home renovated to become a winery. The main facility is in Roselle, which I am hoping to visit in 2024! My favorite wine I tried here was very unique, and that was the Pear Wine. Perfect for a fall gathering, the pear wine is sweet but not too sweet. I took it to a Friendsgiving in November and it was a hit.
7: Grafton Winery the Vineyard – Grafton, Illinois
Whether you want to go to a brewhaus/winery or a vineyard with a view, Grafton Winery has you covered. For my wife and I’s second wedding anniversary, we stopped by the Vineyard on a sunny October day and had an amazing time. The wine was phenomenal, but the food was just as good. Flatbreads are their specialty here, and I’d recommend getting the chicken and spinach artichoke flatbread that I ordered. It was fantastic. Looking to spend some more time in Grafton? Head right across the street to Eckert’s Grafton Farm for a fun day with the family. If you go to the Brewhaus in downtown Grafton, you can have a fun weekend filled with other restaurants, bars and overnight stays. Grafton Winery is one of the most well-known wineries in Illinois.
8: Galena Cellars Vineyard and Winery
Last but certainly not least, Galena Cellars Vineyard and Winery. My family trip to Galena this fall was one of the best trips I’ve had in a long time. The beautiful green, hilly countryside of Galena reminded me a little bit of Ireland. Galena Cellars is also one of the most popular wineries in Illinois. Similar to August Hill, Galena Cellars has its vineyard location out in the countryside and then a wine tasting room downtown Galena. The downtown location is featured in an 1800s building I was unable to visit, but I definitely will next time. Some of my favorite wines were the Gobble Gobble, a cranberry wine perfect for the holidays, and the Edelweiss. The Edelweiss is Galena Cellars’ closest wine to a Niagara. It is a honeyed peach and pear wine, and is a smooth sipper.
What Illinois wineries would you like to learn about in 2024? I definitely have some plans in the works, but would love to hear from you all and what areas and what specific wineries you want to learn about. Comment, email, or message me on social media!
Matt Sheehan Official 