Why you should visit wineries in Southern Illinois
This blog post covers the best wineries in Southern Illinois.
We’ll discuss five amazing wineries nestled within the Shawnee Hills AVA. They’re all Shawnee Wine Trail member wineries.
This American Viticultural Area is known for its beautiful scenery and amazing wineries. Think rolling hills, lush forests, and leafy vineyards. It’s no wonder some say the Shawnee Hills resemble Italy!
Southern Illinois wine country is located about two hours from St. Louis. It’s the perfect distance for a weekend getaway from the city.
To be honest the State of Illinois isn’t exactly a superstar within the American wine industry. But Southern Illinois is home to a passionate group of wine growers who take great pride in making fine wines from Illinois-grown grapes. As a result, Southern Illinois wine country is full of delicious wines.
Local tourism bureaus recognize the untapped tourism potential of the region. It’s high time others see it too!
Whether you’re looking for a breathtaking view of the Shawnee Hills or just a good glass of wine, you’ll find it here.
How to access wineries in Southern Illinois
The best wineries in Southern Illinois are easy to access.
But the Shawnee Wine Trail is roughly 40 miles long and includes about a dozen wineries. It’s too much to explore in one trip. It would be wise to pick a handful of wineries to visit. And a home base from which to explore them.
Multiple wineries on this Southern Illinois wine trail offer cottages or suites for guests to rent. Sounds nice to wake up surrounded by vineyards, don’t you think?
But if you’d rather stay in town that’s fine too. There are plenty of small towns spread throughout the Shawnee Hills AVA.
The local wineries on this list are situated near the small towns of Pomona, Makanda, and Alto Pass, Illinois. Three of the five wineries on this list are located near Alto Pass, so I’ll use that as a marker.
The closest cities are St. Louis, Evansville, Memphis, and Nashville.
The distance between St. Louis, Missouri and Alto Pass, Illinois is 111 miles. The trip should take about 2 hours by car. Evansville, Indiana is 118 miles, or 2 hours 30 minutes by car from Alto Pass.
Nashville, Tennessee is 197 miles from Alto Pass. It should take about 3 hours and 10 minutes to drive from one to the other. Memphis, Tennessee 201 miles from Alto Pass and the drive should take just over three hours.
All of these cities have airports. You could fly into one of the local airports, rent a car, and drive from the airport to the following wineries in Southern Illinois.
The best wineries in Southern Illinois for a wine tasting
Fun wineries in the town of Alto Pass
Peachbarn Winery & Café (Alto Pass, IL)
Peachbarn Winery & Café serves gourmet food and Illinois wine.
During the 1800’s the property grew peaches. In the mid-1990’s two Swedes – Anders and Gerd Hedman – started serving peach-based dishes out of the barn. A few years later they planted vines and began Hedman’s Vineyards. In 2019 Scott and Jennifer Schroeder bought the business. The Schroeders are the current stewards of this special property.
Today Peachbarn Winery produces a variety of grape and peach-based wine. They work with cold-hardy grapes including Chardonel, Chambourcin, Traminette, and Corot noir.
Peachbarn also turns their namesake fruit into fruit wine. “Peach Fuzz” and “Old School Peach” are both made from peaches grown on the property.
The Peachbarn Winery & Café is open year-round. Guests can sit indoors in the new upstairs tasting room and dining room. Or guests can sit outdoors on the deck in the pavilion.
According to the Shawnee Wine Trail website, the winery and cafe have different hours from one another. They also have different hours depending on the season. It would be wise to double check the Peachbarn website before you head over.
By the way, this business also offers four different lodgings. There’s a suite situated within the barn plus two separate houses and one cottage.
Von Jakob Winery & Brewery (Alto Pass, IL)
Von Jakob Winery & Brewery makes both wine and beer at their location in Alto Pass, Illinois.
Of all the Southern Illinois wineries on this list, Von Jakob offers one of the best views of the area’s scenic countryside.
They’re also one of the area’s award-winning wineries, with roughly twenty different wines on offer.
Von Jakob Winery works with grapes such as Vidal blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Chardonel, Traminette, and Concord. They also make mead from honey.
Von Jakob Brewery makes a range of beers from a light German-style Pilsner to a heavy chocolate stout.
The hours Von Jakob Winery lists on their website differ from those listed on the Shawnee Wine Trail website. It would be best to check both websites before you drive to the winery.
By the way, Von Jakob Winery & Brewery offers two beautiful Southern Illinois bed and breakfast cottages for rent. If you’re looking for accommodations on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail of Southern Illinois then these two cottages could be a good fit.
Alto Vineyards (Alto Pass, IL)
Alto Vineyards is the oldest winery in Southern Illinois.
In 1984 Guy Renzaglia founded the winery. The family’s been making delicious wine from grapes grown in their 9-acre vineyard ever since.
Alto Vineyards works with a variety of grapes including Villard Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Chardonel, Chambourcin, Niagara, Vignoles, and Concord.
This Southern Illinois winery also serves Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah (Shiraz) from Renzaglia Wines, a small winery based in Australia. As you may have guessed, the business name is no coincidence. Years ago one of Guy’s sons moved to Australia to make wine. Today his descendants Mark and Sam Renzaglia make wine in New South Wales. And sometimes they sell it at Alto Vineyards in Illinois. How fun is that?
Alto Vineyards has two tasting rooms, one in Alto Pass, Illinois and the other in Champaign, Illinois. According to the Alto Vineyards website, the tasting room in Alto Pass is open Sunday through Thursday from 12-6 PM. On Friday and Saturday they’re open from 12-7 PM.
The Alto Pass tasting room offers plenty of outdoor seating between the pergola, pavilion, gazebo, and “vine deck.” There are plenty of vineyard views as well.
In addition to wine and beer Alto Vineyards also serves food. Dips, salad, chili, and pizzas are available at the Alto Pass location.
Wineries in other Southern Illinois towns
Blue Sky Vineyard (Makanda, IL)
Blue Sky Vineyard anchors the eastern end of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.
Tuscany, Italy is a huge inspiration for this winery. Everything from the wine to the building has a bit of a Tuscan flair.
Despite the Italian inspiration, Blue Sky proudly features Illinois-grown grapes. Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, and Norton all appear in their wines. Blue Sky also uses Geisenheim grapes, which are a cross between Riesling and Chancelor. These grapes become a range of dry white wines, dry red wines, semi-sweet wines, sweet wines, and dessert wines.
You can sample Blue Sky Vineyard wines at their tasting room in Makanda, Illinois. The property boasts breathtaking views of the Shawnee National Forest.
What better way to while away the afternoon than sipping wine beneath one of those giant blue umbrellas? Divine! You can even grab a bite to eat. They serve a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, pizza, and desserts on site. Although it’s not a full service restaurant, the menu certainly offers enough for a full meal.
Blue Sky Vineyard is open Monday through Thursday from 10 AM to 6:30 PM. On Friday they’re open from 10 AM to 7 PM (or sunset). On Saturday they’re open from 10 AM to 7:30 PM. Sundays they’re open from 12-7 PM.
Hickory Ridge Vineyard and Winery (Pomona, IL)
Hickory Ridge Vineyard and Winery is a beautiful winery located in Pomona, Illinois. I mean look at those flowers! My goodness, that wisteria is worthy of a Bridgerton cameo.
Guests can enjoy the flowers from the patio deck. There are vineyard picnic tables if you’d like to sit outdoors and a cozy tasting room if you’d prefer indoors.
Another thing that differentiates Hickory Ridge: they grow all their own grapes. As a result this family-owned winery ensures their grapes are of excellent quality.
Hickory Ridge Vineyard and Winery grows cold-weather varieties such as Chambourcin, Norton, and Cayuga.
Their regular hours of operation are 12-6 PM from Wednesday through Sunday. They’re closed Monday and Tuesday.
Similar wine regions to explore
Put-in-Bay is a quaint village on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. It’s accessible only by boat and by plane. These two Put-in-Bay wineries aren’t merely wineries, they are attractions.
Two other Midwestern wine towns remind me of Put-in-Bay: Egg Harbor, Wisconsin and Petoskey, Michigan.
The town of Petoskey lies on Lake Michigan. Our blog post covers ten amazing Petoskey wineries that combine the best things in life: lake days and wine.
Egg Harbor, Wisconsin is a small town located on Door County Peninsula, a long peninsula that stretches into Lake Michigan. Door County is a treasure trove of charming villages, fun watersports, delicious food and drink, and miles of gorgeous coastline. This area is so beautiful it’s been nicknamed the “Cape Cod of the Midwest.” These Egg Harbor wineries are a short drive from one another.
St. Croix Falls is another Wisconsin gem. This small town lies one hour northeast of Minneapolis. These six St. Croix Falls wineries are easy, accessible, and perfect for a weekend getaway from the city.
If you appreciate lakes and wineries then perhaps Madison, Ohio will also float your boat (pun intended). Madison is located about 40 minutes east of downtown Cleveland. These seven wonderful wineries in Madison, Ohio are perfect for a weekend road trip.
Waconia, Minnesota is another Midwestern lake town that more people should visit. Keep in mind that Lake Waconia is much, much smaller than Lake Michigan. Despite this lake town’s miniscule size, Waconia wineries still have gobs of Midwestern charm. And gobs of good wine too, of course.
If you prefer forests over lakes that’s totally ok. The Hocking Hills of Ohio are a forested jubilee for outdoor enthusiasts. And the best way to end a long hike is with a glass of wine at one of these beautiful wineries in the Hocking Hills.
