Why you should visit Shawnee Wine Trail wineries with lodging
This blog post covers the best wineries on Shawnee Wine Trail with lodging.
These six amazing wineries offer delicious Illinois wines and a place to sleep. It’s the best of both worlds!
This blog post lists a variety of lodging options. Some Southern Illinois wineries on this list offer suites. Others rent entire homes. Some provide breakfast. Others provide a fully furnished kitchen where you can make your own meals. Some are best for romantic retreats. Others are pet and child friendly.
The one thing they all have in common: a comfortable place to rest your head at night.
Shawnee Wine Trail is a 40-mile trail in the State of Illinois. The trail includes eleven wineries. That’s far too many wineries to visit in one day. That’s why we made this list of the best wineries on Shawnee Wine Trail that offer lodging.
If you’re going to fully enjoy the Shawnee Wine Trail you should stay overnight. And what better place to sleep than a winery.
Picture this: you fall asleep in a cute cottage and wake up surrounded by beautiful vineyards. You can walk to the winery’s tasting room from your cottage or lodge. The winery becomes your first (or last) tasting of the day. Some wineries even serve meals. It’s very convenient.
P.S. If you’re not looking for a place to spend the night then check out our list of the best wineries in Southern Illinois. These award-winning wineries on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail of Southern Illinois offer fun wine tastings. Local tourism bureaus recognize the untapped tourism potential of the region. It’s high time others see it too!
How to access the best wineries on Shawnee Wine Trail
The best wineries on Shawnee Wine Trail are easy to access.
The local wineries on this list are situated near the small towns of Cobden, Carbondale, Makanda, and Alto Pass, Illinois. Two of the wineries on this list are located near Alto Pass, so I’ll use that as a marker.
Alto Pass is closest to cities like 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 on Shawnee Wine Trail to stay overnight
Blue Sky Vineyard (Makanda, IL)
Blue Sky Vineyard brings European flair to Southern Illinois.
Tuscany, Italy inspired much of the decor at Blue Sky Vineyard. Everything from the huge blue patio umbrellas to the stately building to the bedroom decor has Italian flair.
They even serve pizzas on site. What better way to spend the day than with a glass of wine in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other. Divine!
Blue Sky Vineyard offers two Tuscan-style suites for overnight guests. There’s the Blue Sky Suite and the Tuscany Romance Suite.
The Blue Sky Suite is the smaller of the two suites. Blue and white Portuguese tiles adorn the room’s comfortable bed. It’s cozy and affordable. The Tuscany Romance Suite is the larger of the two suites. It includes an open living room and dining room. Its balcony overlooks the property’s beautiful scenery.
Each suite contains a phone, mini fridge, microwave, and television. Breakfast consists of coffee, juice, pastries, and yogurt.
The Blue Sky Vineyard suites are best for a romantic getaway. You can book the Blue Sky Suite and the Tuscany Romance Suite through the Blue Sky Vineyard website.
Peachbarn Winery & Café (Alto Pass, IL)
Peachbarn Winery & Café is a former peach farm that peach wine and grape wine. They also have a cafe that’s 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.
Peachbarn Winery & Café offers four rentals. They offer one suite (located within the winery barn) plus three separate houses.
The Peachbarn Winery Suite is located within the 1940s barn. The suite includes a refrigerator, microwave, coffee brewer, and toaster. Wi-Fi is not available, which means this suite is best for those who’d like to unplug.
Peachbarn Winery also offers two adjacent houses: The Bitty House and The Bitty House Too.
The Bitty House has a master suite (queen bed) with en suite powder room. The second bedroom has a full-sized bed. There’s another bathroom, a full kitchen, a sitting area, a dining table, and a screened porch.
The Bitty House Too is located behind The Bitty House. There’s a main bedroom (queen bed) and a “sleeping area with a daybed.” There’s a screened porch, dining area, full kitchen, and one full bath.
The fourth and final rental is Centennial Cottage. It’s located within the Shawnee National Forest. The cottage features two bedrooms and one full bath. The kitchen features an electric range, refrigerator, and dishwasher.
These four Peachbarn Winery lodging options are best for those who’d like to rent an entire house. You can make a booking through the winery website.
StarView Vineyards (Cobden, IL)
StarView Vineyards is a beautiful winery that overlooks a quaint pond.
They offer 18 award-winning wines at their tasting room in Cobden, Illinois. There’s a short menu of wine-friendly foods like spinach artichoke dip and several simple sandwiches and salads.
StarView Vineyards is family friendly and pet friendly.
StarView Vineyards offers one house for rent.
The home has four bedrooms (each with one bed) and two bathrooms. There’s a full kitchen for cooking and a comfortable living complete with a wood-fired stove.
This rental home is located a short stroll from the winery. So it would be easy to enjoy a wine tasting and then walk back to the house afterwards.
The StarView Vineyards Winery Retreat is a good option for larger groups of up to eight people.
You can book the house through Airbnb or VRBO.
Feather Hills Vineyard and Winery (Cobden, IL)
Feather Hills Vineyard is a family-owned winery located along Shawnee’s Southern Illinois wine trail. They grow high quality grapes like Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc, Vignoles, and Vidal Blanc in their vineyard.
Feather Hills Winery offers food seven days a week in their tasting room. The menu includes soups, salads, snacks, paninis, and dessert.
Feather Hills Vineyard and Winery offers five cabins.
Each cabin has a well stocked kitchen and bathroom (towels, soap, shampoo). Cable television is available but Wi-Fi is not. Pets are allowed.
There are two types of cabins: one-bedroom cabins and three-bedroom cabins.
The cabins with one bedroom and one bathroom can sleep two people. The one bedroom cabins are Hillside Chalet (Cabin 1) and Lake View (Cabin 2). The price is just under one hundred dollars per night.
The cabins with three bedrooms and four bathrooms can sleep up to eight people. The three bedroom cabins are called Maple Tree (Cabin 3), Oak Tree (Cabin 4), and Pine Tree (Cabin 5). The price is a little less than two hundred dollars per night.
The Cabins at Feather Hills are located in Cobden in Southern Illinois near the Shawnee National Forest and the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail. The pet friendly Feather Hills Vineyard cabins are a great choice for a family vacation with dogs.
You can book a cabin through the winery website. Just go to the “Stay” page and click the button “RESERVE YOUR CABIN NOW” to make the booking calendar open within that page.
Von Jakob Winery & Brewery (Alto Pass, IL)
Von Jakob Vineyard is a winery and brewery nestled within the rolling hills of Southern Illinois in Shawnee National Forest. This property has some of the best views of the area’s scenic countryside.
Von Jakob makes twenty different wines plus craft beer like Pilsners and stouts.
Von Jakob Winery & Brewery runs two bed and breakfast cottages in Southern Illinois.
These cottages are called The Wine House and The Port House.
The Wine House features three suites: the Canyon Gold Suite, Chateau Suite, and Cab Sav Suite. The suites share a common area, dining room, and full kitchen. You could book just one room, in which case you could share the common area with other guests. Or you could book all three rooms at once, in which case you’d have exclusive use of the home’s common areas.
The Port House is similar. Two suites – the White Port Suite and the Red Port Suite – share a common area, dining room, and full kitchen. You can book the home’s two suites separately or together.
Since this is a bed and breakfast it’s good to know that every suite has a king-sized bed and a Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. Breakfast is served at 9:30 AM in the winery. And you can select your breakfast items the day before.
Von Jakob Winery suites are best for those who’d like a classic bed and breakfast accommodation at one of the best wineries on Shawnee Wine Trail.
You can book a suite through the winery website. Just go to the “Bed & Breakfast” page and click on the suite you’d like to book. A new page will open that pertains to that specific suite. Click on the button “BOOK ONLINE NOW WITH WEBERVATIONS” to reach this booking platform.
Honker Hill Winery (Carbondale, IL)
Honker Hill Winery makes wine from fruit grown in their own vineyard. The winery is located in the Shawnee National Forest on the highest point in Williamson County.
Honker Hill Winery offers a cozy tasting room, outdoor fireplace, gazebo, pond, and many acres of land.
The tasting room has a rustic feel and laid-back atmosphere thanks to taxidermied antelopes, antler chandeliers, and a large American flag.
Honker Hill Winery has a lodge with amazing views of Southern Illinois. The lodge has four bedrooms total. You would have to book the lodge as a whole; you can’t book the rooms individually.
Two of the four bedrooms feature one large bed. These bedrooms can sleep two adults each.
The third and fourth bedrooms are better suited to children. One kid’s bedroom has two bunk beds, which means four kids can sleep in this room. The second kid’s bedroom has two twin-sized beds, which makes it well suited for two young children or teenagers.
Of course you could put adults in these small beds. But I imagine kids would be more comfortable in the bunks than adults would be. The winery claims this lodge is “perfect to use as a bridal suite or groomsmen’s quarters.”
In my opinion the bunk beds and twin beds make this lodge better suited to special events like a family reunion. All in all I’d say this house can sleep four adults and six kids.
You can book the lodge by filling out the Honker Hill Winery contact form on their website.
Similar wine regions to explore
Midwestern wine towns worth a visit
The Midwestern United States has a lot to offer when it comes to wine. And yet the region is often overlooked. These Midwestern wine towns offer more than meets the eye.
If you like lakeside 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 make Madison the perfect spot for a weekend road trip.
If you prefer forests over lakes then visit the Hocking Hills of Ohio. Why? Because the best way to end a long hike is with a glass of wine at one of these individual wineries in the Hocking Hills.
Waconia, Minnesota is another Midwestern lake town that more people should visit. Despite this lake town’s miniscule size, Waconia wineries still have gobs of Midwestern charm. And gobs of good wine too, of course.
St. Croix Falls is a Wisconsin town just one hour northeast of Minneapolis. These six St. Croix Falls wineries are easy, accessible, and perfect for a weekend getaway from the city.
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 Lake Michigan’s Door County Peninsula. Door County is a treasure trove of charming villages, fun watersports, delicious food and drink, and miles of gorgeous coastline. These Egg Harbor wineries are a short drive from one another.
Wineries with lodging in other states
Waking up beside a vineyard is a fabulous way to start the day. If that’s your jam we’ve got some suggestions for you.
Walla Walla is a charming town in the heart of Washington State wine country. These eight amazing Walla Walla wineries with lodging would make any weekend trip better.
Hermann, Missouri is another town with lots of lodging. We’ve compiled roughly a dozen places to spend the night in this historic town. Some are classic Hermann bed and breakfasts while others are fancy hillside hotels. Whatever accommodation you choose, you’ll never be far from a wine tasting.
