Illinois Wine
Country
Illinois’ wine industry is booming with more than 70 welcoming wineries and 450 vineyards around the state. Some of the most scenic spots are concentrated along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail in Southern Illinois and in the rural Southwest region of the state. Most wineries in Southern Illinois offer full tasting menus, some food choices and decks that afford stunning panoramas of vineyards covering the rolling terrain set amid valleys and bluffs. The Shawnee Hills region, bounded by the Ohio River on the east and Mississippi River on the west, sits at a higher elevation than the flat and fertile lands of Central and Northern Illinois. Ice Age glaciers stopped short of Carbondale, leaving the hilly ridges (800 to 1,000 feet in elevation) of Southern Illinois untouched. The Shawnee National Forest, loaded with outdoor recreation options, is located within this area. Grape-growing in the Shawnee Hills dates to the 1860s. In 2006 the federal government designated the Shawnee Hills an American viticulture area (AVA), attesting to the growth of the grape-growing industry in recent years and the quality of its wine. It is one of 328 federally recognized viticulture areas. Vintners who make wines containing 85 percent or more of grapes raised in the area can legally use “ Shawnee Hills” on their wine bottle labels, an indication it is a regional wine distinctive to Southern Illinois. Contact Information:
Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 Angelal@champaigncounty.org Tourillinois.org