ICYMI: Downstate Illinois Wineries Are Lit

I kicked off my birthday month (August, Leos rule!) with a trip down to Carbondale, Illinois to meet up with my friend, co-author, and college roommate Liz to work on our long-suffering novel draft and drink some wine. Liz was a great host, being a native of Carbondale, and signed us up for the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail Midsummer Picnic Pairings event. Who knew Illinois had the bomb wineries to rival other local spots in Michigan and Missouri? I was taken to school over the two-day event learning about the bounty of winemakers in southernmost Illinois. And these places are beautifully steeped in nature being situated near the Shawnee National Forest. We saw deer, owls, fat geese, hummingbirds, dragonflies, and some pretty cute Salukis (the patron dog and mascot of nearby Southern Illinois University).

We began our tour at the first established and oldest winery in the area, Alto Vineyards. It was spacious inside with an outdoor patio overlooking a small brook and outdoor space for weddings. The pairing was a homemade potato salad with their Rosato or Weiner Dog White. The Rosato was smooth and cool. I don’t even eat potato salad, but the pairing really brought out the sweet notes in the wine. Who goes to a winery and buys loose tea? This girl! Because I am a tea fanatic. Alto has several tea blends that incorporate lavender. I’ve been sipping on them all week and will talk more about them on my insta handle @sircoffeeandmrstea. But let me continue about the wineries.

For $35 American dollars, we got to do tastings and pairings at 11 wineries along the wine trail. And at some places, we did additional tastings ranging from $5 for 10 tastings (Pomona) to $2.50 for 5 with a nice full pour, honey (thanks Blue Sky)! Each winery had its own unique design, character, but overall each was picturesque and serene. It ended up being a weekend of self-care and creativity with the writing part. Yes, we did get some writing done between sips.

The wine trail pairings event takes place every spring, summer, and fall. I will definitely be back in the fall (November 2-3, 2019) as I’m also a sucker for fall colors, opportunities for hygge, and embracing my favorite season of autumn.

Below are the wineries we visited with a little tidbit about each. In terms of getting down to Southern Illinois, I took the Amtrak which isn’t bad if there are no delays or if they aren’t doing track work and need to shuttle you via bus from Chicago to Champaign…wtf Amtrak? But, it is worth the trek down there for sure. Or, a group of fly ladies could rent a party bus and coast down I-57. Some of the wineries also have bed and breakfast offerings, cabins for glamping, inns, hotels, etc. Did you know we also grow peaches in Illinois? So much to discover when you leave the big city for the country in your own state.

Visit www.shawneewinetrail.com for more info and let me know if you plan to go this November. Cheers to discovering the gems in our home state of Illinois.

• Alton Vineyards: big, beautiful space, likely used for weddings and events, features live music and awesome gifts in the store. Site of lavender teas.
• Von Jakob Vineyard: German feel with several ciders to sample and a yummy pairing of chicken wings with their wine.
• Hickory Ridge Vineyards: they had the best wine-infused brownies as the pairing with a light red. I wanted a second brownie. Bad.
• Owl Creek Vineyards: another beautiful outdoor treehouse space for enjoying wine and a picnic. I spied a guy with a container of Planter’s Cheeseballs and was immediately transported back in time to my childhood. I loved those things.
• Hedman Vineyards: Thai Noodle Salad with their wines was very filling. They also had a square dancing tutorial going on that was quite entertaining.
• Pomona Winery: My favorite on the trail. All wines made with fruit other than grapes, so like strawberry wine is a thing. A great thing. I bought two bottles. I had an additional tasting with the proprietor who is originally from the north side of Chicago, and allowed him to regale us with tales of legendary wine pairings. His description of the food made us hungry!
• Blue Sky Vineyard: Similar to a Napa Valley set up, they paired their Rose with a watermelon habanero ice cream. We listened to a very talented singer on the expansive patio and then went back inside for a tasting with a very generous pourer who also had a wonderful personality and was a great brand ambassador for the winery.
• Starview Vineyards: The name alone won me over. Good wine too.
• Honker Hill Winery: Had a full plate pairing and got to meet the sweet owner, Nana.

As I got tipsy, the others kinda blended together, but check out the website for more info.

We also visited the Peach Festival in Cobden. Again, did you know we grew peaches in Illinois? Singing, “the more you know!”

Hope to see some of you in November!