Forget Napa Valley, there’s a thriving wine scene maturing right here in our own backyard.
Nestled amidst rolling hills and charming towns, northern Illinois wineries offer a delightful escape for wine lovers and casual sippers alike. From award-winning varietals to scenic vineyards and welcoming tasting rooms, these wineries promise a relaxing and flavorful experience.
This guide will unveil some of the region’s finest wineries, highlighting their unique offerings and helping you plan your perfect wine weekend.
August Hill Winery
August Hill Winery and its sister Illinois Sparkling Co. share a destination tasting room. (Photo provided by August Hill Winery)
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You can enjoy August Hill Winery wines at its tasting room in Utica, or visit its Peru vineyard, which hosts the Wine on the Hill and Cave Tasting events. The family-owned winery, which opened in 2002, serves a variety of crisp white wines, hearty reds and refreshing blush wines, as well as dessert wines and bubblies from its Illinois Sparkling Co. Some of the August Hill offerings include chardonel, vignoles, chambourcin, blackberry, caramel apple and more. Small bites are available at the tasting room, as are nonalcoholic drinks. Relax in their lounge area or on the patio. The tasting room is at 106 Mill St., Utica, and the vineyard is located at 21N 2551st Road, Peru. augusthillwinery.com
Bishops Hill Winery
Bishops Hill Winery is at home in a castle-like edifice in Joliet. (Photo provided by Bishop Hill Winery)
You’ll feel like royalty when you step inside Bishops Hill Winery’s gorgeous castle building in Joliet. The property, which overlooks the Des Plaines River, was once the home of the Joliet Catholic Diocese. The castle-like structure that now holds the tasting room was built by a German brewmaster, and has been completely restored. Wine tastings are available on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Pizza and charcuterie trays are available for purchase. Bishops Hill offers a monthly wine-tasting class, as well as outdoor yoga classes. Some of Bishops Hill’s wines include reds like cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and petite syrah; whites include chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio. 310 Bridge St., Joliet. bishopshill.com
Prairie State Winery
A variety of wines are available for sale at Prairie State Winery in Genoa. (Katrina Milton)
Opened in 1998 by two former teachers, Prairie State Winery in Genoa takes pride in its high-quality wines and friendly service. The winery produces more than 35 wines, including unique varietals not found elsewhere with Illinois-grown grapes. Some of the red wines available include Bacio Di Sole and Recovery Noir; white wines include Edelweiss and Honey Orange Blossom; and fruit and dessert wines include Prairie Fire, Cranberry and Honey Apple Crisp. The tasting room also offers craft cocktails, as well as paninis, flatbread, shareable snacks and more. Music in the Garden events are held in the wine garden on the second and fourth weekends of the warmer months. Prairie State Winery is located at 222 W. Main St., Genoa. prairiestatewinery.com
Fox Valley Winery
Fox Valley Winery’s tasting room is a draw for wine aficionados. (Photo provided by Fox Valley Winery)
Fox Valley Winery specializes in small-batch handcrafted wines, available in its Oswego tasting room that’s filled with artwork from local artists. Relax on a couch in the warm and inviting tasting room, or sip outside on the spacious patio. Fox Valley Winery offers traditional varietals such as merlot and syrah, as well as fruit wines like cranberry and apple, dessert wines and sweet wines. Live bands perform there. 59 Main St., Oswego. foxvalleywinery.com
Galena Cellars
Galena is always a popular spot for a weekend getaway, and while you’re there, stop by Galena Cellars’ downtown tasting room or countryside vineyard. The family-owned winery opened in a restored 1840s granary building in Galena in 1985, and the Lawlor family purchased a farm outside the city in 1990 to begin growing their own grapes. Wines include dry reds like cabernet sauvignon, Eric the Red and petite syrah; white wines include Seyval White and moscato, along with fruit wines like Caramel Apple, Cherry and Honey Rhubarb. Sparkling, holiday and dessert wines are also available. The vineyard hosts live music on weekends, where you also can enjoy the view of the Galena countryside while sipping a glass of wine. The downtown Galena tasting room offers live music, as well as signature cocktails, shareable plates, sandwiches, flatbreads, salads and more. The downtown tasting room is at 111 N. Main St., Galena, and the vineyard is located at 4746 N. Ford Road, Galena. galenacellars.com
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Waterman Winery
Waterman Winery and Vineyards, located in southern DeKalb County, has a 12-acre vineyard with 40 varieties of red and white grapes from which they produce their award-winning wines. The winery produces 20 varieties of unique, hand-crafted regional wines, including Royal Red, DeKalb Red, Waterman Red and several other sweet and dry reds. White wines include Wine Dog White, DeKalb County Niagara and Reflection. Waterman Winery also produces seasonal fruit wines like Harvest Pumpkin and Cherrylicious. Self-guided vineyard tours and wine tastings are available on Saturdays and Sundays. The winery is located at 11582 Waterman Road, Waterman. watermanwinery.com
Acquaviva Winery
Located in the western Kane County village of Maple Park, Acquaviva is a family-owned winery located on an 85-acre vineyard. The 20,000-square-foot facility includes their wine production area, which is visible to the public, a tasting bar and pizza bistro with foods paired to accompany the wines. Acquaviva produces a wide variety of red, white and specialty wines. Some of the varieties include reds like Don Giuseppe 2019, Piacere 2020 and Marquette 2020, and whites such as Fiora Della Vigna 2018, Donna Mia 2019 and Bianco Bello 2019. 47W614 Illinois Route 38, Maple Park. acquavivawinery.com
Additional wineries in northern Illinois include Fergedaboutit Vineyard & Winery, located in the small Jo Daviess County village of Hanover; Rocky Waters Winery, also located in Hanover; Massbach Ridge Winery in Elizabeth, Illinois, about 30 minutes from Galena; Vigneto del Bino Winery in north suburban Antioch; Sable Creek Winery with its new location in Romeoville and Lynfred Winery in suburban Roselle.
ADAMS COUNTY, Ill. (WGEM) – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says a vehicle struck a bicyclist near Ursa, Illinois and fled the scene Tuesday night.
The collision happened at E. 603 Lane & N. 2050th Ave. just outside Ursa. Police were called to the scene around 8:39 p.m.
Location of hit and run collision that critically injured a juvenile cyclist.(Axis Maps)
Police say the cyclist, a juvenile, was critically injured by a vehicle traveling on east 603rd Lane.
The cyclist was taken from the scene by air evacuation.
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Adams County Fire Department, Emergency Services, and Sheriff’s Department reported to the scene.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office is asking that anyone with information regarding this incident please call the Adams County Sheriff’s Office at (217) 277-2200 or the Non-Emergency Dispatch number at (217) 222-9360 as well as the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers at (217) 228-4474.
As thousands of new Redbirds flock for move-in, Illinois State University also welcomes nearly 100 new faculty members to campus for New Faculty Orientation. Hosted by the Center for Integrated Professional Development on behalf of the Office of the Provost and in conjunction with the Office of the President, the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs, and Milner Library, New Faculty Orientation is a weeklong set of workshops and social events designed to welcome new faculty to campus and help them get ready to start their first semester with confidence.
A Network of Mentors and Resources
On Monday, August 12, new faculty members were welcomed by Provost Ani Yazedjian for a kickoff event at the Bone Student Center, which also included presentations from Dr. Craig Gatto, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, and Dr. Craig C. McLauchlan, associate vice president for Research and Graduate Studies. “One of the great things about Illinois State University is that it’s the most welcoming campus I’ve ever worked at. I invite you to go up to anyone if you have a question you think they might be able to answer,” Gatto said, as he encouraged faculty members to seek out mentorship and support from all areas of their new campus community.
Following the welcome session, new faculty members networked in small groups with their college deans and more experienced faculty members from their colleges, followed by a buffet lunch hosted by the Office of the Provost. Later in the afternoon, President Aondover Tarhule hosted new faculty members for a reception at the Aaron Leetch Stadium Club. Throughout these events, connections were made that will help this incoming cohort of faculty members in “Building (Their) Networks,” as was the theme of the day.
“We know that the first day of any job is going to be at least a little overwhelming. That’s why we don’t bombard people with information for an entire day like we did years ago. The focus of New Faculty Orientation is on helping new faculty make connections with one another and the mentors they will find here,” said Dr. Dana Karraker, assistant director for educational development programs and the primary organizer of New Faculty Orientation. “We have an excellent collection of resources online for all instructors, so there’s no longer a need to try to fit all of that content into one day.”
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Continuing the Conversations
Throughout the rest of this week, new faculty members are invited to choose from a variety of sessions that will help them meet their individual interests, “Getting Started with your Research” by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, orientations at Milner Library, and technology orientations and a session on “Equity in the College Classroom” by the Center for Integrated Professional Development. In addition to these offerings that are just for new faculty members, all instructors are invited to take part in other offerings during Faculty Prep Week at the center, including two syllabus open houses and multiple Canvas workshops.
A Beginning Continued Year-Round
Though New Faculty Orientation is one of our keynote events, the Center and our campus partners continue to support instructors year-round through workshops, consultations, and other services. New Faculty also have access to many dedicated support structures, such as the New Faculty Learning Community, that assist with the many transitions that come with the early stages of an academic career. Dr. Jennifer Friberg, director of scholarly teaching and the Cross Chair in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, joined Jim Gee of the School of Communication last fall to talk about these supports on this episode of Let’s Talk Teaching.
Questions about New Faculty Orientation or Faculty Prep Week can be directed to the Center for Integrated Professional Development at ProDev@IllinoisState.edu.
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