Wine country. The words inspire visions of the rolling hillsides of Napa and Sonoma, thick with grape vines and ripe with luscious nectar. Now add the word “Illinois” before “wine country” and the picture changes drastically, tinged with visions of cherries, blueberries and Concord grapes.
In many ways, winemakers will tell you, that vision is a just a partial snapshot, a remnant of the Illinois wine industry of a decade ago. Today the state’s wine scene is maturing. Illinois has seen its wineries multiply from 12 in 1997 to nearly 100. There are even a series of wine trails, one of which meanders through the northern part of the state.
Curious, I decided to try to shake the quaint brambleberry-wine portrait from my mind and open it to a young and developing industry, filled with green country roads, forward-thinking vintners and a tight community of oenophiles like me. To test that vision, I planned a weekend trip of tasting from Chicago to Galena along the Northern Illinois Wine Trail. (If you do this, a designated driver is highly recommended).
Before hitting the road, I got a primer in Illinois wine from sommelier Jose Aguirre, who is always on the lookout for locally sourced beverages to add to the menu at Chicago’s South Water Kitchen. I asked him about the reputation of Illinois wine within the wine industry.
“Illinois is not very well known for wine,” he said. But, he added, in the last decade the wine industry has seen some surprises, and states such as Michigan and New York have been producing unexpectedly good wine. “The great thing about the wine world, especially in America, is you never know when somebody is going to find the key soil, the key treatment of the plants so they can start making world-class wine,” Aguirre said.
With that air of mystery and optimism, I loaded up the car, dubbed the journey “Diagonal” (“Sideways” was already taken) and quickly learned that the road to Galena is paved with many, many wineries. Here are my wine notes:
Lynfred Winery
, 15 S. Roselle Rd., Roselle — Lesson No. 1: Not all Illinois wine comes from Illinois grapes. Lynfred, which is the oldest continuously operating winery in Illinois, outsources many of its grapes from California and Washington, resulting in a tempranillo, merlot and cabernet sauvignon that would rival many in their price point (around $25). They do make some wines from Illinois grapes, and the Chambourcin Rose 2011 is light and airy, a refreshing purchase for summer. If your palate prefers the sweet, Lynfred’s fruit wines, which include blackberry and cherry, taste like adult juice boxes.
The atmosphere and service at Lynfred is top rate — classy with knowledgeable wine hosts and fresh-made breads (artichoke pesto and orange cardamom ricotta during our visit) that could give any bakery in Chicago a run for the money. Ask nicely and they’ll give you a tour of the facilities, including the bottling room and barrel cave downstairs. Added bonus: There are vines growing on the buildings.
Prairie State Winery
, 217 W. Main St., Genoa — Decorations remained from the previous night’s Jimmy Buffet-themed “Wine Down” party, and the downtown storefront, which resembles a country store more than a winery — picture raspberry jalapeno jellies and shelves of gourmet goods — was quiet. Tasting the wines, which primarily come from grapes grown in southern and central Illinois, I began to note a consistent flavor in locally grown wines, a taste that I can’t quite identify.
“Bold,” “woody,” I wrote in my notes. “Hay?” my partner-in-wine suggested. Throughout the tasting, my eyes were drawn to a bottle of rhubarb wine, but I couldn’t persuade my palate to make the plunge. Before leaving, I bought a bottle of the Chambourcin Reserve ($16.99), which has a nice, light tang. Perhaps emboldened by the second tasting of the day (it wasn’t even 2 p.m.) I also grabbed a bottle of the softly spicy State Red ($12.99).
Hailey’s Winery & Vineyard
, 114 N. Franklin St., Byron — Regulars walk through the door, requesting “the usual,” and tastings are full of light banter. A true mom-and-pop winery, co-owners Cheryl Hailey and Ginger Baerenwald tag-team the front and back of the house, switching between serving customers and bottling and labeling. The wines here come from grapes native to Illinois, with some juice from Michigan and Pennsylvania. Even the dry wines are a touch sweet, from the peppery Road Trip Red to the light, green-apple-y Chardonnel. Again, I picked up on that slight woody flavor, but I still couldn’t put my finger on it.
Overnight. After a day of tasting, we checked in at Galena Log Cabins, which are modern, dog-friendly cabins that actually circle an alpaca farm (the dog, and her alpaca-herding dreams, will never be the same). It was expensive (nearly $250), but totally worth it. Alpacas!
Massbach Ridge Winery Downtown Galena Tasting Room
, 117 S. Main St., Galena — As we popped into Massbach’s tasting room around noon, the town was still quiet following a popular wine-tasting celebration the previous night (the Wine Lovers’ Weekend Grand Tasting). Here, a bearskin rug cascades down a flight of stairs, the beast’s mouth filled with plastic grapes. We were told that the animal was shot with a bow by the winery’s Annie-Oakley-with-a-bow of an owner. Mentally, we toasted her and her wines, which come from eight types of grapes primarily grown on 18 acres at the nearby winery in Elizabeth.
Our wine host sold us on a chilled, refreshing bottle of Sunrise Red ($12) made from foch grapes, which she referred to as “hangover medicine.” This gets the attention from the other parties in the tasting room, most of whom had been imbibing at the tasting the night before.
Galena Cellars
, 4746 N. Ford Rd., Galena — True, Galena Cellars has a tasting room on Galena’s Main Street, but it’s worthwhile to make the winding, seven-mile drive to the winery. Wander the grounds, muse at the bottling barn and settle into the expansive deck overlooking the beautiful vineyards. About 15 percent of the wines here come from Illinois grapes, and, to my palate, those Illinois grapes are just as woody as ever. Still, I couldn’t place that darn flavor.
Acquaviva Winery
, 47W614 State Road 38, Maple Park — Driving to our final wine stop on our way back to Chicago, down countless country roads, through meandering farmland, we pass a controlled burn and I immediately place the scent: Illinois wine. That woody flavor is prairie fire. This revelation was supported by my glass of Acquaviva’s Don Giuseppe, a full-bodied red that’s peppery, fruity and burning with prairie fire.
It’s bottled from the 40 acres of grapes grown on the surrounding vineyards. The food here is phenomenal, from the outstanding Neapolitan-style pizza to the Melanzane alla Griglia (grilled red peppers, zucchini and eggplant in balsamic vinaigrette dressing). Paired with the prairie-fire wine, it suddenly all makes perfect sense.
To learn more about these and other wineries on the Northern Illinois Wine Trail, go to
chicagoandbeyond.com/wineTrailWineries.html
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