| Wine region | |
 | |
| Official name | State of Illinois |
|---|---|
| Type | U.S. StateAppellation[1] |
| Year established | 1818 |
| Country | United States |
| Sub-regions | Shawnee Hills AVA,Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA |
| Climate region | Continental/humid subtropical |
| Total area | 55,519 square miles (35,532,160 acres)[2] |
| Size of planted vineyards | 1,100 acres (450 ha)[3] |
| Grapes produced | Cabernet Franc,Cabernet Sauvignon,Catawba,Cayuga,Chambourcin,Chancellor,Chardonel,Concord,De Chaunac,Edelweiss,Elvira,Frontenac,Gewürztraminer,Golden Muscat,La Crosse,Leon Millot,Marechal Foch,Merlot,Muscadine,Niagara,Norton,Riesling,Seyval blanc,St. Pepin,Traminette,Vidal blanc,Vignoles,Villard blanc,Villard noir[1] |
| No. of wineries | 79 |
Illinois wine refers to anywine that is produced in theU.S. state ofIllinois. In 2006, Shawnee Hills, in southern Illinois, was named the state's firstAmerican Viticultural Area (AVA). As of 2008, there were 79wineries in Illinois, utilizing approximately 1,100 acres (450 ha) of vines.[1] As of 2024 there are more than 130 tasting rooms in the state of Illinois. In 2009, theAlcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB),Treasury established the vastUpper Mississippi River Valley, to date the nation's largest AVA, encompassing 19.1 million acres (29,914 sq mi) along theUpper Mississippi River and its tributaries located in northwestIllinois, northeastIowa, southeastMinnesota and southwestWisconsin.
Grapes have been growing in Illinois for over 150 years. One of the first areas to begin growing grapes was on the banks of theMississippi inNauvoo. The oldest recordedConcord vineyard in Illinois was planted in 1851 and is located inNauvoo State Park; the vineyard is still producing fruit. By 1880 there were over 600 acres (2.4 km2) of grapes and 40 wine cellars in Nauvoo, and the town was known for its fine wines.
The oldest surviving family-owned vineyard in Illinois is also located in Nauvoo. Emile Baxter came to Nauvoo in 1855 to join anIcarian commune and remained after the breakup of the group. Learning about grape culture from his Icarian friends, Emile planted 8 acres (32,000 m2) of vineyards. AfterProhibition in 1936, the Baxter family winery became Illinois' first bonded winery.
In a sharply different region of Illinois, theShawnee Hills, Guy Renzaglia founded Alto Vineyards in 1982.[4] He planted new varieties such asChancellor,Chambourcin,Vidal blanc, andVillard blanc. Renzaglia and two other growers founded the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail in the 1990s. As of 2004, 63Illinois wineries, working with 193 grape arbors, produced 451,079 U.S. gallons (1.7 million liters) of wine annually with an annual total positive economic impact estimated at $20 million.[5]
Winemaking expanded rapidly in Illinois from about 1990 onward. The number of operatingIllinois wineries increased in the state from 3 in 1985, to 12 in 1997, to 63 in 2004, and 79 in 2008.[3] In 2016,Southern Illinois University — Carbondale announced plans to create a degree-granting program in fermentation sciences, including winemaking.[6]
In 2004, twelve grape varieties accounted for 89% of grape area harvested in Illinois. The favorite varieties, in descending order by area devoted to production, wereChardonel, Chambourcin,Vignoles,Traminette, Concord,Foch,Seyval,Norton, Vidal blanc,Frontenac,Niagara, andCayuga White.[5]Many of these varieties are "hybrid" varieties. These hybrids, which are adapted to the cold climates of central and northern Illinois, are grapes grown from vines that are hybridized descendants of both Europeanvinifera grapes and native American grape varieties. The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association informed wine critics for theWall Street Journal in 2008 that hybrid wines were the state's "strong suit."[3]
One of the foremost grape-growing regions of Illinois is the Shawnee Hills, inJackson County andUnion County nearCarbondale, Illinois in far southern Illinois. This region was designated theShawnee Hills AVA in December 2006, becoming the firstAmerican Viticultural Area within Illinois. Besides the benefits of appellation recognition, this designation allows wineries to use the term “Estate Bottled” for wines produced on the same premises on which the grapes are grown. As of 2006, the Shawnee Hills AVA included 15 wineries and 55 vineyards.[7] Jackson and Union Counties were the two foremost wine-producing counties in Illinois.[5]
Characteristics that contributed to this decision are the lack of glaciation, as well as the bordering rivers. The heightened elevation (400 ft above neighboring land) in concert withsandstone andlimestone subsoil offers satisfactory drainage, and summer breezes reduce fungal infestation. The climate of the Shawnee Hills AVA, within theIllinois Ozarks region, resembles several areas inMissouri known for their wine (seeMissouri wine). The climate also resembles certain regions in Spain and Italy.
Upper Mississippi Valley AVA, which primarily coversDriftless Area regions inMinnesota,Iowa andWisconsin, also covers theGalena region of Illinois.
As of 2025, the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance (IGGVA) promotes five wine trails; Carlyle Lake, Heart of Illinois, Mississippi Valley, Shawnee Hills, and Wabash Valley Wine Trails.[8] Part ofIllinois Route 127 south of Carbondale, which passes through the Shawnee Hills AVA, was designated by theIllinois General Assembly as theShawnee Hills Wine Trail.[9]
The Northern Illinois Wine Trail passes through the Galena subdistrict of the Upper Mississippi Valley AVA.[10]
The Illinois River Wine Trail centers on wineries in the upper drainage of theIllinois River, and the Heartland Rivers Wine Trail centers on wineries in and around the mouth of the same river.[10][11]
TheIllinois State Fair, operated by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, recognizes ten distinct categories of Illinois wine:
In addition to grape-based wine, several wineries in the Illinois Ozarks ( part of the Ozarks ) and other regions of Illinois make fruit wine fromapples,peaches, andberries. Fruit wine is an officially recognized category within the Illinois wine industry.
In addition to the Illinois State Fair, the Illinois wine industry has developed independent promotional pathways. The first Chicago & Midwest Wine Show was scheduled to be held inChicago in September 2008.[12]
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