You can do the tour in a day — visiting the wineries of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail and sampling everything from a full-bodied Chambourcin at Hedman Vineyard to a sweet Ruvanesque at Inheritance Valley Vineyard.
Only minutes apart, the 12 wineries offer a delicious escape in the hills of southern Illinois. But with a backdrop of the Shawnee National Forest and cozy B&Bs, eateries and antiques shops along the way, the best way to experience the trail is over a long weekend, with time to explore the diverse flavors it has to offer.
At each winery, vintners strive to produce outstanding wines for the 100,000 visitors who take the trail every year. Von Jakob Vineyard’s nationally acclaimed White Oak Port was the first white port in the state, and at Pomona Winery, all the wines are made from locally grown fruit other than grapes. Pomona’s Kir (pronounced “keer”), a black currant and apple wine, was named the state’s Best Fruit Wine at the 2008 Illinois Governor’s Cup.
Most of the wineries are open for tastings and tours seven days a week, and some double as restaurants — stop in for Swedish cuisine at the Peach Barn Cafe at Hedman Vineyards — or B&Bs. But if you can’t get a vineyard room, fear not. The Davie School Inn, a converted 1800s schoolhouse near the trail, is one of the best B&Bs in the area.
Whether you go for a day or a weekend, start at the beginning of the trail or somewhere in the middle — the award-winning wineries of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail serve up a refined country getaway.