Top 10 Best Illinois Wineries

Dr. David Conner, now a retired Orthopedic Surgeon, purchased the 250 acres back in the 1980’s.  It was a thoroughbred horse farm at the time.  Dr. Conner turned it into a cattle farm until he got tired of chasing cows around.  In the early 1990’s, he sold the cows and started Conner Nursery & Gardens.  Here they specialized in growing Hosta plants. In 2001, Dr. Conner planted his first crop of grapes and opened Kickapoo Creek Winery shortly after.

Villa Marie marries the perfect wine climate of Illinois with the fabulous grapes of the world. Whether you are looking for an elegant location for a wedding ceremony and reception or a relaxing night out with music and wine and enjoy the nice weather out on our patio or the warmth of the fireplace for the winter.

Bella T Winery, nestled in the beautiful surroundings of Johnson County, Illinois. With a scenic view of ponds, trees, and our vineyard we provide the perfect setting for sipping wines or celebrating special occasions. Bella T Winery was not created just for wine connoisseurs, we offer food and activities for the whole family. You can play bocce ball, throw a game of washers, watch your favorite team on T.V., or just relax under a tree and enjoy the breeze.The manicured grounds of Bella T Winery combined with beautiful shade trees create a striking backdrop for any occasion.

Since 2010, Lake Hill Winery has been west central Illinois’ premier winery and banquet hall. Check out our wines page to see the selection of the wines we produce. Have a look around our facility with our virtual tours. There is plenty of information here on our website, but if you have any questions, feel free to contact us. Lake Hill Winery was founded in 2010 by Craig and Anita Wear. The first thought of a winery business was planted in Craig’s head while on rotation for pharmacy school in Southeast Australia in 2003. He didn’t even like wine at the time, but was intrigued by the winemaking process and the beautiful vineyards. Years later, after settling back in Hancock County, Craig began to explore the idea again. Wineries were becoming more popular all over the United States, including the tri-state area.

Vixen Hill Winery is a family-owned, wine-making estate with the vision to create a special destination for hand-crafted wines and warm hospitality in Central Illinois. The winery produces well-balanced wines that pair well with everyday foods. The dream that became Vixen Hill Winery began when Gene and Vera Pence, natives of Palmyra, Illinois, pondered how to spend their retirement years.  Their love for wine dates back to the 80s when they would spend weekends visiting different wineries in the Midwest. In 1999, they planted their first one acre plot of Norton grapes on the hill behind their home.  That day, while the grapes were being planted, a Vixen (female fox) and her pups came out of their den to watch and play.  From that day forward it would be known as Vixen Hill. This first planting of Norton grapes can still be seen today upon arrival at the winery which now also overlooks the Vignoles grapevines that were planted in 2003. Over the years, Gene had experimented in making small batches of wine and since the couple particularly enjoyed visiting wineries in the fall, when they could enjoy the changing colors of the trees, it was only fitting that it […]

Somewhere nestled between Mulberry Hill and the town of Berryville, lies a place called Berryville Vineyards.  Here we harmonize with nature to cultivate premium wine grapes.  Only hand-selected, sun-ripened fruit from our own vineyard becomes Berryville wine.

Baxter’s Vineyards, the oldest winery in the state of Illinois, is a small family winery located in the historic town of Nauvoo, Illinois. The winery was established in 1857 by Emile and Annette Baxter. Today, Baxter’s Vineyards continues within the same family with co-owners, Kelly and Brenda Logan. Kelly is a part of the fifth generation of Baxter’s to grow grapes and apples and make wine in historic Nauvoo.

315 Forman Lane, Belknap, Illinois   62908 Situated in the rolling hills of beautiful Southern Illinois, Cache River Basin Vineyard & Winery provides for its patrons a selection of outstanding Southern Illinois fine wines, produced on-site, a fine dining experience in Wineaux’s Restaurant, and clean, comfortable cabins (Boondocks Cabins) for that weekend get-away.

Silver Moon Winery is a family-owned wine-making estate in Lanark, Illinois. After seven years of eagerly waiting, Silver Moon held their grand opening for the public in April, 2010, and the celebration has only begun. Life indeed tastes better here – and you’ll find that its value, like wine’s, only increases with time.The dream that became Silver Moon began when owners Ron and Kathi Enzenbacher pondered how to spend their retirement years. Both loved being outdoors and working with their hands – and they also both loved wine.

One of twenty-two coal mines operating in the area in the early 1900’s, the Mount Olive-Staunton Coal Company Mine Number 2 was sunk in 1904 and closed in 1957.   Mined with the room and pillar panel method of extraction the Number 2 mine was the largest Herrin mine in the area. In 1910 the total coal production from the local mines was over 4 million tons with over 4600 men employed in the shafts. After the mine closed, Mobil Mineral Resources, Inc. worked with the Abandoned Mined Lands Reclamation Council to reclaim Number 2 and then donated it to the local area Boy Scout organization for recreational use in 1989. The Boy Scouts sold the property for private use in 1996.  Ten years later, David and Susan Wesa found the property while searching for acreage to start a Vineyard in hopes of fulfilling a retirement dream of owning a Winery.  And now…by God’s grace the dream has begun.

Waterman Winery & Vineyards is family-owned and operated in rural Waterman, Illinois located approximately 70 miles west of Chicago, and 40 miles west of Naperville. Our 12-acre, grass-covered vineyards are populated with 40 different varieties of red and white grapes. We are proud to offer around 20 varieties of wine unique to Northern Illinois and handcrafted with care. The winery and vineyards are located on Tuntland Farms, a fourth generation operation. The Tuntland family also raises corn and soybeans on the property.

Fox Valley Winery specializes in creating small lots of handcrafted, award-winning wines. Many varieties are made from, single-vineyard Illinois grapes and other local vineyards nearby. We offer wine tastings every day and host special events year-round. Please view our upcoming events and product information, or contact us for room rental information.

Lynfred’s General Manager and Director of Winemaking, Andres Basso applies his highly honed skills and extensive winemaking knowledge to one of the world’s most enjoyable crafts and is delighted to be able to share the fruits of his and his winemaking crew’s efforts with each person who passes through Lynfred’s doors or becomes the proud recipient of a bottle of Lynfred wine.

A visit to Sleepy Creek is like visiting a friend where you can come as you are, drink and eat what you like and relax in a friendly, comfortable atmosphere. Easy to find and just a short drive from Champaign, IL, we offer wine tastings daily, wine by the glass and bottles to take home. Relax while sitting inside the tasting room or outside by the pond, enjoy some local cheese and other snacks and browse the gift shop.

At Cooper’s Hawk, we understand that great wines begin in the vineyard. Our winemaker and his team travel the globe looking for the very best grapes and when they are particularly impressed – whether it be in Chile, France, California or Washington – they work with the wine grower to begin crafting our wine. Our winemaker nurtures each wine according to its individual needs to craft the best wine possible. It’s this philosophy that has led to hundreds of national and international awards for our collection.

Vigneto del Bino Winery is a boutique winery specializing in “Wines grown from local Vines”. The winery sits on one acre of a 10-acre property surrounded by 2,300 grapevines. Vigneto del Bino specializes in producing unique wines from grapevines that grow here in Illinois. American and French-hybrid grape varietals, such as: Brianna, Frontenac, Marquette, Sabrevois, St. Pepin, Frontenac Gris, Sommerset and Edelweiss are prominent in the vineyard.

DFV pays tribute to Bill Sullivan, our Winemaker’s father, on every bottle. After many attempts of trying to upload the picture of him above, our computer would only return a pixelated result. However, its beauty was apparent, even if the original picture was not. This pixelated image, featured on our logo, graces every bottle and his legacy is entrenched in all we do: commitment to all that is good – being ethical, moral, and responsible to the land.

Villa Marie marries the perfect wine climate of Illinois with the fabulous grapes of the world. Whether you are looking for an elegant location for a wedding ceremony and reception or a relaxing night out with music and wine and enjoy the nice weather out on our patio or the warmth of the fireplace for the winter.

Mackinaw Valley Vineyard and Winery is pleased to announce that it recently received medals from the following International and Regional Wine competitions.

Valentino Vineyards and Winery was founded in 1995 and in 2001, the winery opened its doors to the public. It is one of Chicagoland’s Leading Estate Vineyards and Wineries. The winery invites you to stop by to visit their impressive vineyard and sample their interesting wines. Valentino’s Tasting Room is open from May through December on Fridays from 5 to 7 pm, on Saturdays from 11 am to 5 pm, and on Sundays from Noon to 4 pm. To enjoy a taste of their great wines, you can just walk in during opening hours. There are also Vineyard Tours and Wine Tasting and Appreciation Seminars, but these events are by reservation only.