Many people gathered in Matthiessen State Park this past weekend to sample some of Illinois’s best wines at the Vintage Illinois Wine Festival. A few girlfriends and I entered the fenced in area, we were handed a wineglass for sampling, a passport to log our favorites, and a handful of tickets for a $15.00 fee, a small price to pay for so many taste options. As a veteran, I immediately purchased more tickets in advance, because with several friends and 25+ wineries, there was so little time and much to sample. This wineglass has a sample line where your glass will only be filled to unless you are buying a full glass from the wine vendor. First order of business, belly up to the bar, I mean tent of course, to check out the options. Every winery had their own unique way of posting and describing their wines. Some just had a hand-out; some were posted on a dry erase board, while other’s had elaborate colorful leaflets to display their award winning vintage. There were reds, whites, and every shade in between. A newbie may start out with a sweet or semi-sweet. While a long time wine connoisseur may go directly for the dry wine in the color of their choice. Don’t stop at just the reds and whites; there were plenty of fruit wines to choose from at this wine event, including peach, blackberry, raspberry, apple, and elderberry just to name a few. To add to the atmosphere, several bands and an orchestra entertained the crowd, all that I heard were excellent this year. Food and water was also available for purchase.
A few of our favorites were August Hill, found right there in Utica IL. The Muscato was our top choice from this Winery. It was a dessert wine that was crisp, fruity, and fresh tasting. Don’t expect a regular size bottle here; this award winner bottle is only 375 ml. It is worth every drop too, purchase price $10.00. Another purchase was the dry white Chardonal. This is a refreshingly dry wine with a complex mixture of aromas and flavors. This bottle is your typical 750 ml, purchase price $16.99. Drop in on this winery to check out the reds too. This is a well-established winery with a tasting room that is elegantly decorated in a more modern decor, well worth the stop when you are passing through on scenic highway 178.
Another similar wine that we all enjoyed was the Muscat Canelli from Galena Cellars. This semi-sweet gold winning wine was fruity with a hint of peaches. No after taste here, only crisp and clean tasting, it could be pared with strawberries, cheese, or shrimp with mushrooms and broccoli according to their web site. Also easy on the pocketbook, purchase price $13.50. I am visualizing a fall or winter road trip to this scenic Illinois countryside. Pair this winery up with a ski trip and you have the makings of a fun weekend.
A sweeter red wine that we all enjoyed was Maria’s Sangria from Prairie State Winery. It was packed full of flavor, pair it with frozen grapes or pineapple chunks. The label claims to enhance your social gatherings, which made me laugh. I couldn’t argue with that statement, purchase price $12.99. Another favorite was the Cattelman’s Red. This dry red wine pairs well obviously with your choice of red meat, purchase price $12.99.
The pamphlet from Von Jakobs Vineyard stated uncork the good life, which is how we all felt when we tasted their yummy sweet red wine called Country Red. This is a perfect blend of foch, chancellor, and chambourcin grapes. Another red wine favorite was American Chambrocin, a bit mellower than most dry wines. This dry wine is a medium bodied dinner wine. The website states pair this wine with your favorite chicken, fish, or pasta dish. This vineyard can be found in southern Illinois. It is one of the wineries on the Shawnee Hills wine trail, purchase prices $11.00 and $12.24 respectively.
If you venture down to the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, don’t miss Blue Sky winery! It is in my opinion one of the best this state has to offer with that “old world charm.” My all-time favorite purchase is their sweet Concord wine. This Concord grape taste lingers well after the last sip. Pair it with your favorite fruit, purchase price $11.50. Another one we would recommend from our wine trip this weekend was the dry white Chardonnay Silver. Not your traditional buttery Chardonnay, this wine is a medium bodied wine, purchase price $14.00.
At the Massbach Ridge tent, one of my friends skipped the tasting from this winery altogether. She knew what she wanted and went directly to the side of the tent to the bottle purchasing area. Her favorite was the Massbach Reserve, a dry red wine. It is a full bodied, oak aged wine made from foch and fontenac grapes. She has a more evolved palate from living in Germany for a few years in her youth. This wine still is affordable, purchase price $18.00.
Check out the Decanter here in Decatur for some of these wines or their websites directly.
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(Noteworthy tip: Pair your white wines with white meat/fish and red wines with red meats to enhance the flavors.)
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