Illinois wine
| Wine region | |
 |
|
| Official name | State of Illinois |
|---|---|
| Type | U.S. state |
| Year established | 1818 |
| Country | United States |
| Sub-regions | Shawnee Hills AVA |
| Total area | 57,918 square miles (150,007 km2) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 1,100 acres (450 ha) |
| 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 |
Illinois wine refers to any wine that is made from grapes grown in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 2006, Shawnee Hills, in southern Illinois, was named the state's first American Viticultural Area. As of 2008, there were 79 wineries in Illinois, utilizing approximately 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) of vines.
Grapes have been growing in Illinois for over 150 years. One of the first areas to begin growing grapes was on the banks of the Mississippi in Nauvoo. The oldest recorded Concord vineyard in Illinois was planted in 1851 and is located in Nauvoo 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 an Icarian 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. After Prohibition in 1936, the Baxter family winery became Illinois' first bonded winery.
In a sharply different region of Illinois, the Shawnee Hills, Guy Renzaglia founded Alto Vineyards in 1982. He planted new varieties such as Chancellor, Chambourcin, Vidal blanc, and Villard blanc. Renzaglia and two other growers founded the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail in the 1990s. As of 2004, 63 Illinois 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.
Winemaking expanded rapidly in Illinois from about 1990 onward. The number of operating wineries increased in Illinois from 3 in 1985, to 12 in 1997, to 63 in 2004, and 79 in 2008. In 2016, Southern Illinois University — Carbondale announced plans to create a degree-granting program in fermentation sciences, including winemaking.
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