Shawnee Hills AVA
| Wine region | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 2006 |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | Illinois |
| Climate region | Continental/humid subtropical |
| Total area | 1,370,000 acres (5,500 km2) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 300 acres (1 km2) |
| No. of vineyards | 55 |
| Grapes produced | Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Chancellor, Chardonel, Frontenac, Riesling, Traminette |
| No. of wineries | 18 |
The Shawnee Hills AVA is an American Viticultural Area located between the Mississippi River and the Ohio River in southern Illinois. The wine appellation includes over 2,140 square miles (5,500 km2) of land in portions of Alexander, Gallatin, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union, and Williamson counties. The region stretches approximately 80 miles (130 km) east-west and 20 miles (30 km) north-south, and includes the vast majority of the Shawnee National Forest.
The AVA was created as a result of the successful petition of Ted Wichmann, owner of Owl Creek Vineyard. The area is named after the Shawnee, a Native American nation that settled in Southern Illinois in the mid 18th century. The AVA is served by the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.
At least 20 wineries as well as additional vineyards produced wine and grow grapes within the Shawnee Hills AVA. Most of the wineries are aligned with the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail in the southwestern portion of the AVA (south of Route 13 and west of Interstate 57). The Southern Illinois Wine Trail (east of Interstate 57) includes the next largest grouping, as well as some wineries located just outside the AVA. The area around Kinkaid Lake in the northwestern corner of the AVA is also seeing a number of new wineries develop.
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