Central Illinois Wine Trail
Central Illinois Wine Trail - Follow the Vine
DAY ONE
You are invited to excite your taste buds at the Lavender Crest Winery in Colona, Illinois. The guest tour, costing only a small fee per person, takes you through the winemaking process and tells the history of the winery. When you are finished, you are then rewarded with a wine tasting sure to please! Though they excel in wine production and wine tasting, you must also take time to browse the gift shop, which carries new local wines.
Continue traveling south to the State St. Winery and Bistro in Atkinson that focuses on the joy of wine tasting. The inviting atmosphere makes you feel at ease while you sip the marvelous wines offered to you.
Next, travel through Kewanee and make a stop at Good’s Wine Cellar. Besides tasting a variety of exquisite wines, you will be able to sit and relax, grab a bite to eat if you desire, and browse their unique gift shop that offers something for everyone!
It will feel like home when you arrive at your next stop, Indian Creek Vineyard in Toulon. This commercial vineyard has a remodeled barn serving as a retail wine shop and a bed and breakfast in a historic house on site. Located along what was once called “Old Main”, the only connection between Toulon and Kewanee, the bed and breakfast is said to have had Abraham Lincoln as a guest.
Don’t let your Indian Creek Vineyard experience end there! Spend the rest of your evening in The Chateau Bed & Breakfast. There are four rooms to choose from: the Lincoln, the Whine, the Chandelier, or the Heritage room. All rooms offer a sentimental touch to your stay.
DAY TWO
Kickapoo Creek Winery in Edwards, Illinois, offers beautiful vineyard views and wine tasting, as well as a tour of the landscaped grounds. Remember to take time to browse through the gift shop filled with many wine accessories and varieties of Kickapoo Creek wines to take home with you.
End your wine trail at Vintages Tasting Room & Wine Garden in Galesburg. This downtown hot spot offers a new concept in entertainment. Wines are available by the flight, glass or bottle to enjoy in the Tasting Room. Feel free to bring some home for your own enjoyment at a later date, too! Either way, this is wine tasting at its finest! Located in one of Illinois’ most celebrated small districts, Seminary Street thrives with restaurants, a bakery, coffee roastery, and over 20 distinctive specialty shops.
The Central Illinois Wine Trail: Follow the Vine is the ultimate wine tasting extravaganza! Want to try it out? Contact Dede Rice with any questions or visit the website of the venues listed throughout this itinerary for more information on hours and special events.
