Four Wineries to visit on the Southern Illinois Wine Trail

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Four friends enjoy a getaway weekend in Southern Illinois, exploring the Southern Illinois Wine Trail.

My friend Vicki has a place on Lake of Egypt in the Shawnee National Forest area of Southern Illinois. This spot is famous for its awesome wineries. Every February, for her birthday weekend, we visit the area and usually check out a few wineries. Here are four wineries along the Southern Illinois Wine Trail that we’ve visited.

Blue Sky Vineyard

3150 S Rocky Comfort Rd, Makanda, IL 62958-4062

  • A vie wbehind the bar, wine bottles on a shelf, a wine barrel keg coming out of the wall, the wall with a painted mural of angels, at Blue Sky Vineyard, a winery on the Southerin Illinois Wine Trail.
    Blue Sky Vineyard
  • Wine bottles on the shelf at Blue Sky Vineyard, a winery on the Southern Illinois Wine Trail.
    Blue Sky Vineyard
  • A bottle of Saluki wine and two glasses of wine on either side, sitting on the table at Blue Sky Vineyard, a winery on the Southern Illinois Wine Trail.
    Saluki at Blue Sky Vineyard

Blue Sky Vineyard has a charming old-world vibe. The building is beautiful, and the views are lovely. It’s the winery I visit the most with my friends while on the Southern Illinois Wine Trail, where there’s usually some music playing during our time there. The wine is also delicious. Thanks to Marilyn, we had plenty of snack trays filled with yummy cheeses, meats, veggies, and fruit to enjoy while we’re there.

If you’re unsure about what to drink or which flight to choose, the staff is more than happy to assist you with your selections. That’s exactly what Vicki and I did. We each picked four wines and tasted each other’s choices, allowing us to sample a total of eight wines. From there, we decided on our favorite and bought a bottle. It came down to two options: Saluki Royale and Chambourcin. We ultimately chose the Saluki to share.

However, the Eclipse Crossroads, a bubbly rosé, brought back memories of a warm summer day relaxing on the patio at home. Given that the current weather outside was frigid and covered in snow, this reminded me how much I was looking forward to summer. So, I decided to get a bottle of Eclipse Crossroads to have at home for that beautiful hot day not too far away.

Wichmann Vineyard

2655 Water Valley Rd, Cobden, IL 62920

  • A chalkboard behind the bar with Wichmann Vineyard in chalk, a winery on the Southern Illinois Wine Trail.
    Wichmann Vineyard
  • Four bottles of wine and one glass of red wine sitting on the table at Wichmann Vineyard, a winery on the Southern Illinois Wine Trail.
    Bottles of wine at Wichmann Vineyard
  • Vicki standing in the snow covered vineyard next to a pole with a sign that read "Niagara" at Wichmann Vineyard, a winery on the Southern Illinois Wine Trail.
    Vicki in the vineyard at Wichmann Vineyard

Wichmann Vineyard is the new spot on the Southern Illinois Wine Trail. We noticed a sign on our way to Blue Sky, so we decided to check it out on our way back. When we got there, we did a wine tasting and got a cool rundown on each wine—like what grapes they used, how they made it, and what kind of flavors to expect. I really liked that part.

After tasting, we picked up a bottle to enjoy there, and everyone grabbed a bottle to take home. We chose Veraison, a semi-dry red, for the table, and I went with Chambourcin, a dry red, to take with me.

Wichmann is pretty laid-back and feels really welcoming. It was less crowded than some other wineries we’ve been to. The owner was super nice and even let us hang out a bit longer after closing to enjoy our wine. Definitely worth a visit!

Feather Hills Vineyard

Vineyard & Winery Tasting Room – 410 Thorn Lane, Makanda IL 62958

Feather Hills Vineyard & Winery – 8595 US Hwy 51, Cobden, IL 62920

We checked out the tasting room in Makanda on our visit to Feather Hills, which is the original spot. They’ve also opened a second location in Cobden that has a full restaurant, which really makes it stand out from the others on this list. We didn’t get a chance to try out the Cobden location, but the wine is really good, and the views are pretty at the original location. If you’ve got some friends who aren’t into wine, no problem! They’ve got craft cocktails and pretty much anything else your group might want. Try the 2022 Salukiz; it’s a Zinfandel.

Honker Hill Winery

4861 Spillway Rd, Carbondale, IL 62902

  • Vicki and Marilyn sitting at a table at Honker Hill Vineyard, wood panel walls with deer heads on the wall, a winery on the Southern Illinois Wine Trail.
    Vicki and Marilyn at Honker Hill Winery, photo courtesy of Nancy
  • A glass of red wine at Honker Hill.
    Honker Hill Winery
  • The interior of Honker Hill Vineyard, view from the second floor looking at the wall of antlers and down into the lower level, at Honker Hill Vineyard.
    Honker Hill Winery, photo courtesy of Vicki

Honker Hill Winery was packed during our last visit! It can be a bit tricky to find parking and a place to sit, but it was well worth it. They had live music playing and some fantastic wine to enjoy. We also loved that there was a food truck outside where we could grab a quick bite to eat with our drinks. Plus, we brought along some tasty snacks to share!

The winery has two levels of tables, and sitting on the upper level gave us a nice view of the main area below. The outdoor patio with a fireplace adds a cozy vibe, too, but we did not get to enjoy that as it was too cold outside for that. Honker Hill has a laid-back atmosphere, good for the whole family. I noticed a family sitting next to us, and their kids were having a great time as were the adults. If you get a chance, try the Woody Red if you like dry wines, or go for a refreshing wine slushy during the summer!

There are so many more wineries to check out on the Southern Illinois Wine Trail, and I really hope I get to visit them someday! Vicki will always have a place there, so we can definitely plan more girls’ trips. Maybe we won’t wait until her birthday to go back!

  • A wine flight at Blue Sky Vineyard, a winery on the Southern Illinois Wine Trail.
    A flight at Blue Sky Vineyard
  • Me, Vicki, Marilyn, and Nancy at the bar doing a wine tasting at Wichmann Vineyard, a winery on the Southern Illinois Wine Trail.
    Me, Vicki, Marilyn and Nancy at Wichmann Vineyard
  • The vineyard, snow covered ground, sun setting behind the vines, at Wichmann Vineyard, a winery on the Southern Illinois Wine Trail.
    The vineyard at Wichmann Vineyard

If you enjoy bourbon, there’s a fantastic bourbon bar called Havisham Bourbon Bar located nearby in Alto Pass. We stumbled upon it during one of our outings, and it was a pleasant surprise. Did they have Pappy’s? Yes, they did during my visit!

Havisham Bourbon Bar, 260 Main St, Alto Pass, IL 62905.

  • Me holding up a glass of bourbon, a bottle of Pappy's in front of me, at the bar at Havisham Bourbon Bar.
    Enjoying Pappy’s at Havisham Bourbon Bar
  • A view of the interior of Havisham Bourbon Bar, green wall, fire in the fireplace, lots of dark woods and leather chairs.
    Havisham Bourbon Bar
  • Vicki and I at the bar at Havisham Bourbon Bar.
    Vicki and I at Havisham Bourbon Bar

Just a couple of hours away is St. Louis, my stopping grounds. Check out Discover St. Louis, Best STL Restaurants, and Breakfast St. Louis.

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