Illinois Wine Past, Present, and Future

History 1778 grapes first planted in Peoria by French settlers – Known then as “La Ville de Maillet” In 1844, a French community settled in Nauvoo, IL – Known as Icarians – Planted acres of grapes – Group disbanded by 1860, and sold many acres of vineyard to Emile Baxter in 1855 – Baxter’s Vineyards became Illinois’ first winery

Illinois grapes and wine continued to grow and thrive Industry built largely around ‘Concord’, ‘Catawba’, ‘Norton’ grape varieties By 1900 Illinois was an economically important producer of grapes and wine Prior to prohibition, IL became the 4 th largest producer of wine in the nation

1900 Agricultural Census

Prohibition

Post-prohibition Year# VinesAcres ,008,000 23, , , ,

Post-prohibition recovery Slow – Many growers destroyed their vineyards and switched to corn and bean production – Consumer tastes shifted away from wine during prohibition toward spirits and beer Easier to hide and produce quickly – The culture of wine production and consumption diminished greatly during prohibition

The modern era The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association (IGGVA) – 1992 – Fosters cooperation among industry members – Centralizes and coordinates comprehensive promotion, training, and research to advance the industry

The IGGVA Secures enology and viticulture specialists to help the industry grow and improve quality Develops the 3-day IGGVA annual conference – Workshops and lectures on a variety of topics important to grape and wine producers Sponsors festivals and the IL State Fair Wine Competition

2007 Economic Impact 1115 Acres 357,000 gallons of wine 200,000 wine-related tourists $319 Million Impact on the Illinois Economy

Illinois Wine Now hosts 90 wineries! – Variety of locations and styles Fruit, mead American varieties – Concord, Norton Hybrids – Chambourcin, Traminette Traditional – Chardonnay, Cabernet franc

The Future Potential for future growth of the industry is very high Chicago is one of the top markets for wine in the U.S. – Illinois wines are just recently starting to show up in Chicago restaurants and boutiques Local foods movement growing rapidly

Cheers! To find an Illinois winery near you: Bradley A. Beam Enologist, IGGVA