The best wines of Illinois
Discover the best wines of Illinois as well as the best winemakers of Illinois and estates of Illinois to visit. Explore the popular grape varieties of Illinois and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Top wines of Illinois by region
Looking for a good wine of Illinois among the top wines in the region? Check out our tops of the best red, white or effervescent wines of Illinois. Also find some food and wine pairings that may be appropriate with these exceptional wines. Learn more about the region and the wines of Illinois with technical and enological descriptions.
Great red wines of Illinois
See the top 100 best red wines of IllinoisWant to buy a red wine of Illinois cheap or sell a red wine of Illinois at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.
Food and wine pairing with a red wine of Illinois
Red wines from the region of Illinois go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of chickpeas spanish style, oriental lamb skewers or turnip confit with parma cheese.
Organoleptic analysis of red wine of Illinois
On the nose the red wine of the region of Illinois. often reveals types of flavors of non oak, earth or oak and sometimes also flavors of red fruit, black fruit or spices. In the mouth the red wine of the region of Illinois. is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
The best vintages in red wine of Illinois
- 1994With an average score of 5.00/5
- 2009With an average score of 4.50/5
- 2005With an average score of 4.20/5
- 2017With an average score of 4.11/5
- 2012With an average score of 4.06/5
- 2015With an average score of 4.04/5
The most used grape varieties in red wine of Illinois
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
- Frontenac
- Malbec
- Petite Sirah
- Tempranillo
The best wineries and winemakers for red wine of Illinois
A wine route planned in the region of Illinois? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best red wine of Illinois.
- Winery Massbach Ridge Upper Mississippi River Valley Illinois with Peggy Harmston as winemaker
Discovering the wine region of Illinois
Illinois is a U. S. state located South of the Great Lakes region and bordered by Missouri to the west and Indiana to the east. The state is one of the fastest-growing wine producers in the United States; the number of wineries doubled in the late 1990s and now stands at over 100.
Illinois covers 150,000 square kilometers (58,000 square miles) between latitudes 36°N and 42°N, similar to northern California. However, the unpredictable and often Harsh winters of the Midwest mean that viticulture is not as widespread as in the key Californian regions of Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Most Illinois vineyards are located in the south, where they can take advantage of slightly warmer temperatures and increased exposure to sunlight. Illinois has a Long and successful wine-growing history dating back to the mid-19th century, when settlers planted grapes along the banks of the Mississippi River to make wine.
By the turn of the century, Illinois was the fourth largest wine-producing state in the United States. Like many states, this thriving wine industry was devastated by the advent of Prohibition in 1920, when most of Illinois' vineyards were uprooted in favor of grain crops.
Great white wines of Illinois
See the top 100 best white wines of IllinoisWant to buy a white wine of Illinois cheap or sell a white wine of Illinois at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.
Food and wine pairing with a white wine of Illinois
White wines from the region of Illinois go well with generally quite well with dishes of shellfish, spicy food or lean fish such as recipes of marmite dieppoise, hawaiian pizza or cod on leek fondue.
Organoleptic analysis of white wine of Illinois
On the nose the white wine of the region of Illinois. often reveals types of flavors of earth, microbio or oak and sometimes also flavors of tree fruit, citrus fruit or tropical fruit. In the mouth the white wine of the region of Illinois. is a with a nice freshness.
The best vintages in white wine of Illinois
- 2004With an average score of 4.30/5
- 2017With an average score of 4.20/5
- 2005With an average score of 4.20/5
- 2009With an average score of 4.10/5
- 0With an average score of 3.97/5
- 2012With an average score of 3.96/5
The most used grape varieties in white wine of Illinois
- Chenin Blanc
- Riesling
- Chardonnay
- Muscat Blanc
- Moscato
- Sauvignon Blanc
The best wineries and winemakers for white wine of Illinois
A wine route planned in the region of Illinois? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best white wine of Illinois.
- Winery Massbach Ridge Upper Mississippi River Valley Illinois with Peggy Harmston as winemaker
Discover the grape variety: Catawba
American, was widely planted in the first half of the 19th century, particularly in the northern part of the United States. Discovered in 1819, it is the result of an interspecific cross between Vitis Labrusca Linné and Semillon (F. Huber 2016). It can still be found in the United States (New York, Ohio, etc.), Canada (Ontario), Brazil, South Africa, England, etc. In France, it is almost unknown. Note that the Catawba is also related to the concord.
Great sparkling wines of Illinois
See the top 100 best sparkling wines of IllinoisWant to buy a sparkling wine of Illinois cheap or sell a sparkling wine of Illinois at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.
Food and wine pairing with a sparkling wine of Illinois
Sparkling wines from the region of Illinois go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or pork such as recipes of shoulder of suckling lamb confit with herbs, tanjia (lamb shoulder confit) or pumpkin and bacon pie.
Organoleptic analysis of sparkling wine of Illinois
On the nose the sparkling wine of the region of Illinois. often reveals types of flavors of tree fruit, citrus fruit or red fruit and sometimes also flavors of vegetal.
The best vintages in sparkling wine of Illinois
- 0With an average score of 3.70/5
The most used grape varieties in sparkling wine of Illinois
- Shiraz/Syrah
- Chardonnay
- Catawba
- Chambourcin
The word of the wine: Oxidized
Altered by oxidation.
Great pink wines of Illinois
See the top 100 best pink wines of IllinoisWant to buy a pink wine of Illinois cheap or sell a pink wine of Illinois at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.
Food and wine pairing with a pink wine of Illinois
Pink wines from the region of Illinois go well with generally quite well with dishes of game (deer, venison), spicy food or beef such as recipes of autumn pumpkin pie, shrimp risotto with curry or family potluck.
The best vintages in pink wine of Illinois
- 0With an average score of 3.87/5
The most used grape varieties in pink wine of Illinois
- Chambourcin
- St Croix
- Pinot Noir
- Petite Sirah
Discover the grape variety: Chenin blanc
It most certainly originates from the Anjou region and is registered in the official catalogue of wine grape varieties on the A1 list. It can also be found in South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Chile, the United States (California), New Zealand, etc. It is said to be a descendant of Savagnin and to have sauvignonasse as its second parent (Jean-Michel Boursiquot 2019). On the other hand, Chenin blanc is the half-brother of verdelho and sauvignon blanc and is the father of colombard.
Great sweet wines of Illinois
See the top 100 best sweet wines of IllinoisWant to buy a sweet wine of Illinois cheap or sell a sweet wine of Illinois at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.
Food and wine pairing with a sweet wine of Illinois
Sweet wines from the region of Illinois go well with generally quite well with dishes of rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), spicy food or sweet desserts such as recipes of leek and tuna pie, moroccan veal tagine from hanane or ultra-fast and yet so light....
Organoleptic analysis of sweet wine of Illinois
On the nose the sweet wine of the region of Illinois. often reveals types of flavors of tree fruit, oak.
The best vintages in sweet wine of Illinois
- 2008With an average score of 4.30/5
- 0With an average score of 3.90/5
The most used grape varieties in sweet wine of Illinois
- Concord
- Vidal Blanc
- Gewürztraminer
- Niagara
The word of the wine: Bergeron
See roussanne.
Great natural sweet wines of Illinois
See the top 100 best natural sweet wines of IllinoisWant to buy a natural-sweet wine of Illinois cheap or sell a natural-sweet wine of Illinois at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.
Food and wine pairing with a natural-sweet wine of Illinois
Natural sweet wines from the region of Illinois go well with generally quite well with dishes of game (deer, venison) or spicy food such as recipes of blanquette of rabbit with riesling and chanterelles or tripe in the style of caen.
Organoleptic analysis of natural-sweet wine of Illinois
On the nose the natural sweet wine of the region of Illinois. often reveals types of flavors of non oak, oak or dried fruit.
The best vintages in natural-sweet wine of Illinois
- 0With an average score of 4.29/5
The most used grape varieties in natural-sweet wine of Illinois
- Mission
- Chambourcin
Discover the grape variety: Petite Sirah
Discover other regions and appellation of Illinois
A wine route in the region of Illinois ? Visit the most beautiful wine towns and villages
- Carbondale
- Carlyle
- Carthage
- Champaign
- Chicago
- Cobden
- Creal springs
- Elizabeth
- Elmhurst
- Galena
- Grafton
- Hanover
- Makanda
- Maple park
- Paso robles
- Petersburg
- Plainfield
- Preemption
- Red bud
- Roselle
- Spring grove
- Utica
- Versailles
- Westby
- Whittington