Matt Marcinkowski
As other St. Louisans flock to Ste. Genevieve, Augusta, and Hermann this time of year, consider heading east instead. Just a couple of hours from downtown are the western reaches of Shawnee National Forest, where you can enjoy award-winning vineyards. Eleven participating wineries make up Illinois’ first wine trail. The first three—Alto, Pomona, and Owl Creek—started the wine trail; Pomona is the only 100 percent non-grape winemaker on the trail, specializing in such varietals as a semidry Jonathan apple wine, a winner at last year’s Indy International Wine Competition. Looking for Swedish immersion sans the IKEA line? Pop into Hedman Vineyards & Winery in Alto Pass, where Stockholm expats Anders and Gerd Hedman serve authentic Swedish cuisine alongside Chardonel, Norton, and glögg. Book a night at the rustic, taxidermy-rich Honker Hill Winery lodge. A stay means more time to sample the estate’s sangria or the cheekily named Goose Juice, a semisweet red exploding with fruit. Finally, if you just can’t shake those European travel dreams, check into the Tuscany Romance suite at Blue Sky Vineyards. Hand-painted tiles, stained glass windows, and exposed wood beams provide a handsome backdrop to the expansive wine selection, including Bolle, the first sparkling wine from Shawnee Hills.
