Illinois WinePast, 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 500-600 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

1855 - 1920

• 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 4th largest producer of wine in the nation

1900 Agricultural Census

Prohibition

Post-prohibition

Year # Vines Acres

19001986199920052010

3,008,00023,000215,160660,000990,000

54003832611001500

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:www.illinoiswine.org

• Bradley A. BeamEnologist, IGGVAbradleybeam@gmail.com