With the deep blue skies and warm weather right around the corner, now is the perfect time to explore the limitless wineries the Peoria Area has to offer. From horse-drawn carriages to endless acres of captivating views, these wineries will keep you coming back for more!
Big Horse Vineyards {Lewistown} // Big Horse Vineyards is a beautiful vineyard nestled into a working draft horse farm. The Archdale Family has created a beautiful slice of paradise, where guests can sit back and relax, enjoy a bottle of wine over breathtaking vineyard views and majestic horses. From Sunday Fundays featuring live music by local artists to stone fire pizza and wine nights---there is never a dull moment at Big Horse Vineyards!
Mackinaw Valley Vineyard {Mackinaw} // The 86-acre property is a working vineyard and winery situated on a glacial moraine with a 30-mile view from the Mackinaw Valley Vineyard tasting room and decks. The vineyard features daily wine tasting, a gift shop with wine-themed gifts and local foodie favorites, concerts, festivals, murder mystery dinners, trivia game nights, and chocolate + wine pairings.
Mockingbird Vineyards {Manito} // The varieties grown in central Illinois may be less familiar than Cabernet or Chardonnay, but grapes like Marquette, Itasca, and Petite Pearl have tons of potential to produce world-class wines. That's where Mockingbird Vineyards comes into play. Nestled in Southwest Tazewell County, Mockingbird Vineyards offers a relaxed country setting perfect for growing excellent grapes for local wineries. With a bountiful crop of nine varieties and a grove of apple trees, Mockingbird Vineyard strives for supreme tasting juice derived from the varietals grown on their acreage. Although no wine is made on-site, you can be sure to taste their harvest, bottled at any one of the local wineries.
Native Trails Winery {Lewistown} // Native Trails Winery offers red and white wines made from locally-grown grapes, while its picturesque and winding trails are available for guests to enjoy nature and the beautiful scenery. This 110-acre vineyard is adjacent to Dickson Mounds, a National Historic Site, which provides a distinctive nod toward the land’s Native American roots. Native Trails Winery offers a chance to sip and celebrate the free spirit of an earlier time in history with five dry and four sweet offerings all named after the native Oneota Indians heritage that runs deep in the region.
Old Mill Vineyard {Metamora} // Stop by Old Mill Vineyard to uncork and unwind with quality local wines that have been estate-grown and bottled. This 10 acre vineyard produces 13 varieties of red and white wines ranging from dry, off-dry, semi-sweet, to sweet. Sample each at the Bent Tree, OMV's tasting room, is situated by a pond, where guests can enjoy the annual geese broods, wandering wildlife and tranquil setting from the patio. This peaceful vineyard is the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing summer afternoon with a bottle of wine and friends.
Spoon River Junction Winery {Canton} // With a passion for creating unique quality wine, Spoon River Junction Winery has been making wine for almost 25 years. With a national Wine Club that ships hundreds of bottles out-of-state each month, this local gem creates bold flavors for adventurous people and palates. Spend an afternoon at Spoon River Junction for sweet and dry wine tastings! Once you're situated outside around a beautiful fire pit with friends, you won't regret it!
Tres Rojas Winery at Barry Vineyards {Washington} // With much consideration, the name Three Reds, or better known as Tres Rojas Winery, was born from countless experiments with amateur red wines: Pinot Noir (uno), Malbec (dos) and Sangiovese (tres). This winery pride itself on creating high-quality dry red and white wines, but you will find sweet and fruit wines too--their award-winning winemaker has something for everyone. With great wines available by the bottle, the glass, or as a build-your-own custom flight Tres Rojas is an excellent hangout spot.
