I was excited to explore part of the Shawnee Forest wine trail and so after a hike at the Little Grand Canyon left us thirsty, we were ready. Our first stop was at the Pomona Winery where everything is made with apples. We tasted the two dryer wines, a Jonathan and the Jonathan Oak Aged Reserve which we loved. We bought a bottle to take home and enjoyed a glass on the patio. The winery is housed in a building that evokes a German lodge nestled into the woods. Southern Illinois definitely has a lot in common with the Ozarks of Missouri.
The Shawnee Forest American Viticulture Area was designated in 2006. Not meaning to brag, but the Augusta Missouri region was the first AVA, recognized in 1980. Missouri led the way and now other regions can benefit.
The second winery we visited offered a much larger selection of dry wines which are more to my liking. Hickory Ridge is just a little south of Pomona. The owners, who once lived in Peru, serve the wines from a custom made bar from Peru. The mild temperatures, hills and geology of the region create a unique terroir although not dramatically different from the grapes you would find elsewhere in the Midwest. For such a small winery, this place had some excellent dry reds including one called the Other Side, a blend of Norton and Chambourcin.
A few days later we moved to Giant City State Park which kept us busy hiking. But we found time to visit one more winery, one of the larger ones-Alto Pass. We did a tasting of all of their dry wine and found a Chambourcin we liked. It was a beautiful day to sit under the pergola and sip a glass, overlooking the grapevines.
The winery and tasting room are very modern and new. I have seen wines from Alto Pass at stores in St. Louis so they are definitely a larger operation.
Just a note about the Chambourcin grape, i6 is a deep colored and aromatic red wine grape. It is very common in Missouri, Illinois and Ohio but can be found growing as far north as Canada. It is a hybrid of an American and French grape so it is not used in France. Chambourcin produces a wine that is typically high in acidity with modest tannins and strong flavors that can be complemented with the addition of oak aging.