SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance today announced details of the Illinois Wine Experience at this year’s annual State Fair.
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The Illinois Wine Experience will be located in the fairground’s Artisan building, with additional operations also near the grandstand and in the Village of Cultures, providing fairgoers the chance to taste a variety of homegrown wines that will show the breadth and depth of how the industry has improved and grown over the years.
“Illinois wineries are exploding with talent and tasty wines,” said Lisa Ellis, director of the IGGVA. “We are thrilled to be featured in the State Fair’s Artisan building, where fairgoers can sample award-winning wines for all taste preferences – white, red, rosé, dry, sweet, semi-sweet wines from all over Illinois. Our additional locations near the giant slide and the grandstand will bring Illinois Wine to even more fairgoers, and we couldn’t be more thrilled! Tasting experiences like this allow consumers to become more familiar with the grape varieties grown here in Illinois, like Chambourcin, Chardonel, Cabernet Franc, and Vignoles, and find new favorites. Now is the time to visit the fair and sample these amazing wineries, which are important agricultural businesses from communities across our state.”
The Illinois Wine Experience schedule at the fair:
Artisans Building
Thursday, Aug. 11: 4 to 8 p.m.
Daily 1 to 9 p.m. (10 p.m. Friday-Sunday)
Village of Cultures
Thursday, Aug. 11: 4 to 8 p.m.
Daily: noon to 9 p.m.
Commodities Pavilion
Thursday, Aug. 11: 4 to 8 p.m.
Daily: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Illinois Wine Experience won’t end at this year’s fair. The IGGVA has launched a new app to allow wine lovers to discover and locate wineries throughout Illinois right from their smartphones. The Illinois Wine App can help you find wineries around the state and provide all the information you need for a wine tasting tour of your own, including the ability to navigate to all of Illinois’ gold medal-winning wineries in the state. Wine drinkers can also easily navigate to one of Illinois’ seven wine trails through the new app. For more information and to download the new app, look for Illinois Wine in your app store or visit the IGGVA’s website.
The IGGVA is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing the viticulture and enology interests of Illinois through information exchange and cooperation among Illinois grape producers and vintners.
The Illinois wine industry has exploded in recent years, growing from just 12 wineries and tasting rooms in 1997 to 165 today, according to a 2019 economic impact study. The Illinois wine industry creates a direct economic impact on the state approaching $5 billion annually, paying more than $320 million in state taxes and generating a significant impact on state tourism activities. The wineries across Illinois have also contributed to their local communities, including the growth of charming bed and breakfasts, restaurants, and local crafts businesses.
For more information about Illinois wineries, visit illinoiswine.com.
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