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May 15 - May 16 - 3rd Annual Art of Illinois Wine Festival
What type of wine goes with an art show? At the May 15 - 16 Art of Illinois Wine Garden, the answer is simple – Illinois wine.
The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association, Downtown Springfield Inc. and the Old Capitol Foundation are teaming up to offer the third annual Art of Illinois Wine Garden from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 15 and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 16. The event is open to anyone 21 years of age or older and will be held at the southwest corner of Fifth and Jefferson Streets in downtown Springfield. Admission is $10, which includes a wine glass and five sampling tickets. Wine may also be purchased by the glass, bottle and case. The wine tasting event is being held in conjunction with the Old Capitol Art Fair that weekend.
A portion of the event proceeds will be donated to the Tinsley Project, an effort to accurately interpret Abraham Lincoln’s law offices in downtown Springfield’s Tinsley Building, site of the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices State Historic Site.
The Illinois wineries taking part in the May 15 – 16 event include: Baxter's Vineyards & Winery, Nauvoo; Prairie State Winery, Genoa; Ridge View Winery, Mt. Sterling; Fox Creek Vineyards, Olney; Lasata Winery, Lawrenceville; Collver Family Winery, Barry; Willett's Winery & Cellar, Manito; Berryville Vineyards, Claremont; Shawnee Winery, Vienna; Hill Prairie Winery, Oakford; Pheasant Hollow Winery, Whittington; Alto Vineyards, Alto Pass; Spirit Knob Winery, Ursa; Piasa Winery; Villa Marie Winery; Hopewell Winery; Sleepy Creek, Fairmount; and Illinois River Winery.
“Festivals like this provide Illinois wine enthusiasts with an opportunity to visit with all of their favorite vintners in one location. And those unfamiliar with the Illinois wine industry will gain an appreciation for the distinct hybrid grapes that are grown in Illinois and the fine wines that result,” said Megan Pressnall of the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association.
This year’s Wine Garden will be “green.” The event will be part of the nationwide Whole Foods Market Wine Cork Recycling Program, which will turn corks from the event into cork floor tiles. The Wine Garden will use glass wineglasses, not plastic, that event goers can take home with them and reuse. The cardboard that the wineglasses and bottles are packed in will be recycled, and organizers are working with the Springfield recycling coordinator to recycle colored glass wine bottles in addition to the clear glass that is currently accepted.
“Downtown Springfield, Inc. is proud to partner with the Illinois Grape Growers and the Old Capitol Foundation for the third year in bringing Illinois Wines to the Old Capitol Art Fair. Illinois Wineries and the Old State Capitol Tinsley Project are creating a buzz nationally within the tourism industry. Partnerships like this are so vital to cross promoting like interests and objectives,” said Victoria Clemons, Executive Director of Downtown Springfield, Inc.
The Old Capitol Foundation is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote history education, outreach, and public awareness of the Old State Capitol and Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices State Historic Sites. The Foundation is actively raising funds and awareness to support the Tinsley Project. This initiative aims to accurately locate and interpret Lincoln’s only remaining law offices and Illinois’ 1840s federal courtroom complex in the Tinsley Building at the corner of Sixth and Adams Streets in downtown Springfield. The bulk of evidence uncovered by the project team indicates that Lincoln’s offices and numerous other historic rooms in the building are not accurately located. In addition to restoring the building where Lincoln had three law offices, the initiative will reintroduce the site at the completion of a major capital project as a living history attraction.
Downtown Springfield, Inc., a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit organization formed in 1993, works to preserve, promote and enhance Springfield’s historic central business district. Its mission is to help make downtown Springfield an ideal place to shop, work, visit, invest, and live.
The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association, established in 1992, 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 in 1997 to 91 today. During this time, the acreage devoted to grape production has grown at a tremendous rate, and today Illinois is consistently among the top 12 wine-producing states. Today the Illinois wine industry creates a direct economic impact of more than $253 million annually. The 91 wineries that span Illinois have also brought with them a host of charming bed and breakfasts and local craft businesses. The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association predicts continued growth in the coming years as more visitors discover the genuine culture of Illinois Wine Country.
Hosted by: IGGVA, Downtown Springfield, Inc., Old State Capitol Foundation
Time: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday; Noon - 5 p.m. Sunday
Location: Fifth and Jefferson Streets, Downtown Springfield
Click here for Driving Directions
Phone: (217) 524-0587
Website:http://www.illinoiswine.com
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