PEORIA MAGAZINE June 2023

Imagine spending a lazy weekend, traveling scenic central Illinois tasting wines made from grapes grown in the rich soil best known for giving life to corn and soybeans. Illinois actually has a rich winemaking history that dates back nearly 335 years. The state was one of the largest wine producers in the United States prior to Prohibition. In fact, the first record of winemaking in Illinois, according to the Illinois Grape Growers and Vinters Association (IGGVA), was in 1691 just north of what is now Downtown Peoria. Frenchmen Henry de Tonti and Francois Daupin de la Forest built Fort St. Louis du Pimiteoui in the area, and records show that the village surrounding the fort contained a winepress. Today, Illinois is home to about 165 wineries and tasting rooms, which are clustered along eight wine trails. TEAMING UP, ATTRACTING TOURISTS New in 2023 is the Heart of Illinois Wine Trail that includes nine wineries and tasting rooms in Washington, Metamora, Canton, Knoxville, two in Lewistown, Mackinaw, Oakford and Petersburg. Lisa Barry, who owns and operates Tres Rojas Winery in Washington with her husband, head vigneron and winemaker, Bob, said the Heart of Illinois Wine Trail sprung from an idea to collaborate on a marketing effort. “Several of us are pretty new, having opened in the last several years,” Lisa said. “We saw this as an opportunity to bring tourists to not just our vineyards but our communities. We focused on this heart-shaped-like circle area so that you could visit all the wineries over the course of a summer.” Donna Grohsmeyer, who owns and operates Old Mill Vineyard-Bent Tree Tasting Room in Metamora with her husband, Kurt, the vineyard master and winemaker, said IGGVA has done a lot for the wine business in Illinois. “People who are avid wine lovers know where to go to get great wine,” Donna

said. “What this collaboration on the Heart of Illinois Wine Trail does for people locally is to show the connectivity to all of us and give the wine industry more exposure.” The other vineyards include, Mackinaw Valley Vineyard & Winery in Mackinaw, Hidden Hills Winery & Vineyard in Knoxville, Spoon River Junction Winery in Canton, Native Trails Winery and Big Horse Vineyard in Lewistown, Hill Prairie Winery in Oakford and West of Wise Winery in Petersburg. TOO COLD FOR GRAPE COMFORT? Producing grapes in the Midwest begs the question: “Isn’t Illinois too cold to grow grapes for wine?” In fact, growers do face many challenges in maintaining quality and productivity such as early spring freezes, excessive spring rains, fungal disease and summer drought. Six grape varietals cover more than 75% of the state’s total grape acreage, according to IGGVA. Five of these grapes — Chambourcin, Seyval, Vignoles, Chardonel and Vidal Blanc — are hybrids created by crossing French grapes, such as the Chardonnay often grown in France and California, with native American vines. This cross-pollination results in grapes that produce excellent wine but are less susceptible to the effects of extreme cold. The sixth varietal is Norton, which originates from native American vines. EASY AS UNO, DOS, TRES The Barrys of Tres Rojas, like many, got into the wine business because they love wine. They spent vacations visiting wineries along the way. It was during a trip to Galena in February 2015 that they seriously discussed a second career as vineyard owners and winemakers. Bob, retired after a career as a wildlife biologist and federal land manager, picked up a couple of at-home winemaking kits and made the couple’s three original reds – Pinot Noir, Malbec and Sangiovese.

Bob Barry checks the clarity of a wine at Tres Rojas Winery

“And they were really good,” Lisa said. But Bob needed third-party validation, so he entered them into the state’s amateur competition in 2015 and received two gold and six silver medals. “That was pretty validating,” Bob said. The couple was buying fruit from Roth’s in Morton when they were given an opportunity to work a former Roth vineyard in Pekin. With the help of volunteers, the couple cleared the overgrown vineyard and by the fall of 2016, was re-grafting vines for the following season. Originally, they considered calling the winery “Three Reds” after Bob's first award-winning effort. They opted for the Spanish translation, “Tres Rojas,” as a nod to Bob’s career spent mostly near the southern U.S. border. Still relying on purchased juices and fruits, their winemaking continued in a small production facility in Morton. Soon, they had their first harvest and knew they were hooked. They began looking for larger acreage for a vineyard and tasting room. Those efforts in Peoria, East Peoria and Mackinaw were met with zoning hurdles, unrealistic infrastructure demands and protests from neighbors. In spring 2019, Bob received a call from Washington City Hall and learned that there were a couple of city-owned properties available. Frustrated from their earlier experiences, he almost didn’t return the call. Instead, he did his research, testing the soil at both

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