Northern Illinois Wine Trail
Where: The Northern Illinois region.
How to get there: From Indianapolis, take I-65 north, then take interstates 80, 88, 90, 290 and 94, depending on chosen destination.
How far: 210 to 350 miles.
Hours: 31/2 to 6 hours.
Admission: Free.
Info: www.visitnorthernillinois.com/wineTrailWineries.
Why: The Northern Illinois Wine Trail features 16 wineries offering award-winning wines, gourmet foods and gifts, and is set amid rolling countryside and charming towns. The wineries fan out from the Chicago suburbs to Grayslake near the Wisconsin border on the north, to Galena near the Iowa border to the west and to Utica near I-80 to the south. Visiting all of them would take days, but you could do three to four in a day by grouping them by region.
The closest and quickest cluster from Indy would be the southern route near I-80 west. It includes Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant, with its tasting room at Orland Park; August Hill and the Illinois River Winery in downtown Utica; and Lavender Crest Winery in Colona.
The farthest and probably the best investment of your time would be a collection of three wineries in northwest Illinois. Start in the hills of Hanover at the Rocky Waters Vineyard, then travel 10 minutes north to Elizabeth for the isolated Massbach Ridge Winery, with its spectacular view of an 18-acre vineyard. Galena Cellars Vineyard and Winery, called the Napa Valley of the Midwest, is only another 20 minutes away in historic Galena, and overlooks the rolling countryside. The Lawlor family produces 35 varieties of wine. In Galena, you are six hours away from Indy, but there are dozens of lodging choices, including historic B&Bs.
Another approach: Take in two of the largest wine-producing operations in the region, the Lynfred Winery Bed & Breakfast in Roselle, west of O'Hare International off the Elgin O'Hare Expressway, and the Prairie State Winery, 35 miles west in Genoa. Lynfred is the oldest and largest continuously operating bonded winery in the state and produces more than 50 varietals of wine. It has four suites for overnight stays. Prairie State's wines are made exclusively from Illinois grape varieties.
While you're there: Hike four miles through 18 canyons formed by glacial-melt water and stream erosion, and through tree-covered sandstone bluffs at Starved Rock State Park, located along the south side of the Illinois River, a mile south of Utica. . . . Take part in grape spitting, grape stomping and wine barrel racing at Lynfred Winery's annual Oktoberfest and Grape Stomp on Sept. 27. . . . Frozen in time, Galena's Main Street is filled with boutiques, shops and restaurants, and its streets are lined with homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Check out the Belvedere Mansion and President Grant's Home.