I was kind of bummed when I noticed that there aren't as many wineries as I hoped in Illinois.

On the other hand, I've only been to one of the ten most popular wineries in Illinois so I guess I've got some traveling to do.

Photo by Kelsey Knight on Unsplash
Photo by Kelsey Knight on Unsplash
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So Tempo 24/7 put together a list of the states with the most wineries per capita in America and Illinois ranked 37th. Not great.

When you consider, we're in the midwest, and weather out here can prove difficult to grow the grapes you need in order to make wine, it makes sense.

Photo by Lasseter Winery on Unsplash
Photo by Lasseter Winery on Unsplash
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That still doesn't mean I don't wish there were more wineries in Illinois.

All told, 24/7 Tempo says we have 194 wineries in Illinois, the 14th highest in America.

Photo by D A V I D S O N L U N A on Unsplash
Photo by D A V I D S O N L U N A on Unsplash
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From there I decided to check out the most popular wineries in Illinois.

For that, I checked in on Foursquare to see where they are.

Photo by Vince Veras on Unsplash
Photo by Vince Veras on Unsplash
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Two wineries have got the state covered when it comes to the 10 best.

Lynfred Winery (#1) at 15 South Roselle Road in Roselle took the top spot, while another Lynfred at 971 North Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling came in at #10.

So while Lynfred bookended the top 10, Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant showed up four different times.

Cooper's Hawk is located at:

  • 100 West Higgins in South Barrington (#2)
  • 1740 Freedom Drive in Naperville (#5)
  • 2501 Wabash Avenue in Springfield (#6)
  • 510 VIllage Center Drive in Burr Ridge (#9)

There are a handful of other wineries that landed in the top 10 like Blue Sky Vineyard in Makanda (#3), Bliss Wine & Gifts in Wauconda (#4), and StarView Vineyards in Cobden (#7).

Seating in the #8 position is the one I have visited and it really is a wonderful place, DC Estate Winery at 8877 Stateline Road in South Beloit.

There is nothing better than enjoying one of their wines (or wine slushies) while taking in the beautiful spring or summer weather.

I can't recommend it enough. Have you been to any of these 10 wineries? Which is your favorite?

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