Blue Sky Vineyard is a family-owned

vineyard A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...

and

winery A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the cultivation and production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feat ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, owned and operated by Barrett Rochman, Marilyn Rochman, and Jim Ewers. Blue Sky Vineyard is located in the heart of the

Shawnee National Forest The Shawnee National Forest is a United States National Forest located in the Ozark and Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois, United States. Administered by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, it consists of approximately 498,615 acres (2,100 km²) ...

and anchors the eastern end of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail. The winery is located within the Shawnee Hills

American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...

(AVA), a federally designated wine region established in 2006, recognized for its unique viticulture terroir. Blue Sky Vineyard produces a number of vintages from Illinois grown grapes. Karen Hand, Blue Sky Vineyard's winemaker, was the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association's Winemaker of the Year in 2006. They currently produce 17 different kinds of Illinois wine and 5 American wines ranging from dry to sweet. The Tuscan inspired architecture and interiors of Blue Sky Vineyard's main structure and banquet addition were designed by Nancy Karen Brian, professor at

California State University Fresno California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers 60 ba ...

, in consultation with Blue Sky Vineyard's owners.

References

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External links

Shawnee Hills Wine Trail

Shawnee Hills Wine Grape Association

Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance (IGGVA)
Wineries in Illinois 2000 establishments in Illinois