Article: New Wineries Are Fruitful In Agriculture-Rich Illinois

From his vantage point in southern Illinois, Jim Ewers doesn't think adding his new winery to the state's growing list will squeeze the market dry.

"We have not reached critical mass in terms of wineries," he said from Blue Sky Vineyard, tucked among the rolling hills and vistas about 15 miles southeast of Carbondale.

Winemaking isn't new to the Midwest, where Illinois used to be among the nation's top producers before Prohibition laws forced them out of business. Illinois's oldest winery -- Baxter's Winery in Nauvoo -- dates to 1885, when wines reportedly sold for 25 cents a gallon, a barrel for $12.50.

Over the past eight years, the number of state wineries has more than quadrupled, ...

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