Midwest Wine Press

2013 Illinois Wine Events Draw Over 38,000

by · December 23, 2013

During 2013,  the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintner’s Association (IGGVA) hosted or sponsored a dozen events for the advancement of the Illinois Wine Industry.  These events drew over 38,000 attendees, according to the IGGVA.   The top three Illinois wine events for 2013 were:

1.  2013 Vintage Illinois Festival, Mattheissen State Park,  September, 9,000 attendees

2. 2013 Illinois Wine Experience at the Illinois State Fair, August, 5,000 attendees

3. 2013 Ottawa 2 Rivers Wine Festival, Ottawa, June, 4,000 attendees

Through the summer, the IGGVA also had a weekly exhibition at the Illinois Products Farmers’ market in Springfield which attracted 6,600 total visitors.

According to Megan Pressnall of the IGGVA, “Wineries rely heavily on festivals for marketing, not just sales. Strong attendance at these festivals often results in higher sales at the tasting room as festival-goers make follow-up visits to the wineries.”

Also during 2013, the IGGVA unveiled a new logo and marketing campaign for the Illinois wine industry incorporating an image of Illinois’ most famous figure, Abraham Lincoln.

See related story:  Illinois Launches New Wine Logo and Ad Campaign

 

 

 

 

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Mark Ganchiff

Mark Ganchiff is the publisher of Midwest Wine Press, the leading source of news on the growing wine industry in the central United States. Mark has been a wine judge at the 2012 and 2014 INDY International Wine Competition, the 2014 Cold Climate Wine Competition, the 2013 Mid-American Wine Competition, the 2012 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition and the 2013 Michigan Wine Competition. He also enjoys speaking at wine events including the Cold Climate Wine Conference, the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association Annual Meeting, the Midwest Grape and Wine Conference and the Wisconsin Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Mark's articles about regional wine have appeared in Vineyard & Winery Management, WineMaker and several regional magazines. Mark is a Level One Sommelier in the Court of Master Sommeliers. He lives in Louisville, but also has a residence in Chicago.

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