Midwest Wine Press

Illinois Wineries Increase 36% Since 2006

by · October 19, 2012

According to new survey, wine production in Illinois increased by 16 percent during the past five years from 564,270 gallons in 2006 to 651,800 gallons in 2011. The number of wineries in the state has increased by 36 percent over the past five years from 77 wineries in 2006 to 105 wineries in 2011. Illinois wineries employed an estimated 738 full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers in 2011.

The survey results are the product of a joint venture between the Illinois Field office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association (IGGVA.)  The main goals of the survey, which began in January of 2012, are to measure the commercial acreage of grapes and gallons of wine produced by all known vineyards and wineries in Illinois during 2011.

Total grape acres in the state have increased two percent over the past five years from 1,083 acres in 2006 to 1,107 acres in 2011. The number of growers has increased by 33 percent over the past five years from 235 in 2006 to 312 in 2011. This large growth in the number of growers is primarily due to an increase in the number of hobby growers in the state. Illinois vineyards employed nearly 1,000 full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers in 2011.

The future of the Illinois grape and wine industry is also looking promising. Current capacity to make wine stands at just over 1 million gallons. Over the next five years, that capacity is expected to double to nearly 2 million gallons and over the next 10 years capacity is expected to increase to nearly 3 million gallons.

NASS and the IGGVA would like to thank all of the vineyards, wineries, and hobbyists that took the time to provide the information needed to compile this report.

Download the full report at http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Illinois/Publications/Special_Surveys/2011grapeindex.htm

For more information contact Megan Pressnall with the IGGVA or David Ward with USDA-NASS.

Megan Pressnall: megan@illinoiswine.com (217) 726-8518

David Ward: david.ward@nass.usda.gov (217) 492-4295 or (800) 622-9865

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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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