Art and Wine Fair Gets Good Weather
by Steve Jahnke for the Southern Illinoisan Newspaper

While last year's now-infamous May 8 storm forced Carbondale Main Street to reschedule more than once, the weather held up much better this spring for the Downtown Art and Wine Fair Saturday in Carbondale. "This is the best weather we've ever had," Meghan Cole, executive director of Carbondale Main Street, said early Saturday after the event got under way. The sunny, warm weather made it easy for visitors to the third annual event to roam freely between booths while sampling wine from one of the seven different Southern Illinois vendors, check out art from one of the more than 20 different artists, or dance to the sounds of the Giant City Slickers and Big Larry and the Down Home Blues Band. Even the Big Muddy Brewery of Murphysboro joined in for the fun. For Amber Albores and Matt Mckim-Loder of Champaign, this was their first Art and Wine Fair, but probably not their last. The two are in Southern Illinois for the summer to do bird research, but took some time out to join their friends at this year's event. The next Downtown Art and Wine Fair will be Oct. 2.

This article was found Here.

Growth Potential
by Roland Klose

This interesting article was written in the American Airline's American Way Magazine. You can find this image here.

Here is a bit of the article. You can read the full article here.

“The business was started by people into wine — old hippies, starry-eyed folks,” says Majka, the current president of the wine trail association. “But I see it as a good sign that people interested in making money are interested in what I do.” THE COLLISION of people who love wine and people who love money has caused its share of tension, but that’s true all over the Midwest, which has witnessed explosive growth in wineries. In a business where profit hinges on reputation, quality will inevitably get better, and Bob Foster, a professional wine judge in San Diego, says he’s witnessed an “amazing improvement” in Midwest wines. “Some of the whites are just spectacular,” he says. “The reds, because of a shorter growing season but warmer temperatures, are much more challenging.” That said, Foster is impressed by some of the nortons and chambourcins produced in the region and has a couple of cases of those reds aging in his wine cellar. For the most part, though, the wines are unknown outside the region, he says — and that needs to change."

Some of our local wineries that were mentioned include Alto Vineyards, Alto Vineyards, Blue Sky Vineyard, Hedman Vineyards, Inheritance Valley Vineyards, Kite Hill Vineyards, Orlandini Vineyard, Owl Creek Vineyard, Pomona Winery, Rustle Hill Winery, StarView Vineyards, and Von Jakob Vineyard.

We are very proud of our local wineries!

We have had press releases in both of these St. Louis Publications!