Illinois wine industry blooms with new Litchfield winery
Illinois wine industry blooms with new Litchfield winery
Jun 3, 2010 6
Illinois’ wine industry continues to grow with the recent opening of the Wooden Nickel Winery & Saloon, nestled in 48 acres of a scenic resort area just north of Litchfield in Montgomery County.“Wineries are like mushrooms. They keep popping up,” said Bill McCartney, Pittsfield-based executive director of the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association. There are now nearly 90 wineries in the state; in 1997, there were 14.The Wooden Nickel is a rustic-looking, three-level building constructed in the late 1960s as a recreational spot for Honey Bend Resort, which surrounds the winery with hiking trails, fishing ponds, outdoor games and other amenities in addition to lodging. The building later became home to a couple of restaurants and a bar named the Wooden Nickel.
Comments