Just outside of the city of St. Louis, Missouri are three wineries. All three are excellent if you love to visit wineries. This article will review all three of these Illinois wineries. All three are about a 30 minute drive from St. Louis.
Villa Marie Winery (618-345-3100)
This winery was originally the Piasa Winery that was located in Godfrey, Illinois. Judy Drost Wiemann bought the winery at Piasa and moved all the equipment plus the wine maker Linda Unnerstall and moved in to Maryville, Illinois in 2008. It is located at 6633 East Main. It is on 60 acres of land.
Although they have won more than 75 awards, they are famous for two special wines. Those two being Fuzzy Fusion ( a sweet white wine) and Illini Red (a sweet red wine). The Villa Marie can serve up to 300 people in their 10,000 square foot restaurant. It also has a large banquet hall for special occasions. I like this winery because of the fantastic food menu they offer.
Springers Creek Winery (618-307-5110)
Springers is located at 817 Hillsboro Avenue in Edwardsville, Illinois. It looks like a corner bar, but isn’t. It is also located on the old US route 66. My wife had her class reunion there last summer. It is an ideal retreat from the stresses of everyday life. Colette Andre and her partner Sam Maker or the wine makers and owners.
They specialize in ten different red and white wines. However, their best red wine is called the Mother Road Red. It was named after US route 66. They can seat up to 80 people during the cold months and many more in the court yard once the weather breaks. They have tourists from all over the world.
Copper Dock Winery (618-669-2675)
The Copper Dock is located in Pocahontas, Illinois. This is the home town of Gretchen Wilson (Redneck Woman). It is located just off I-70. It is located on a large lake. It has a large scale restaurant and extra banquet hall. They can handle several large parties at once. If you are looking for a winery that is hidden away, the Copper Dock is the place.
They have a large outdoor serving area, as well. It is not unusual to see weddings being held outside by the lake. Their hours change with the seasons. Check their web site for updates on time schedules.