Crown Valley and the Wooden Nickel are owned by Joe Scott of Scott Properties, who also owns the adjacent Honey Bend Resort, which is opening for limited public use for the first time this year. The campground has made its menu available to Wooden Nickel patrons. The Wooden Nickel is open year round and is available for private events. Visit woodennickelwinery.com for more details.
(7185 E. Firehouse Rd., Decatur) was launched in 2004 and winemakers Jody Fisher and Brad Warnick continue to produce several wines with homegrown grapes. Fisher and Warnick have planted Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Syrah, and Viognier grapes and are known for producing award-winning Chambourcin, Vidal Blanc, and La Crosse. Go to longcreekvineyards.com for more information.
The state of Illinois wine
Although the industry’s state funding has been cut, Illinois stands to benefit financially if local winemaking continues to flourish.
Bill McCartney is the executive director of the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association (illinoiswine.com), a nonprofit group formed to promote the wine and grape industry in Illinois. While significant funding from the Illinois General Assembly was eliminated earlier this year, the IGGVA still receives an annual $150,000 from the Illinois Department of Agriculture and another $150,000 from the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Bureau of Tourism. However, $93,000 of the Agriculture money goes to programs at UIUC and SIU, while the IGGVA retains just $13,200. The remaining money is primarily spent on marketing. According to McCartney, the last economic impact study (2007-2008) revealed that wineries contribute $253 million to the state’s economy through construction costs, salaries, equipment purchases and other expenses. Furthermore, McCartney says for every gallon of wine sold, $1.50 of excise tax goes into the Illinois general revenue fund. He estimates that every dollar once contributed by the state was returned to the Illinois budget 10 times.
The budget cuts have not yet affected local wineries, but negative impact is not far off. The IGGVA sponsors seminars, workshops and other events for winemakers and grape growers. Furthermore, the group retains specialists who assist newcomers interested in starting small businesses. If funding remains low, fledgling vintners will instead rely only on the kindness of peer mentors to get their new companies off the
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