I recently discovered Prairie State Winery while surfing the internet to find new winieries to visit. Coincidentally, Doug and I were going to Geneva to see his family for the Fourth of July, and Geneva is two towns away from the winery itself in Genoa. So we had to fit in a visit!
Turns out that on that day were were poured our complimentary samples by the winemaker himself, Rick Mamoser, who is also the owner of the winery. So we heard the history firsthand. Rick is a science teacher and an artistic mind, both of which make him a natural as a winemaker. He's been making Prairie State wines for 11 years now and recently expanded his location in charming downtown Genoa. Later this month he will start giving tours of the new expansion of the winery where the magic of the winemaking takes place.
Rick's Chambourcin and Cabernet Franc wines won Best in Illinois awards in 2007 and 2008, respectively. And from tasting both, I could see why! They were both excellent, a testament to his winemaking skills. Save for the Cabernet Franc, all of the grapes Rick uses are native or hybrid grapes, and all the grapes come from Illinois. And all of the grapes are organic.
A couple of wines I found especially unique were the Vignoles with its distinctive apple aroma and the Kishwaukee Blue that was sweet and delicious with an image of a heron on the label because the herons frequent that vineyard and call out to any human visitors.
Doug and I will definitely be back for the tour!
www.prairiestatewinery.com
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