The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance is proud to announce the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial Wines

Springfield, IL the Illinois Grape Growers & Vintners Alliance, in partnership with the Illinois Bicentennial Commission and the Illinois Department of Agriculture, is proud to announce that Illinois-grown Rosé is the official wine of the Illinois Bicentennial! Rather than have a single wine represent the entire industry, the IGGVA has curated a quality- assured wine style for Illinois’ 200th birthday: dry to semi-dry rosé. Rosé was chosen because Illinois’ producers are making world-class wines in this style from a variety of grapes, including those grown in both northern and southern Illinois. In order to be selected, wines must meet both quality and stylistic goals. These standards were established by collaborative efforts between industry members and grape and wine specialists. Each wine went through a quality assurance evaluation process to qualify to be named the Bicentennial Wine and we are excited about the opportunity this offers the public and to the wineries.   The first round of Rosé selections went to the following wineries:

• Alto Vineyards, Alto Pass, IL, for their 2017 Rosato
• August Hill Winery, Utica, IL, for their Chambourcin Rosé and their La Belle Rosé
• Blue Sky Winery, Makanda, IL, for their Rosé Wine
• Danenberger Family Vineyards, New Berlin, IL, for their LoveLocks 2017 Chambourcin Dry Rosé
• Galena Cellars Winery, Galena, IL, for their Chambourcin Rosé, Frontenac gris, Vineyard Rosé
• Hidden Lake Winery, Aviston, IL, for their Chambourcin Rosé
• Kite Hill Winery, Carbondale, IL, for their Rosé
• Massbach Winery, Elizabeth, IL, for their 2017 Sunrise Red Rosé Wine
• Prairie State Winery, Genoa, IL, for their Chambourcin Rosé
• Spirit Knob, Ursa, IL, for their Day’s End
• StarView Winery, Cobden, IL, for their Dry Rosé
• Twelve Oaks Winery, Carlyle, IL, for their Chambourcin Rosé
• West of Wise Winery, Petersburg, IL, for their Rosé

  ABOUT ILLINOIS BICENTENNIAL On Dec. 3, 1818, Illinois became the 21st state in the union. The Illinois Bicentennial is a yearlong celebration of what has been BORN, BUILT & GROWN in the state and a reminder of why we are #IllinoisProud. Citizens are encouraged to participate in the celebration by visiting www.illinois200.com and using the hashtag #IllinoisProud. Partners and event and project managers planning activities between Dec. 3, 2017, and Dec. 3, 2018, can apply for endorsement to become an official part of Illinois Bicentennial by visiting the PARTICIPATE page atwww.illinois200.com.  “The Governor’s Office of the Illinois Bicentennial is thrilled to team up with IGGVA and recognize the fast-growing Illinois wine industry,” said Stuart Layne, Executive Director of the Illinois Bicentennial. “Illinoisans across the state can celebrate our 200th birthday with a homegrown rosé.” With the endorsement from the Bicentennial Commission and IGGVA, each winery will be celebrating the Bicentennial with events and activities throughout the year. Wines will be on sale at each of the selected wineries. More information can be found on https://illinois200.com/ For a full list of winners please go to www.illinoiswine.com