Shawnee Hills American Viticulture Area

American Viticulture Areas (AVAs) are designated wine grape-growing regions in the United States that have been shown to have terroir resulting in exceptional grapes and wine.  In Europe the equivalent is an Appellation (such as Bourdeax or Burgandy).  Wichmann Vineyard is in the Shawnee Hills AVA.  This was established through the federal government by Ted Wichmann in 2006 after two years of researching and writing the proposal.

An especially unique aspect of the Shawnee Hills AVA has to do with the fact that we are an unglaciated area, meaning our soil and geology are different than other areas in Illinois. Additionally, this part of Illinois used to be ocean front property, resulting in limestone deposits. All these factors affect the taste and characteristics of wine made from grapes grown in our AVA.  These factors are called Terroir.

Terroir is derived from a French word meaning land. Terroir is the soil, climate, and other unique environmental factors of a specific area that affects the flavors and characteristics of wine made from grapes grown there.  Look for Shawnee Hills AVA on wine labels and learn more at https://www.shawneehillsava.com