Shawnee Hills Wine-Grape Association
PROUDLY PROMOTING ILLINOIS' FIRST AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREA
Shawnee Hills Wine-Grape Association
The Shawnee Hills Wine-Grape Association was formed in 2007 to represent the best interests of the entire AVA and the grape growers and wineries within it's boundaries and to act as a vehicle, authorized by its members, to plan and execute a strategy for successful growth of its wine-grape industry.
Our Mission Statement: "The Shawnee Hills Wine-Grape Association is committed to representing, educating and promoting, wine-grape growers and wineries and offering opportunities for all within the AVA to benefit."
Association Board Members: The organization is supported by four board members who are tasked with setting policies and making decisions for the future of the organization based on input from members and the experiences they represent. The board shall always consist of: one vineyard liasons, two winery liasons and one member-at-large.
Current Board Members:
Hanna Wichmann - (President) Winery Liason
Marshall McNealy - (Vice-President) Vineyard Liason
Jenny Schroeder - (Secretary) Winery Liason
What We Do
Vineyard Workshops
Quality wine begins in the vineyard. Each year our association offers the opportunity for grape growers to further their knowledge on vineyard practices by holding vineyard workshops at one of our member vineyards. Crop load management, fertilizer application, shoot thinning, bird netting, and more have been discussed at past workshops.
Our growers are committed to producing quality grapes that showcase the truly regional characteristics or terroir of the Shawnee Hills American Viticultural Area.
Wine Technical Groups
Several times each year the Shawnee Hills Wine-Grape Association holds Wine Technical Groups in an effort to elevate wines made from Shawnee Hills grapes. These groups are an opportunity for producers to share information in a closed, formal, blind tasting environment with other winemakers from within the Shawnee Hills and share winemaking techniques that may further improve the quality of wines made with AVA fruit.
We encourage our winemakers/producers to attend these events. One of the benefits of being a member of the Shawnee Hills Wine-Grape Association is the networking with others in the industry.
Educational / Promotional Events
Shawnee Hills wines offer a truly distinct, regional, quality that is perfect for any occasion. In an effort to promote our growers and wineries, the Shawnee Hills Wine-Grape Association hosts a variety of events to better educate and familiarize our grapes and wines with consumers.
Vineyard tours, wine and food pairing events and meet the grower/winemaker roundtables are just a few of the fun and educational events that the Shawnee Hills Wine-Grape Association provides to consumers.
Preferred Viticulture Consultant
Are you looking to plant a vineyard in the "Shawnee Hills" or would you like to hire a consultant to help assess your vineyard and practices?
The Shawnee Hills Wine-Grape Association is proud to announce Kaleb Wilson as our preferred viticulture consultant. He offers a vast knowledge of "Shawnee Hills" terroir and the varieties that are best suited for this area.
Kaleb has agreed to offer his services to Shawnee Hills Wine-Grape Association members. Some services will be discounted for SHWGA members.
Kaleb Wilson
Services Available: Vineyard Site Evaluation, Spray Program Development, Site Preparation, Custom Canopy Management, Vineyard Employee Training, Custom Pruning and more.
If interested in a consultation please email the Shawnee Hills Wine-Grape Association for a Service Request or contact Kaleb directly at kalebrw@gmail.com.