Funds from Agriculture Department, state help support winery

VIENNA, Ill. -- The Shawnee Winery Cooperative is an experiment in growing grapes and in economic development for Southern Illinois.

The cooperative's goal is to help small grape growers find a market for their produce. And it helps area farmers stay afloat financially with support from the state and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Southern Illinois economic development zone encouraged regional farmers to diversify their crops and explore opportunities related to agriculture.

The cooperative got its start in 2001 with informational meetings that drew about 30 people interested in growing grapes. But as the entity began to take shape, only 11 growers committed to the project.

Grape growers looked at a variety of ways for how to set up the winery but decided that the cooperative was their best option, said manager Tiffany Korte.

Cooperative members have vineyards that range in size but each co-op member shares in the winery's profits.

The winery received about $300,000 in state and federal grants to help the cooperative get started. The grant also helped pay for the 4,000-square-foot-building where the wines are made and sold. There is a small, five-acre vineyard on the grounds for demonstrations.

Some of the grapevines growing in the winery's vineyard off Illinois Highway 146 near Interstate 24 are French hybrids that the winery is testing to see how they will withstand Illinois winters.

The winery is looking to hire a winemaker as its production expands, Korte said.