Illinois’s wine story is one of renewal. The state’s first vineyards took root in the 1800s along the Mississippi River near Nauvoo, but Prohibition wiped nearly all of them out. The industry didn’t reemerge until the 1980s, when the Illinois Grape and Wine Resources Council began promoting vineyard restoration and winemaker training.
Education followed quickly. In Chicago, culinary programs like those at Kendall College and the College of DuPage added wine and beverage studies to their hospitality curricula. In 2003, Marianne Frantz founded the American Wine School, offering Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) certifications and sommelier-level training for trade professionals.
More recently, the Chicago Wine & Sommelier School, affiliated with the National Wine School, has become a key hub for certification and advanced wine education in the Midwest. Its programs blend academic rigor with the practical approach pioneered by the National Wine School, connecting students directly to the U.S. wine and hospitality industry.
Downstate, Southern Illinois University and the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association continue to support viticulture workshops and enology training. Together, these programs make Illinois a state where both vineyards and wine knowledge are steadily growing again.
