Our first stop was...
Alto Vineyards in Champaign, IL
This was our second time tasting alto wines. Our first visit was last summer on the Shawnee Wine Trail when we visited their vineyard in Alto Pass, Il. Both locations carry the same delicious wines, are family owned, and have incredibly friendly and helpful individuals serving their wines.
This time, Ryan led us on the tour of alto wines. Ryan took his time, carefully describing the unique characteristic of each wine, answering all of our questions, and letting his knowledge of wine truly shine through. His English degree and love for the language were apparent with each incredibly descriptive phrase he used. We appreciate all of the time Ryan spent guiding us through the grapes.
- The Wine -
Alto Vineyards has been around for over 20 years. They first planted their vines in 1982, selling their first bottles of wine in 1988. Alto boasts a very large, well-rounded wine list. There is a wine to meet anyones' tastes. From dry to sweet, white to red, Alto seems to have it all.
What I have previously found, is that some wineries with a larger wine lists seem to sacrifice quality for quantity. Alto, on the other hand, maintains a magnificent quality through all of their wines. I would certainly recommend visiting either of their locations.
-Our Picks-
(The description from the winery will be in italics and our comments will be in normal type)
Because of their vast list, we have not yet tried all of the Alto wines, but we have not been disappointed by anything we have tried.
On our previous trip, Chad and I purchased all four of the Heartland wines and the Shawnee Gold.
Heartland White - semi-sweet - Medium-bodied with a nice balance of fruit, acid, & sweetness, with hints of green apple & grapefruit. An excellent all-around table wine.
Heartland Blush - sweet - a fruity Concord blush reminiscent of fresh grape jelly. Chad thought that this one had some hints of strawberry. Wines like this are dangerous for me because they are so easy to drink.
Heartland Red - sweet - A medium-bodied Concord red with fruity aroma & hints of strawberry & cherry flavors with the natural grape flavor. Great table wine, especially if you like the sweet stuff. A little too sweet for us.
Heartland Port - sweet- Concord grapes produce a lighter-bodied, Midwestern-style Port wine with loads of grape flavor. A great after-dinner sipping wine. Enjoy with some dark chocolate.
Shawnee Gold - sweet - a light, German-style wine with the apricot & peach aromas & flavors. This wine is so smooth it is almost buttery. Excellent aroma
Wine we bought on this trip includes:
Villard Blanc - dry - light-bodied with hints of lemon & Granny Smith apple with a crisp finish. I love this finish on this wine. It is well balanced and sits on the pallet nicely.
Wiener Dog White - semi-sweet - a proprietor's blend of Vignoles, Villard Blanc & Chardonel grapes. Marked by a soft melon aroma with light mango, melon, & pear flavors. What can we say... we love the wiener.
A special thanks to Ryan for recommending and for allowing us the pleasure of buying their special, limited Chambourcin. It is truly amazing!!!
For more information on Alto Vineyards, please visit their website:
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