StarView Vineyards

I am a volunteer for several animal organizations, mainly in fundraising.  Being as I live in Southern Illinois and wineries are kind of our thing, I thought a fundraiser at a winery would be just the ticket.  Lucky for me, Regina at StarView was more than excited to come on board, which also means I got to spend the afternoon at StarView.  You know, for research purposes.  ;)

StarView is located on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, which makes it ridiculously easy to find.  The area down around Cobden is just gorgeous, and even the drive is relaxing.  You have your choice of many wineries in the area, Blue Sky, Owl Creek, Rustle Hill....all of which have their own charm.  I've had several bottle of StarView's wine in the past though, so I knew that I was in for good spirits.  

I started off with a glass of Moonlight White, a fairly sweet white wine with a nice crisp finish.  But I promise you, it's the slushes and sangria that you really want.  You can't get either one in a bottle, (although I hear you can stock up on bottles and make the sangria at home!) so your only option is to drive on down and enjoy in person.  We also had lunch while we sat out on the sun filled deck overlooking the pond and groves.  It really is a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

StarView Vineyards was founded in 2006 when a new tasting room was opened.   It isfamily owned & operated by Brett & Regina Morrison and Ron & Susan Dalius. Brett has been in the wine industry for over 15 years and has been making wine for 8 years. Brett introduced Regina to the "wine lifestyle" and she has loved being involved in the tasting room operations. Regina & Brett are enjoying their life in Southern Illinois, it reminds them of Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, which is where they moved from in the summer of 2013.  I spent some time with Regina and she's an absolute delight, she clearly loves what they are doing, where they are, and spending time with everyone who comes to visit.  She can be found walking the groves or lounging on the deck with a glass in her hand chatting with patrons.

They have a cute little section of wine related gifts, and I stood for a long while chuckling at the t-shirts, magnets, and coasters, all picking on us poor wine lovers.

There really is a light atmosphere with a lot of humor around here :)

StarView offers twelve award winning wines, plus those fantastic sangrias and slushes.  Summer is by far the best time to visit, with mild weather and local bands playing.  They're also pet friendly! (As evidenced by their cat, Alex, who likes to greet you at the door, and the neighbor farm's lab who loves to drop in and say hi.) You can find all their events listed on their website: http://www.starviewvineyards.com

Plus, keep an eye on our blog and StarView's website for the announcement of my fundraiser for Kindred Hearts Transport Connection :)

StarView Vineyards

5100 Wing Hill Rd.

Cobden, IL 62920

618-893-9463

How to get there:

Follow I-57 S to Lick Creek Rd in Lick Creek. Take exit 36 from I-57 S

28.2 mi / 26 min

 Take Hall Church Rd to Wing Hill Rd

5.3 mi / 11 min

Turn right onto Lick Creek Rd

0.6 mi

Take the 1st right onto Hall Church Rd

1.7 mi

Continue onto Wing Hill Rd

1.9 mi

Turn right to stay on Wing Hill Rd

 Destination will be on the left

...or you know....hop on the wine trail and follow the signs :)