Alto Vineyards - Dawg Days of Summer Super Shelter Spectacular!

I had the pleasure of being part of the Dawg Days of Summer fundraiser at Alto Vineyards this weekend.  

Being as this was only the second year for their now-annual fundraiser, there was a huge turnout, both for visitors, dogs, and vendors.  I was with Saint Francis CARE no-kill animal shelter, with whom I've volunteered for the last year or so.  We had a lucky duck draw, and I was doing pet portraits.  We had a funky Hawaiian summer beach scene with a ton of funny props, and everyone had a really great time.

Dawg Days came about to 'bring awareness to the remarkable benefits our regional animal rescue organizations provide for us and our furry friends.'  Every bit of donations given to the winery and admission price went to local shelters, The Angelina Foundation, Humane Society of Southern Illinois, Marion Animal Shelter, P.A.W.S. of Anna, Perry County Humane Society, St Francis CARE, Union County Animal Control, and Wright-Way Rescue, most of which had booths set up.

St Francis CARE of Murphysboro

Perry County Humane Society

PAWS of Anna

Humane Society of Southern Illinois

There were also booths by local vendors and artists, which were all fantastic and super creative.

Clay Lick Creek Pottery http://claylickcreekpottery.com/

Art and sculpture by Tom Horn of Cobden

Mario's Mama handmade healthy dog treats http://www.mariosmamapetbakery.com/

Funky Mutt collars and leashes   https://www.etsy.com/shop/FunkyMutt

There was also some amazing smelling food by Pat's Barbecue and The Neighborhood Co-op.  Blair's Saluki's showed up, and Greyhound Pets of America, as well as Howlin' For Hope.  

Dawg Days started at 12:00, on a fantastic day, sunny and warm.  Lots of people were sitting in the grass, at tables, on the veranda.....with dogs lazing around everywhere.

The music was great, we were situated right behind the stage.  

The Rural Kings ( https://www.facebook.com/ruralkings ) 

Jenny & The Johnsons ( https://www.facebook.com/jennyandthejohnsonspage ) 

Storm Crows ( https://www.facebook.com/stormcrowsbluegrass )

Whistle Pigs ( https://www.facebook.com/thewhistlepigs ) (who I particularly enjoyed) 

A beautiful selection of wine rounded out the adult favors, and for kids there were puppies, duck games, face painting (which my friend Tina and I took advantage of), and even a bounce house.

I will definitely be heading to this event again next year, either as a participant or visitor.  I would love to lounge with my dogs in the grass, drinking wine and listening to awesome music all afternoon!  Keep an eye on Alto Vineyards web and facebook page for next years event!

Alto Vineyards

 8515 Hwy 127, Alto Pass, Illinois 62905

(618) 893-4898

https://www.facebook.com/AltoVineyards

http://altovineyards.net/

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 :)

Legends at Walker's Bluff

"Experience destination dining at the end of the rippling road and straight lines of vines. Legends sets the regional standard for gourmet modern cuisine. Always, ingredients are selected from the finest the earth has to offer. Certified Kobe beef and prime black angus melt after perfect preparation, and each fresh catch is flown in from Seattle's famed Pike Place Market. Each season, the crisp paper of a new menu attributes its faceted flavors to timely harvests."
- www.walkersbluff.com

Coming into Walker's Bluff is like entering a different world.  You drive through twisty country lanes, not particularly known for their scenery, it's just typical Southern Illinois country living; a few broken down cars, a few mobile homes, and most people have chickens in the yard (I don't make fun, I too own chickens.) But then you are greeted by the General Store, a beautiful building lit up against the sunset. The big windows show off all the pretty things held inside, which I have yet to experience but will definitely go back for. 

A pretty metal sign will point the way down a long gravel road towards Legends and the other buildings, which you cannot see from the road. Go slow! It's got one heck of a hill and you can't see whats coming from either direction, but then you hit the rolling fields, which I had the pleasure of seeing with a fiery sunset.  It is quite charming, despite the road crunching beneath your tires.

The road turns to perfectly lain asphalt and you come to a glorified guard shack, with an expertly manicured lawn and a gorgeous farmhouse behind.  An employee will ask you if you've ever been before, and point you in the right direction depending if you are heading to the restaurant or the bar.  You drive down a lit path through the  grape field, and come upon the restaurant to the left and wine cave to the right, all lit up like beacons.  You can pull right up to Legends and they have a complimentary chauffeur service (not that we did this, in fact, my husband was asking me what I was getting us into at this point, we're more down-home type people, and we were a bit out of our element.) 

Stepping into the restaurant you immediately leave behind Southern Illinois.  There is nothing else to compare it to here.  You could easily be in an upscale restaurant in any big city.  I'm not saying it's out of place, on the contrary, it's overdue.  This is the optimum place for a romantic evening.

You check you car and your coat at the door.  If your early for your reservation (like we were) you will be seated at the bar until your table is ready.  The restaurant is gorgeous,  they have a huge wine list, and you can taste them right there at the bar.  If your more into cocktails, they have those too, and the servers are knowledgeable about what they are making, you can ask their opinion on drink selection with confidence.  I had a sparkling cocktail that was actually recommended both by my server and the bar tender, and on good reason.  It was fantastic, and no more than you would pay anywhere else.

Our hostess came and gathered us from the bar promptly at our reservation time, and seated us at a little table just tot he left of the fireplace.  The room is beautifully decorated, the chairs rustic and comfortable, and the tables small enough to be intimate but still will plenty of room to hold your meal, drinks, and candles.  The servers are prompt but not obnoxious, their menu small but expertly crafted, from bison and prime rib to scallops and lobster tail.  Most entrees are what you would expect to pay in a high-end location, from $35-50 range, but the steak and lobster selections are on the expensive side, most were $75.  

Dining is leisurely, and no one rushes you on refills or dessert.  The staff is attentive, enough so that they let you enjoy your meal and show up just when you need them.  There are intimate two-people tables, but they can also accommodate large parties.  They also seemed to have an additional dining room off the main  probably for private parties and dining room overflow.

All in all, we spent right at $100, excluding our drinks at the bar, and walked away unable even to order dessert for being so full from the meal.  Our dinner was delicious, the ambiance romantic, and while initially feeling a little out of our element, had a wonderful evening.  Most people (including ourselves) were in nice attire but still in blue jeans, you don't have to walk in in a suit, and the servers are all relaxed and friendly.  I definitely recommend Legends if your looking for a romantic evening.

How to get there:

You can find Legends off interstate 57 at the Johnston City exit, and literally just follow the signs.  

Walker's Bluff 
326 Vermont rd,
Carterville, IL

from Marion:

Take exit 54B to merge onto W DeYoung St/IL-13 toward Carbondale. Continue to follow IL-13. Turn right at N Reed Station Rd. Turn right at Vaughn Rd. Turn left to stay on Vaughn Rd. Turn left at N County Line Rd and follow to Walker's Bluff.

Blue Sky Winery

Some friends and I recently decided to go on the Shawnee Wine Trail for an afternoon of relaxation and wine tasting. We never made it past Blue Sky.

Blue Sky Winery has a big, majestic building reminiscent of an old Italian winery with rustic and rugged accent pieces, like wrought Iron pillars and light fixtures. Everything is deep colored wood and earth toned plaster, with an extensive bar and large patio. the first thing you notice upon entering is the bar, with shelves and crates full of wines with colorful labels. the people are friendly and knowledgeable  and all you really need to say is "I like this type of wine..." and they will tell you the best sellers as well as their favorites and what most people with similar likes drink. There's a whole top shelf with a bottle of each wine on it, and each bottle has medal upon medal placed on it, showing the various awards each has won.

Once you get your glass or bottle or even pitcher of wine or sangria, you can sit indoors or head out onto their gorgeous patio and drink the day away. umbrella covered tables look out onto their pond, waterfall, and gazebo  the day we were there a man brought his dog to swim in the pond and there was also a wedding on the gazebo.

They have pizzas and appetizers as well as wonderful smelling breads with dipping sauces and cheeses. we brought out own cooler full of breads and chips,and no one seemed to mind that we had done so. The entire place is just so laid back.

It isn't hard to find, and you can go to http://www.blueskyvineyard.com/ and click on the directions link, and it will have you enter your address or starting point and give you tailored directions on how to get there. As a tip, don't use cell phone navigational systems, it will not get you where you need to go! You will still be several miles off from the winery.

I ended up coming home with a sweet red wine called Concorde, their best seller. My fiends took home Mysterioso, which is #2 on their sellers list. both are sweet wines, and have that deep glossy red color. Hopefully next time we do the Shawnee Wine Trail, we will make it to more than one winery, but I have to say I would not mind spending another day relaxing at blue sky.

Blue Sky Vinyard/Winery
3150 S. Rocky Comfort Rd.,
Anna (Makanda), IL 62906
618) 995-WINE