Lynfred Winery: A sweet surprise in the suburbs
In the often-cramped northwest Chicago suburbs, the last thing you might expect to find is a winery. And yet, 45 minutes from downtown, amidst strip malls and condos sits the lovely Lynfred Winery, the oldest and largest continuously operating winery in Illinois.
Located on an acre of land in Roselle, the Lynfred Winery was founded by wine lovers Lynn and Fred Koehler in 1979. Built from a historic mansion dating back to 1912, the home has since been expanded to include wine production and storage facilities, a tasting room, gift shop and even a four-suite bed and breakfast.
With a production capacity of 100,000 gallons of wine per year, Lynfred Winery has more than 50 varietals [wine made chiefly from one variety of grape] and produces 25,000 cases annually. Tours of the facility and wine tastings are offered daily, and are a terrific way to sample the different and distinct wines produced on site.
Lynfred visitors can also indulge in more than wine with gourmet artisan breads, chocolates and condiments made on-site and available in the gift shop. The winery is a terrific place for gift ideas, ranging from creative wine racks to chocolate covered wine bottles with dessert liquors inside.
If a day at the winery isn’t enough, then an overnight stay at the Lynfred B&B might do the trick. Guests are treated to wine cellar tours, in-room spa services, gourmet meals and full concierge services. Each suite is individually themed, offering a taste of the Italian countryside, Bavarian Germany, a French chateau or turn-of-the-century Americana.
Though an evening at the Lynfred B&B is pricey ($325-$350), a day visit is more than reasonable with free facility tours and a seven-wine sampling for $7. From Riesling to Rose’, each Lynfred wine is a discovery to be made, just like the winery it comes from.
Posted on Apr 14, 2011 by D.J. Siegel
