The Illinois wine industry, a small but growing network of boutique wineries and vineyards dotting the state, is looking for a little more shelf space at your local retailer.
Struggling during the pandemic with a business model built mostly on tours, tastings and in-person sales, Illinois wine producers are pushing for legislation to increase self-distribution to stores and restaurants, bypassing a Prohibition-era state law requiring a middleman in such transactions.
Lynfred Winery in Roselle, a 43-year-old former basement hobby that has grown into one of the state’s oldest and largest family-owned wine producers, saw its sales decline sharply as visits by its 6,000 wine club members to the northwest suburban winery and satellite tasting rooms were curtailed by the pandemic.
