Provocative Winery, Fruity Wines & Wonderful surroundings, Outstanding environment to drink wine or... read more
Provocative Winery, Fruity Wines & Wonderful surroundings, Outstanding environment to drink wine or... read more
We really liked Pomona Winery. The service was great. He told us about each wine and gave... read more
Pomona Winery requires a journey into the Shawnee National Forest, and the reward is well worth it. The owners, George & Jane; along with their master vintner Becky, have perfected wines made with apples, strawberries and blueberries. They love to share their award winning wines and you'll have to try the Orchard Spice... apple pie in a wine glass! It's amazingly delectable. The Golden Harvest oak aged reserve has to be enjoyed too. You can sit outside on their balcony and enjoy the beautiful forest view too. Well worth the trip!
This winery is on the wine trail tucked away on a tree covered wide ridge off the route 127. It is well worth the drive, the road is no longer gravel.
It is run by a delightful couple (lovingly referred to as left over hippies) who know their products and have good suggestions for complimentary paring and cooking tips.
Wines tend to be a little sweet but give them a try to broaden your pallet. Especially try the dessert wines.
A long drive down country road, but we liked their wine the best. Small deck outside, large tasting room.
Went on a wine trail tour on our own. Stopped here and really liked the atmosphere and hospitality of the owners and staff. They took their time with us and explained how the wines were made, very good humored, made our trip enjoyable. We bought some apple wines that were seasonal and had a good variety of samples from the wine tasting. Would definitely go back again.
Took a Sunday afternoon tour of some Southern Illinois wineries, and stopped at Pomona Winery last, and it was an excellent end to the day. It takes a little effort to get there on some winding roads, but it's well worth it. Their wines are non-grape based fruit wines, primarily apple. Only $3 for a tasting of all 10 of their wines.They run the gamut from dry to very sweet, with some very nice dessert wines. Everyone in your group will find at least one to like.
What makes Pomona different is the staff. Most wineries will show you how many medals their wine has won. Frankly, every wine in Southern Illinois seems to have won some medal from some competition someplace. Pomona folks will tell you how their wine is made, what gives it flavor, and what food it pairs well with. The woman who served our group was spot on with her descriptions of each wine's flavors, which made it easier for some beginning tasters in our group to know what they were tasting.
Next visit, I'm saving time to get a glass and sit on their outdoor deck. If you want a big party barn, socializing atmosphere with so-so wines, go down the road. If you want to taste some well-made fruit wine and learn a little in the process, visit Pomona Winery.
Pomona was hands down one of the best stops during our visit to the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail! We stopped in on a Friday, and my mom and I were one of two groups (the other being a couple we had run into earlier that day on the hiking trails), so we were able to get a really personalized description of all the wines they had to offer. George and Becky were so welcoming, that you instantly felt like part of their family. Every single one of their wines was absolutely delicious! My only regret was only taking four bottles home with me - next time I'm taking them all! They also do a great job of recommending cooking and pairing solutions, and let me tell you, a little sauteed walleye with a reduced Jonathan wine and butter sauce? Life changing.