Oswego’s annual wine festival a family affair

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

OSWEGO — Wine on the Fox, Oswego’s annual wine festival, returns to the village next month, and returning with it are the host of characters who make up the Illinois wine-making community.

“There’s so many different personalities in the wine-making business, it’s worth it going just to talk to people,” said Mike Faltz of Fox Valley Winery, the Oswego-based host winery for the festival. “You get to meet all the wine makers. Just about every winery will send their different tasters.”

As the hosts, Fox Valley Winery will welcome representatives from 18 Illinois wineries for this year’s festival, an indication of just how much the wine-making industry has flourished in recent years.

“Pre-Prohibition, Illinois was the second-largest producer in the country. Of course, Prohibition really killed that,” said Faltz. “It takes five years to re-establish a winery, so most of the farmers stuck with the corn and beans because they didn’t want to go through the five-year loss. In the late ’90s, it started making a big comeback.”

So big, in fact, that Illinois now has two officially recognized wine-making regions, and crushing grapes has become a $20 million industry. Three-quarters of Illinois counties have at least one vineyard.

And Illinois wines are a diverse bunch. Fox Valley Winery alone has 34 different tasting wines to offer.

Despite the libations, Wine on the Fox is family-friendly, said Faltz. Live entertainment includes Jeff LaMarre & Kurt Schoenfielder, Joe Desperado, On the House and The Connexion Band, acts singing blues to Top 100 covers.

“There will be bands. There will be food. There is a park there so it is family-friendly. The kids can play on the jungle gyms and everybody else can drink some wine.”

Well, nearly everybody else. The Rotary Club will sponsor this year’s designated driver tent with free water and soda.

Wine on the Fox will kick off at 11 a.m. May 7 at Hudson Crossing Park, 65 N. Harrison St.

Parking is available in the parking lot of the former Alexander Lumber site and at Oswego Village Hall. Oswego police have advised motorists to find alternate routes around Route 34, Madison, Washington and Main streets if they are not attending the festival.

Entrance to the festival is free. Wine-tasting wristbands are $10 and include a souvenir wine glass and five tasting tickets. Additional tickets can be purchased for $1 each and will be sold until 7:30 p.m.

Patrons wishing to taste wine must be 21 with identification.