Local wineries keep business flowing despite dry economy

By Gus Bode

Though the national economic climate might not provide a comfortable environment for businesses to flourish, some of the wineries on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail say that business is not as bad as expected.

The consensus among the Pomona Winery, Blue Sky Vineyard and Kite Hill Vineyard is that tourists are looking closer to home to find fun activities to do. Barbara Bush, owner of the Kite Hill Vineyard and Bed and Breakfast, said business hasn’t been as bad as she thought and people still look for entertainment.

‘I think that people allow themselves a little break on the weekends,’ Bush said. The beautiful scenery and close access make it easier for people to treat themselves, she said.

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Jim Ewers, general manager of Blue Sky Vineyard, said it is possible for tourists to come to the wine trail for a long weekend, whereas a trip to California would take at least a week.

The owner of the Pomona Winery, George Majka, said because the areas in southern Illinois are not widely-known, tourists visit and feel like they have discovered something.

‘We’re getting a lot of vacationers that might have gone other places,’ Majka said of the area’s relative inexpensiveness and small size. He also said that Illinois consumers drink more wine than those of most of other states.

According to a study by MKF Research on the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association Web site, the wine industry solicited $31 million in tourism expenditures and drew 155,00 visitors in 2005.

The IGGVA also reported a 2007 study that showed an increase of 31 to 77 wineries from 2002 to 2007.

Kevin Sylwester, an associate professor in the economics department, said Illinois did not experience the huge economic boom years ago that many other states did, and as a result Illinois is not dealing with a huge bust.

‘Businesses here, although times are tough, they might not be doing as badly as the national average,’ he said. Also, it is not uncommon to hear about alcohol sales remaining constant during a recession, Sylwester said.

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Ewers said Blue Sky’s wine sales from 2009’s first quarter were up compared to 2008, and sales during the last few months are comparable to last year’s.

‘I would say right now we are affected by weekend weather conditions,’ Ewers said. The rainy weather has proved more of an obstacle than a poor national economy as most of their sales occur on site, he said.

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