WHITTINGTON, Ill. — In more than one sense, Pheasant
Hollow Winery stands alone.
The only winery in Franklin County, it isn’t situated at
the end of a long road winding through forested hills. It isn’t on a winery tour
that brings busloads of tourists. But the business certainly doesn’t lack
customers.
“We’re kind of lost out in the middle of nowhere by
ourselves,” said owner Bruce Morgenstern. “We have billboards that bring a lot
of folks in off the highway. We try to utilize that.”
Pheasant Hollow benefits from its location just off
Interstate 57. It is also near Rend Lake, the state’s second-largest manmade
lake, a popular tourist and recreation destination.
“And we get a lot of Rend Lake traffic,” he said.
The doors opened on July 4, 1999, after Morgenstern and
a partner, the late Billy Needham, discussed their love of wine while attending
college as non-traditional students. It was a modest beginning.
“I always tell people, watch what you wish for,”
Morgenstern said. “I’ve always liked things different, things that other people
won’t do or can’t do. Bill was making wine, dabbling with it.
“We started out with a gallon jug in the basement. We
made 30,000 gallons last year. It’s quite a change.”
The building, including a loft and gabled ceiling, is
also unique. The hardwood floor formerly was part of the gymnasium of Johnston
City High School. When a new school was built, the boards were auctioned
off.
“We gave $100 for the floor,” Morgenstern said. “We sold
a 10-by-10 piece for $70 before I left the sale. It’s been a great
floor.”
Selection, Entertainment
From the start, Pheasant Hollow has offered not only a
wide selection of grape and fruit wines, but numerous entertainment
opportunities. There is live music on the third Friday of every month. The
winery hosts a Cajun festival in the spring and a blues festival in the
fall.
It pioneered in introducing murder mystery
dinners.
“It was not long after we opened our door that we
started having murder mysteries,” Morgenstern said. “As far as I know, we were
the first (winery) in the state to do that. We’ve had, on average, one a month
ever since.”
The winery is also heavily involved in the Rend Lake Art
and Wine Festival, held each September. It has become one of the largest such
events in the state. Some of the extra-curricular activities may be attributed
to Morgenstern’s position as president of the Illinois Grape Growers and
Vintners Association.
Of course, a winery cannot succeed without good wine.
And Pheasant Hollow’s list is impressive, comprising 17 varieties. There is no
vineyard, so all the grapes are purchased from growers, most in Illinois.
Morgenstern praises the talent of winemaker Denny Franklin.
“It’s important to make good wine, but it’s more
important to make consistent wine,” he said. “Denny does a very good job of
making good wine, but he’s very consistent. A consumer wants to know what
they’re getting. Consistency starts with the grower.”
Grape, Fruit Wines
While the majority of wines sold here are made from
grapes, Pheasant Hollow is known more for its fruit wines, especially its Black
& Blue, made from blackberries and blueberries, and Red & Blue, made
from cherries and blueberries. All of the fruit is purchased from out-of-state
growers, which means those bottles cannot be labeled as Illinois wines.
“There aren’t enough blueberries or blackberries in the
state of Illinois to begin to supply us for our Black & Blue,” Morgenstern
said. “But we use the same growers. It’s a trust and an education. There is a
combination of things there.”
Black & Blue is the No. 1 seller, both locally and
throughout the region.
“Our wines are sold throughout the state,” he said. “If
not the strongest, we’re at least in the top three strongest wholesale
sellers.”
The winery is also in the forefront of cross-marketing.
It teams up with Uncle Joe’s, a locally produced marinara sauce made with Black
& Blue wine. The products are often found together, in the winery and at
events such as the Illinois State Fair and Du Quoin State Fair.
“We’re one of the few wineries that are crossing over
into other areas,” Morgenstern said. “It’s been great.”
Nat Williams can be reached at 618-932-3041, or
nwilliams@agrinews-pubs.com . Follow him on Twitter at: @AgNews_Williams.
Bruce Morgenstern holds a bottle of Black & Blue, the top-selling label produced by Pheasant Hollow Winery. The winery is known not only for its fruit and grape wines, but also for its music and other entertainment offerings.