West End of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail (in Pictures)

After the hiking Indian Creek, we visited the wineries along the west end of the local wine trail. I'm going to keep the descriptions brief and let the images do the talking. Later, I will make a post recapping the wine experience.

Our first stop was Inheritance Valley.


The Vineyard at Inheritance Valley

Our next stop was Hedman Vineyard. There we stopped for a late lunch at the cafe, which offers Swedish dishes.


Pond at Hedman

The Tasting Barn and Cafe

Afterwards, we visited Alto Vineyards, which is the Trail's oldest winery, founded by the Renzaglia Family in the 1980s.


Vineyard at Alto

Open for Business

Next was Von Jakob Vineyards. Like some wineries in the Shawnee Hills, Von Jakob has orchards and produces non-grape wines along with the grape varietals.


View of the Orchard

Then, we traveled into the less known part of the trail. The previous four wineries are on a major road. Reaching Hickory Ridge Vineyard required driving into the country. This was our third time along the Trail, but only the first time we visited Hickory Ridge. It was worth it--solid wines and perhaps the best view of the day.


Vines and Trees

Grapes in the Late Afternoon Light

To the Tasting Room

Our last stop, another first time visit, was Kite Hill Vineyards.


Grapes Beginning to Grow