We were a little disappointed. We rented a room on a Wednesday in July. Room #631 which is a corner room on the top floor of the terrace. I believe we are the only one's here in the whole building. We checked in around 4:30 thinking time to ride the complimentary gondolas before dinner. Wrong! The gondolas were closed because the temperature inside was too dangerous. Apparently, there is no air conditioning or fan ventilation. We passed on the open seating as the metal seats suddenly seemed hot and unappealing. Winery was closed. Gift shop was closed. It appeared the other rides may have been closed???? Idk. Restaurant was open and seemed very nice. Only flat bread and sandwiches on the menu. The views from our deck were breathtaking. Several patio tables and chairs to sit on. Our bed was very comfortable. Complimentary coffee, water and muffins. The room was outdated but clean. This place just wasn't as glamorous as I visioned. read more

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My bonus daughter and I decided to come here for a drink while the other people in our group rode the alpine coaster. We went to the bar and the service was fast. It wasn't crowded at the bar because most of the crowd was outside for the views. Which is understandable because the view is amazing. We were in the mood for something sweet so I ordered Moscato and my daughter ordered the blackberry wine. Both were crisp and delicious. The flavor was exactly what we were expecting. We decided not to eat because the menu didn't look appetizing and none of the food in passing looked good either. However, definitely glad we came for wine. We would definitely return to sit outside while we enjoy wine. Oh they do not offer wine tasting which is a bummer. read more

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We came for one of our friends birthday gathering with about 16 people. We enjoyed the view and the patio. We chose Terrace instead of the other one because of more food choices. I prefer the lower level one but I was told they have limited foods. We love do some wine tasting but even they call themselves winery, there was no wine tasting. The server we got was not that great and kind of mean. We were looking at each other because she seemed very impatient and not wanted to serve us. After we said something that she overheard of it, she started being a little nicer. Food was fine. Nothing make me want to come back except for the view. read more

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We had an awesome day hanging out at Aeries Resort! We rode the mountain coaster and stopped by the restaurant. The mountain coaster was way cooler than I imagined! It lasted around 2 minutes or so I would say. Beautiful seeing the fall foliage. Then for lunch we ordered the honey garlic chicken & bacon flatbread and it was terrific! Great flavor and portion. It was also pretty chilly outside so we ordered some hot chocolates. Then we rode the gondola back down to the parking lot. Highly recommend visiting and worth the day trip from St. Louis! read more

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We came for Mother's Day brunch at $40 a person. Give you a menu for only drinks and can not order food off the menu. Not worth the money.. 5 bins for food. Steak was overcooked, very bland, only thing really edible was the vegetables and loaded mashed potatoes. No desserts, and the menu is not easy to find online to review. Sat on the deck and it was nice view and that was about it. read more

Aerie's Resort - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

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This is a must visit place when you're in Grafton even if it's just for a drink and to take in the views. We visited on a Monday and it was very quiet but we enjoyed the chairlift to the top and had a cold beer while enjoying the panoramic views of the river valley. The service was great but we didn't try any of the food. We also took a ride on the Alpine Coaster, it was fun and a fairly short ride. read more

Aerie's Resort - Chairlift - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

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This was my first time coming to this winery, and it was a nice experience for the short time I was there. As far as food, I had the falafel fries. They're more like falafel sticks, so don't picture fries. I'm vegan/plant-based, so I didn't have the Tzatziki sauce that comes with it. It definitely needs a sauce! They taste really thick and kind of dry. I'm sure they're phenomenal with a sauce. I had a flight of wine. I think that was a nice amount of wine for the time we were there. The wine was really tasty! There was a wedding in preparation as we were leaving. It's a beautiful venue for a wedding and/or engagement proposal! It's really beautiful out there. We went on one of those "heat wave" hot days, so the place did accommodate guests by having big fans out for everyone. I really liked that. The service was great. I felt the wait staff came exactly when we needed her, and she didn't rush us to leave though we were the last to head out. I plan to go back one day, but I doubt I'd eat any of the food. read more

Went here for the first time with my daughters. Unfortunately the sun wasn't out but it was still a beautiful view from the top of the resort. We thought there was a way to drive to the winery but you have to take the lift $10.00. We enjoyed a nice bottle of Moscato. We were surprised by the limited food menu. Our server was nice and our food arrived in a timely manner. They had live music. It's very spacious with indoor and patio seating options. It's a great place for photos. They have a fall scene with a gondola that make for a great backdrop. The fall colors on the trees are just beautiful. They do have a few activities such as a zip line, a mini roller coaster and ATV type vehicles. There is an additional charge. It's a nice friends spot or a good date location. The burger and chips were fine as well as the flatbread. The dip was very cream cheese heavy - not a lot of flavor. read more

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This was super fun we loved it we had the cheese platter and we rode the ski lift. A great place with a amazing view over the river.

A nice hour drive away from St. Louis not too far but a nice little getaway for a weekend. Came here to ride the sky lift. Plenty of parking out front and you can ride the sky lift up to the winery, which has your restaurant and also a winery space. The ride up is about 15 minutes and they offer enclose gondolas or a regular sea bench. The staff at the airlift were very nice. Up at the restaurant The staff was a bit backed up from a lunch rush, but it didn't take us too long to get our food. The food here is just OK. I wish they had a bigger assortment on their menu. They do have a good wine and beer options. I tried the spinach and artichoke dip would had a little too much cream cheese to me. I also had the margarita pizza. I wish they had some other non-meat options outside of salads. This is also a very dog friendly place with great views indoor and outside. read more

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It is beautiful and relaxing. I have stayed there twice. The food in the restaurant there is really excellent. You can do a lot of things in and near Grafton. The view really is the best! read more

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Besides our server and the blackberry wine, it was an absolutely awful experience. Had wrong orders brought to our table multiple times. Some of the food was on par price-wise, some way overpriced. Some of us had gotten our food and planned to let it sit until the rest of our table was served.... After 30 mins we went ahead and ate. (Mind you- this was after waiting an hour for our food) so some of us ate, right? Then another plate came. Someone else got to eat. Readers- we waited on our last 3 plates of food for an hour and 45 minutes!!! Total time- over 3.5 hours. There is a reason the reviews are bad. Now we know. We didn't complain when they brought wrong food to our table that no one had ordered (4 times) We didn't complain that after an hour of waiting, some plates arrived with cold food. We didn't complain when my daughter was stung by a wasp or the multiple bees that landed in our wine glasses! Yes, multiple. We also didn't complain that some doors were open, but not enough to keep a cross breeze going, so it was pretty warm in there. We were sweating and the servers had to run around in that heat, also sweating. We felt bad for them. We told our servers they were doing an excellent job and we knew this was NOT their fault. We asked to speak to a manager, just to let them know what had happened. He interrupted and didn't want to hear anything. (He is younger and inexperienced, so I will give him some grace) When trying to explain to him what had happened, I was cut off and told "you got your food and you ate it, didn't you?" Isn't that something you say in your head first, then remember you're a manager and bite your tongue? So unprofessional. After over 2 hours, the last 3 plates were brought. So yes, we finally all ate. Another chipper fellow popped over to join the convo. I said "manager to manager- you know better. This isn't how you handle customer service" he quickly and loudly corrected me to "OWNER". Ok then, Jeff, that makes it even worse. Your employees model your behavior, Mr. Lorton. Look, it's a Saturday in prime, fall season. We totally get that and took that into consideration. Over 2 hours and not even a "hey, we understand your frustration and we apologize". As someone who has owned and operated 2 companies myself, I cannot believe the lack of respect and not even an apology. Just own up to it and say "sorry". Jeff - there is a reason you only have 3.2 on Google reviews and 2.9 on YELP. Sad that you're ruining people's experiences. We head to Grafton every year for apple picking. Thought this place would get added to our tradition. Nah. You ruined it. We would've given your place another chance. **Take note - this blip here isn't a reflection of the restaurant, just a note for others going there- for elderly folks, anyone afraid of heights etc. the only road leading up to the winery and restaurant is gated for people paying to stay there. The only way up and down the big hill is on the gondola swings. Our people enjoyed it, but keep that in mind. It's also $12 per person. read more

This is pretty good as long as you temper expectations, which we did. Took the lift up which was nice, though a bit terrifying. Food itself was decent. Wine selection leaves much to be desired. There was live music Sunday which was nice. Good, casual ambiance. read more

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I enjoyed our quick visit here so much that I forgot to take photos! We just stopped in for a quick glass of wine while taking a scenic drive on the Great River Road. It was a clear, extremely windy day when I visited for the first time. We sat outside to enjoy the views but had to secure belongings and even our wine glasses because the wind was so powerful! Didn't order any food, but the group I was with had done so before and they had no complaints. The drive up to the resort/winery is gnarly! We were in a low riding vehicle and had to be cautious about bumps and angles. If we had our truck it would've been no issue. Parking was also tight! Overall I enjoyed this place and would definitely return with a group to enjoy the drinks and views! read more

Excellent food. Amazing views of the rivers. Great service. The alpine lift was a fun experience to get up to the restaurant. My 9 year old nephew loved the alpine coaster. Cute gift shop too. I highly recommend it!!! read more

I recently visited here and I have mixed emotions about my visit. I was upset to find out that the only way up to the winery was by taking the lift. I wish there was a different option to go up or at least no one told us that there was one. I also wish they had better food options in the restaurant. We got the spinach dip and I also got a burger which was decent. I will say that the view from the top was very beautiful, especially with the fall leaves. When planning your trip here make sure you take into account the ride to the top and have to wait for a gondola if you want one. read more

Aerie's Resort - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

My group had so much fun here! We rode the ski lift up to the roller coaster. We'd been seeing it on IG for a couple years and drove an hour out of our way to go. Just as expected! If we did not have 6 more hours to drive, we would have bought the 3 ride. We then had a glass of wine on the beautiful deck. What a view! For context, we were a group of 40's women. I see people complained about having to pay to ride up. I saw nothing stopping anyone from walking (although I would not want to). We actually walked down because my friend was afraid of the lift. No one stopped us and no one was manning the gate. read more

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This was my second time visiting! The first time I didn't seem to enjoy myself very much (perhaps because I came in the heat of summer a few years ago) but for some reason I really wanted to come back and give it another shot in the fall. I'm very very glad I did! I took the sky tour up to the winery for $10. Which, for someone who is afraid of heights was still extremely enjoyable! It took a minute to get used to but before long I was snapping pictures. Going down also seemed much easier than going up. I'm not usually a wine drinker and have never really found a wine I enjoyed before but the server there was very helpful and recommended the blackberry wine. I loved it so much I had to buy a bottle to take back home! (The person I went with doesn't drink alcohol and was pleased to find they had NA options!) I didn't order any food because I had eaten on my drive in (not thinking) and wasn't hungry. However, I did see some things on the menu that I would like to try next time! I took the short walk to the lookout and unfortunately the trees are so tall in front of it that you can't actually look out onto anything. But there are a few swings, ring toss games and benches along the way. Between the view at the winery and the scenic walk, it was very relaxing and beautiful. I also rode the alpine coaster for $18 and that is where I kind of leave the 4 star. It's fun, and I see the potential for it being even more fun - but if someone in front of you stops or slows down too much - your ride is affected and becomes not so fun. The girl in front of me was scared and crying and didn't want to go very fast at all so I, and everyone behind me, was stuck going as slow as she was. I would love to go again but for the price, the slow run time (maybe 5 minutes (mostly getting pulled up a hill and back inside), and risk of getting stuck behind someone who doesn't want to move again, I'm reluctant to try again. I would have loved to do the zipline but it said sold out online. I was there for about 6 hours and never saw anyone zipline. Perhaps it was actually closed instead of sold out?? I visited the gift shops and found a beautiful forest green hat that I just had to have. They had other things like charcuterie boards, dishes, decor, clothing, and vending machines with sodas and drinks. Overall, it was a great visit! I'd love to go back again and try something off the menu, possibly try another wine or buy another bottle of the blackberry. Aaaand if zip lining is open next time, I'd love to try that too. read more

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Came here with a large group of exchange students. They have an alpine coaster, zip lining, tram ride. We only took the tram up to the top and did the alpine coaster which was fun. We skipped the zip lining bc it is very expensive like $65 per person. We then stayed for lunch at the restaurant and found it to be unexpectedly good. Everyone enjoyed their food. Hummus platters, chicken salad sandwich and a salad. There is a nice view from there and they also had live music. You can tell people go there for the afternoon to enjoy a meal and the live music. read more

We were recommended to come here by coworkers! Did the one hour drive from St Louis which was beautiful despite the cloudy day. It can be a little confusing to get there: park in the Grafton SkyTour parking lot and employees in ATVs will drive you up to the property. We ended up following a kind employee through the gate in our car and parked at the resort. We enjoyed the scenic views for a couple minutes before a thunderstorm rolled in. We ordered a couple glasses of wine and the spicy feta dip. The wine was good and cheap. To note, the blackberry wine smelled horrible but was good and really sweet. The feta dip was OK, a huge portion served with warm pita. Overall, great views and fun little road trip. Grafton is such a cute riverside city, I wished we explored it more. read more

Aerie's Resort - Cloudy day at the resort - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

Food was awesome had the bourbon bacon chicken sandwich and homemade chips. The new expanded restaurant was incredible looking. Of course always a great view. Our server Jane was remarkable I felt like I had a new daughter. Beautiful person indie and out and so nice to a couple of old people. Can't wait to go back again. read more

My review is based on the restaurant and the alpine coaster. My son, husband and I came here to ride the coaster and ended up staying for lunch. It was a nice day so the Terrace was packed and service was slow. I just had a drink but my son and husband ordered food, which they said was very good (a pizza and an artichoke dip w/crackers). I did not see any vegan options on the menu, although I probably could have modified a salad to be vegan. The alpine coaster was really fun, and a pretty good deal since we went in February so we could ride as many times as we wanted for $36 each. We rode about 6 times I think. They have a cool system where they record your ride on a card then you can buy the video with pics for $10. The views from the terrace were spectacular. I would love to come back in other seasons and to try the zip line when it is open. read more

Aerie's Resort - View from Terrace - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

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With one server on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon that brought out diners, one had to make accommodation for slower service. And accommodation for food items that lacked certain ingredients or used substitutions due to supply chain issues. Regular Lays Ruffles were substituted for kettle fried chips, for example. That's in addition to a limited menu of a few salads, sandwiches, and wraps. Three premium meals of fish, steak, and pork steak were also on the menu. Four diners enjoyed their lunches without complaint. And the outside view on a beautiful day was also spectacular. You can drive up the hill but the skylift, with four person gondolas or three person open seats, is a fun and inexpensive alternative. read more

Aerie's Resort - Overlooking the Mississippi. - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

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As all the reviews I've mentioned, the wait is super long. We arrived around 1:00 and waited until 2:00 for our food. The service is slow and I think that they are likely understaffed especially during the high traffic to see the fall colors. The view is phenomenal outside and we enjoyed walking around the outside patio with the live music. Patio seating obviously goes really quickly so get here early! We tried the bourbon bacon burger, chicken bacon wrap, and meatza (pepperoni and sausage) pizza. My kids actually didn't like the pizza because the sauce was too tangy for them. But they loved the burger which was cooked just right when we ordered it medium. The chicken wrap had flavorful chicken, lettuce, shredded cheese, crunchy bacon bits, and was decent. read more

Aerie's Resort - Chicken bacon wrap with chipotle sauce. Bourbon bacon burger - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

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This review combines 3 experiences - dinner at the Aerie resort, motel accommodations, and gondola ride. The restaurant was beautiful. Situation on top of the bluff with 180 views of the Mississippi, is hidden gem. Great menu variety and drink list. My only issue was that my salmon entree was served cold. Not luke warm but cold like they didn't even cook it. The quickly made me a new one and everything else about the dinner and service was great so I'm giving the restaurant a solid 3 stars. The room was.... Interesting. Very clean but sparse and minimal is an understatement. No drapes on the window, no soap dish for the hand soap, basically a bed, pillows, shower and toilet. But very clean and looked like it had been recently updated by the looks of the bathroom and floors. This is tough but I'd give the room 2 stars. The gondola experience was awesome. It takes about 35 mins round trip and you get some incredible views of the river and bluff. Relaxing and beautiful - a definite activity you must do if you're in the area and I give it 4 stars. read more

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Though there's a surprisingly limited food menu, the food was good. The kids menu had enough variety to cater to picky eaters and the slightly more adventurous kids. The service was absolutely wonderful, and our server/bartender was kind, knowledgeable, and friendly. We were lucky enough to find this place on a sunny evening, so the view was not only wonderful, but we could see for miles! read more

Destined to fail... First off, the only way to get to the restaurant is by the lift, for which they charge $12 per head. No accommodations for elderly, disabled, etc. Once in, our party of 17 was split into 2 tables. One table got food after an hour. An HOUR AFTER THAT the other table got theirs, and it was cold. In between times, 4 other plates were brought out that weren't ordered by anyone at our tables. This is unacceptable by any definition. Neither table was offered anything such as - a free appetizer for the wait, free cocktails, even crackers or bread to hold anyone over. Before we paid anything, we asked for the manager who finally came over, clearly out of his league, and offered zero apologies. While we were talking to him, we were interrupted by the owner who flatly refused to do anything to rectify the situation except "let me buy you a drink." No apology at all, in fact, he tripled down on "things happen, we're busy." The restaurant was not even half full; no line waiting. No, this is not busy. He adamantly exclaimed "No, we're not comping anything," and not even a discount was offered, nothing to make us want to come back or to preserve the reputation of his establishment. This is how you run a restaurant... into the ground. We will never return. read more

I always have a great time visiting this place when I travel to St Louis. It's conveniently located about 20 minutes from St Louis County . While the winery is great option the attractions are even better . You take a lift to the top of the hill where the attractions are located . I did not eat at the restaurant. But we did enjoy the mountain coaster . read more

Aerie's Resort - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

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It took 2 hours for us to get our food while everyone else was getting served. They brought us wrong orders over and over so it wasn't just because they were busy. We talked with the restraunt manager and owner who both showed no remorse and never even apologized for the horrible service. The food was mediocre at best and you can find better wine at Eckert's farm up the road. I could not believe the stuck up greedy attitude from the owner. If you're looking for a nice day out I wouldn't recommend here at all. read more

Kinda wish there was a separate page to review the Sky Tram separate from the Resort. Aerie's Resort is a vacation spot with accommodations for groups large in small ranging from hotel rooms, to rooms with a kitchenette, to rooms with a living and dining areas. You can access the Resort by driving up the bluffs. Before you reach the top, there is a gated entrance that only guests can use (at least on the weekend when we visited). Aerie's Winery is also at the top of the bluffs. On the weekends, it appears it is only accessible by the Sky Tram. Some other reviews indicared there is a shuttle that will also transport people to the top, but we did not see a shuttle while we were there, nor was it advertised on their website or near the Sky Tram. There are 2 different buildings that you can visit to access the wine/food: The Winery or The Terrace. There are different menus for each building. When we visited, we ate at the Terrace. This building is also their event space. There is a large bar in the center of the room, windows on 3 sides, and a giant elevated patio. There was live music on the patio on the weekend we visited. The menu seemed more catered to snacks and small sandwiches vs. full dinner portions (and prices) than the Winery menu. To eat, we just had a few small plates. -Formaggia De Carpa: baked goat cheese with Italian sausage and pepperoni with a tomato sauce served with wheat crackers. It was more red sauce than cheese. Still delicious. -Terrace Pretzel: served with beer cheese, feisty fiesta dip, and whole grain mustard. Also came with cheese curds and beef sticks. Such a random assortment of food, but a great snack. The pretzel was unsalted, so that was a bummer. The beer cheese and the feisty fiesta dip were both great. Cheese curds and meat sticks were fun to munch on, but nothing out of this world. Only a small number of wines have the Aerie's label on them. And they are all produced at other local wineries. The waitress we had suggested a few of her favorites. I did not see that samples or tastings were offered. Odd choice for a winery not to do that. The Sky Tram is $10/person for a round trip. You have the option of sitting on a open chair that seats up to 3 people (similar to a ski lift chair) or an enclosed gondola that seats a few more and can accommodate smaller children. We rode the open chair up and the enclosed gondola down. *I would recommend taking the gondola up and the open chair down. You'll want to experience both options. The view going down is better than the view going up since you will be able to overlook the valley and the rivers. If you are enclosed in the gondola on the way down, your view is diminished slightly. read more

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We went to Aeries Resort for my cousin birthday. We had a fun time. We where a group of 10 and we where seated right away.Our server was very helpful with helping us choose our wines. We had a blast on the roller coaster and on the ski left. I will definitely be returning. read more

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ate breakfast there this morning 10/25. food was good but the staff was confused and couldn't seem to get orders right. A family was there before us and about 6 other groups and they never got their food. the manager came out and argued with them and never apologized. we were sitting right next to this unfortunate situation and watched the manager turn her back on them and walk away while the customer was still talking to her. the optics were worse because the family was African American, the only people of color in the restaurant. The manager should have apologized and given them their meal free but instead she made us all feel uncomfortable and we will not eat there again during our visit. read more

Food was horrible. Spinach artichoke dips was gummy and cold. The chicken ceaser salad was so dry and drenched in dressing.

We had a large amount of people with us at dinner. However a 17 top got their food before we did. It took us over 2 hours just to receive our food and then another 30 minutes to get our check. We spoke to the owner who produced to tell us that it wasn't his fault and it was just "busy". I have never waited over 2 HOURS for my food ever in my life. The restaurant was not even full. We also got wrong orders and the food was not the best. I could tell that my food has been sitting out for a while before I received it. I do not recommended this place at all. read more

The mattress was awful. The noise next door from the laundry and restaurant kept us awake till almost midnight. Staying by the river was a lot better. Hated the shower. I'm staying at the pere Marquette resort next time. read more

We ended up in Grafton on a scenic drive kind of day with not much in mind to do when we got there. We saw Aerie's up on the hill and heard it was a winery so figured there would be good food, drinks and views. We headed up there! There are are 2 parts of Aerie's resort open to the public (outside of lodging) - the Terrace and the Winery. We didn't know the difference, but the Terrace was the first building and had a sign saying live band that day so we went in! The band was good and Hubby said his beer was good. We sat at the bar. The bartender who helped us let us know there was different food at the Terrace and the Winery and gave us both menus so we could decide if we had a preference! LOVED THIS! Way to be proactive! And the menus were quite different. Terrace menu is more upscale, while the winery menu is more barfood-ish. The bartender kept our drinks filled and was friendly. We enjoyed the music and drinks and took our chances out on the deck for only a few minutes as it was cold and windy. The view - WOW! The inside of the Terrace is nicely decorated with some cool tree artwork and the Manager (?) that was walking around seemed to know many of the customers as well. Manager checked on everyone and was friendly. We did end up going to the winery to get a flatbread and it was delicious and the service was great as well. However after having been to the Terrace, the winery itself is underwhelming. read more

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We took ski lift up the winery, The view from there patio is beautiful. We had their flatbread pizza & it was amazing. This is a must see while in the area.... read more

With good wine and sweeping views of the river this is a fun place to go with groups, as a date or when friends come to visit! Take the gondola ride to the top, grab some food and wine, listen to the live music- they even have an alpine coaster! It's just outside of St. Louis, easy to get to and right off the ferry landing too! read more

Service was slow, but they were absolutely slammed! The overall experience was great! We rode the alpine coaster, drank wine, and rode the ski lift. The food was average, but I liked the arrangement in the charcuterie board. I would reccomend this location to anyone who wants to kill a day with your family, friends, or your partner. Ill keep this on my get away list when I want a quick trip out of St. Louis. read more

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Chicken bacon flatbread was the best - enough for a meal but light as a flatbread should be. I'd skip the margherita one. Fireball appetizer wasn't bad & I appreciate that they gave plenty of crackers. Our server was pleasant & attentive. read more

Aerie's Resort - Honey chicken & bacon flatbread, margherita flatbread, & fireball app - Wineries Near Me - Grafton, Illinois