Have been to Prairie State winery many times. We love the atmosphere and the nice selections of wines that are offered. The outdoor seating is nice for enjoying a glass or few with some lunch Spring through Fall. They also offer indoor seating as well and live music. Service and food has always been great. It's one of our goto places and we always walk away with a few bottles every time. Highly Recomend read more

My parents come out here a lot and enjoy this winery and their food offerings, so my mother brought my brother and me out to check it out. Overall, it's very nice! In an old storefront building but they have also added a charming courtyard on the back. They make a LOT of wines! And the food menu is quite robust as well, not just snacks or a cheese plate, as at some places. We split the ham sliders and the chicken raspberry flatbread sandwich, both of which were very tasty and came with crisp kettle chips. To drink, my mom and I had the wine swirl slushy, and my brother had a bourbon old fashioned, all of which we enjoyed. As a lightweight, I liked that the slushy was tasty without being too boozy for me. Our server, Charlie, was very friendly. Staff may want to remember that they can be heard in the dining room from behind the wall that I suppose is blocking off the kitchen; we heard a lot of hollering and swearing at one point. Regarding accessibility, this is an old building and is rather precarious. I use a cane and noted that there is no railing for the steps outside, or the ones inside to get out to the courtyard (my mom mentioned that my dad, who loses his balance due to a medical condition, had also mentioned this on a previous visit). The bathroom I visited was also tiny, literally a water closet. There is also a rather steep slope in the floor from the lobby room to the dining room. If you use a wheelchair, I don't know that this building would be accessible at all from the exterior. Overall, it's worth the drive out to Genoa if you already aren't in this area to check out Prairie State Winery. Cheers! read more

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I love this place! My favorite place to be is on their outdoor patio. It's has tones on greenery and trees. Live music also. The wine flights are generous and beautifully presented. Lots to of vino here to choose from, so I would say there is something for everyone. Perk, they also have good food. read more

Prairie State Winery - Wineries Near Me - Genoa, Illinois

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The staff is great and knowledgeable I love their assortment of wines they also have brandy and bourbon read more

This place is SO CUTE! the outside is so beautiful, with the lighting and trees. I had the cheese board and the Orange white wine and it was some of the best wine I have ever had. They fill those glasses up too, you get what you pay for!! Such a fun spot to go with friends. The waitress explained how the tastings worked and all the wine options to choose from. Will definitely be back read more

Prairie State Winery - Wineries Near Me - Genoa, Illinois

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We made our first visit to Prairie State Winery on Mother's Day and we totally enjoyed it. As you might imagine, they were packed, but the service was wonderful. Our waiter, Charlie, did a wonderful job. We ordered the margherita flatbread and the cheese and cracker basket. When we saw it, we thought "we'll never finish this"...but we did! It was tremendous. We will be back!!! read more

Did I take a wrong turn and end up in Genoa Italy? Atmosphere: what an unexpected beautiful outdoor patio area, with live music! Loved the mural on the outside. We must be at the right spot. Service: we were there on a Saturday so the service was a little slow and we ended up having to go to the inside to pay. Other than that everyone was very nice. Food: We ordered the Italian sausage dip and the meat pizza. The dip got an oh my god from my husband we also ordered the brownie which arrived at the table in packaging. So that was a big miss. It was okay but maybe take it out of the package and drizzle something on it with ice cream. Wine: we are red wine drinkers and the wine was okay. Our fav was the ps I love you. Overall we would be back ! read more

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The Prairie State Winery in Genoa is the best winery for its wine, ambience, music, and delicious food. Beautiful place and very good service! read more

Prairie State Winery - Prairie State Winery - Wineries Near Me - Genoa, Illinois

We were excited to visit and enjoy the outdoor seating after driving an hour, but the experience left us feeling uncomfortable and singled out. When we sat at a table with two chairs and pulled over two more for our group of four, a staff member (who wasn't even our server) told us we couldn't do that and moved us to a dark, closed-off pergola area. Later, another staff member said it was totally fine to bring over a chair at a different table, which only added to the confusion. What really frustrated us was seeing multiple other outdoor tables do exactly what we weren't allowed to do. A two-person table had four people squeezed in, and several four-person tables had five or six people. No one said anything to them. Meanwhile, the same woman who made us move kept rolling her eyes and giving off rude energy every time she walked by. It made us feel really unwelcome and judged for no reason. We came to relax and enjoy ourselves, but it was hard to do that when we were treated so differently read more

what a disappointment! There with 13 ladys and they would not accommodate us on the patio unless we sat at different tables. They said it was against the rules to move tables together. If they were busy I could understand but no one else there on that side of patio. Guess business is good and don't need our bus . Will never go back. read more

The cheese board was delicious, simple & perfect with our wine flights. The crackers were light, tasty & crunchy but their flavor didn't overwhelm the cheese, just right. Grapes, crisp & sweet. The service was great, Zach, his first weekend as server. My friend ordered the kettle chips, mentioning she's gluten intolerant. He came back with just the crackers explaining other food is fried along with the chips that aren't gluten free. It saved her, fantastic. Then the manager Rob talked to us. He being gluten intolerant caught this situation & handled it. IMPRESSIVE! Rob also had a connection at Russel Forest Preserve that proved very helpful. That's a whole other story. The Snap wine was so good we took 2 bottles home. The ambiance was nice but a bit bare. The watercolor in the bathroom looked like a photograph-the most beautiful dandelion I ever saw. We'll be back with friends. Enjoy. read more

Love this winery! We try and come here at least once a year. Their wines and food are fabulous, highly recommend. Staff is very friendly too! The old historic building is also very charming. read more

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Always great hospitality, delicious wine, and friendly people. Prairie State is nestled in the very small town of Genoa. The town is 2 blocks long surrounded by cornfields. They have a small kitchen with shareable, sandwiches, some soups and Flatbread. Everything is homemade and delicious. The owners Rick and Maria take great care of wine club members. They have wine club member events with free food, which is always delicious! Great variety of wine so any wine drinker finds something they like. Live music on weekends and I especially love sitting in their backyard when the weather is nice. It's a nice little getaway. Great spot to gather friends or for an intimate date spot. read more

So many cool wineries in Illinois and this is totally one of them. After looking them and their reviews up, I decided to stop by and see what wines they had that I could try and add to my collection - very good decision! Lol I did a tasting at the counter and the hosts/servers (a guy and a gal who's names I can't remember!!) were super nice. I actually ended up staying longer than I planned because their service was so great. My favorite was their Boo-yah, Elderberry, and the honey apple crisp. The Honey Apple Crisp is probably my fave bc it can be served chilled or warmed - warmed is my favorite! I can't wait until they get back fully up and running in the spring! read more

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I frequented Prairie State often when it was across the street then I moved to Colorado and hadn't been back in years. When I moved back to IL I was so excited to start visiting the winery again especially now that I have close friends who are members. Last month I decided to become a member, it only made sense since I love it so much. Last night I brought my sister in, who has never been, to get a flight and some food. When we walked in we were spoken to in a very short manor and as if we were a nuisance to this individual. It was a very uneasy feeling and I felt embarrassed as my sister asked if the service is always like this. The tone and shortness did not improve throughout our visit. I was extremely disappointed. I have never been treated this way before so I figured this individual was having a bad night. But is still unacceptable . read more

We've recommended this winery in the past based upon prior experience. We always stopped by when we drove through. Not worth the stop. We were over charged when we asked to share a tasting since my husband to drive home. The lunches were subpar and they got the order wrong there too. Our fault we didn't check things before we left but upon getting home we realized the over charging. A message was left and it wasn't worth there time to call back. I vote with my pocket book and social media. Obviously they don't care and are super arrogant in overcharging or not paying attention to their customers requests who are out of town. They need to listen more and customers need to watch their bills especially if they are out of town visiting.... read more

This is a unique and fun winery! It has an area for members where they can sit and relax while enjoying their wine in a comfortable setting. The food menu is very good for a winery. They also have bands for entertainment. I would suggest visiting this restaurant. read more

What a neat place! Beautiful and comfy inside with great service. We did two choose your own wine flights. We liked most of the wines we tried. They have some very different wines like ginger and honey crisp apple. We had the cheese appetizer. Tons of cheese, crackers, grapes and olives. I want to go back and try other dishes. It all looked really good. I think the wine and food prices are reasonable. They have a nice patio area with live music but it was a chilly day when we were there. We will definitely go back for some more wine and eats! read more

Variety choices of wine , we and a toffee apple fruit wine it was good and the staff really helpful . Also festive wine are interesting. More than that the place is Wow good to hangout and chilling feel like I'm surrounded by grape yard . Place is well decorated read more

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You can't go wrong with winery. It's a beautiful setting. Great service. Great food and an absolutely beautiful setting. You feel a liitle like being in Europe. We are so blessed to have them in our little town. read more

Wonderful service, tasty wine, great selections & delicious food. Meet the chef and owner Rob, everyone super friendly and helpful. Very comfortable and inviting outside seating. Overall a wonderful experience and can't wait to go back! Keep up the great work read more

Prairie State Winery - Wineries Near Me - Genoa, Illinois

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What a great discovery we made today. We were looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon and saw that a winery in Genoa, Illinois had music to go with their wines. I figured we'd go, try a glass or two and chill out for a little bit while listening to music. It was an excuse to go for a drive on a nice sunny Fall day. When we got there we learned a scheduling problem caused the music to be cancelled. So there we were, stuck in a winery with dozens of unique wines for the tasting. What were we to do? Yep, we paid our $5 tasting fee, checked 7 types we wanted to try (from two pages of wines) and started our journey through whites and reds, sweets and drys, fruity and tart, blushes and bubbly. Our 'tour guide' was Ralf and we had a great time kidding with him while we learned about the wines and sampled some especially tasty wines. After we got done with the tasting experience I was happy the music didn't happen or I probably would have only tried one or two while I sat and listened to the music. For anyone who's tired of the same ole, same ole and is looking for an enjoyable weekend afternoon or evening, I highly encourage you to take the easy drive to Genoa and check out this hidden gem! read more

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Best pulled pork sandwich with the picnic pairing. As always wine is delish and staff helpful and friendly. Come join us.

Drove in from St Charles to buy wine. Have been here before for a pleasant meal And wine purchase. But this afternoon husband and walked in and the gentleman who greeted was certainly not welcoming. I think I'll keep my.wine club with Cooper Hawk. They are always welcoming. I did buy $130 of wine and he did mot even thank us. read more

I really had a great time here! I suppose the drawback would be the distance of Genoa to most everything else...It's really in the sticks. However, we really had a great time making the trip out there. We did the sampling. I can't remember the price, but I do remember I felt like it was a very fair value. It was also very fun. I liked every wine I tried. We were not going right home, so I did not make a purchase, but if I go back, I would. I'm a with drinker, and I enjoyed the Prairie White, Kiswaukee Blue, the Vignoles and the Gerwurtztraminer. If you have a reason to go to any of their locations, you should, and keep in mind the Genoa location is large and you could certainly go there with a group. read more

Great wine. Great food Loved the Bou-yah wine. Great sandwiches Loved the patio - great setting read more

Even though it's a 100 mile round trip we go to Genoa several times a year, just to go to the winery. Extraordinary wines, exceptional food, great atmosphere. Can't go wrong. read more

Definitely loved coming here. I was greeted by a friendly host who told us about their 35 different wines. He went over some background facts and gave an overview of the wine. The atmosphere was nice and laid back along with a view of Main Street. The decor of this place is quite nice and the perfect setting for a wine tasting. I would recommend anyone come here and check them out! Huge selection and great staff. read more

Absolutely beautiful!! Great wine too! We sat outside and enjoyed food and a couple flights of wonderful wine. Ended up buying about 6 bottles. What a great day! I highly recommend this place! read more

Discovered this gem in Genoa! Nice establishment indoors and an AMAZING patio in the back. Great greenery and plenty of shade. Servers were very friendly and helpful. Prices were fabulous and big pours :) read more

The food!! I truly did not know how good it would be. I have always come here for the amazing wine, but my friend and I were definitely getting hungry. We ordered the Mediterranean hummus platter and the jalapeno cheesy dip. Oh my gosh...both were amazing!! The ingredients were so fresh and the presentations were lovely. Cold delicious wine washed everything down perfectly. I will definitely consider ordering more food from here next time I am in town. The two of us couldn't even finish everything! I brought some dip home and it reheated wonderfully. I'm so happy to know that the food is just as great as their wine in. I'll be back soon! Also, they had a lovely acoustic guitar player there. It was a warm day, we were shaded by beautiful trees in the garden, and we got to listen to some great music - you couldn't ask for more! read more

Prairie State Winery - The Mediterranean hummus platter - so fresh and full of flavor! - Wineries Near Me - Genoa, Illinois

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Unfortunately , I was very disappointed in my home town Winery. We had a family / friends gathering with our 88 year old parents and their friends, one of whom is hearing disabled. We were told that we would have to sit separately because the owners were very strict and would not allow the tables to be moved together. Even after we explained our friend's disability and their need to sit with the group to read lips, they still refused. At the time we were the only patrons there, so it didn't make sense why we had to beg them to let us move three chairs to our table to accommodate our group of 9. I love my community and want to support my town, but this was a really a difficult moment. I ended up not speaking my mind for the sake of my elderly parents and friends, however, this left a very bad taste in my mouth. read more

If you happen to be in the area or are looking for a little road trip I really recommend taking a trip out to this little winery. My brother and sister-in law took me here for my birthday and I had such a nice time. We did the wine tasting and each of us were allowed to pick out 7 wines from their assortment. I really was surprised by how good the white wines were as I am usually a red wine fan. Overall the "Snap" wine which is infused with ginger was my favorite. It was really refreshing and a great wine for summer. I must say the workers are so nice here. Very patient and answered many of my questions. Overall, i will for sure be making another trip out to Genoa a little hidden gem. read more

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Searched wineries near us in Chicago and Prairie State Winery popped up. My husband and I decided to take the drive for an afternoon of wine tasting and were so pleasantly surprised! The staff were great! So welcoming and made us feel right at home. We tasted some of the best wine and had a bowl of amazing beef stew. It was just what we needed on a super cold day. Definitely going back to enjoy the outdoor patio in the Spring! read more

Prairie State Winery - Bottle of the Vignoles - Wineries Near Me - Genoa, Illinois

Located in a old historic building, the interior is really cool while keeping the old feel vibe. Lots of wine decor for sale, nice large bar and tables upon entering this winery. Adjoining room is quite roomy with more tables and high tops, tile ceiling adds a nice vibe and this room is where they host local entertainment. The outdoor patio looked nice but being winter, can't comment on that. PSW is very clean and well organized, bathrooms are located in both rooms. Now.....the wine. I had the Fusion and my wife had the Red Oak. Both of them didn't smell that fruit forward and fell flat on taste, not a lot going on and hot (alcohol) which didn't help. We switched to the Moscato which was rather tasty, sweet and would make a good dessert wine. I ordered a Bloody Mary, shouldn't have. Made with white wine, not vodka and was pretty bad to say the least. Not sure what they rimmed the glass with but it wasn't celery salt. We did have lunch which was very good. Between the four of us, two got the AVA and two got the JBQ. All the sandwiches had ample amounts of filling and everything blended nicely. Served with kettle chips and pickle spear. We came to PSW to listen to the entertainment, which was VERY good. PSW is a fun place, will return to try some other wines. read more

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Our friends recommended Prairie State winery. It was a nice drive for us. The food was very good,Even with a limited menu . The customer service by Maggie and Nathan was phenomenal, they told us about the wine and they both had such great personalities we will definitely be going back there. read more

Prairie State Winery - Wineries Near Me - Genoa, Illinois

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Prairie State Winery was a wonderful host to a pre-wedding time for the male wedding party of our son. Thank you so much for providing the upstairs area for the groom and his men to prepare and visit together prior to their evening wedding. We couldn't have asked for a more hospitable venue! Food, beverages, environment and amenities were perfect. This group of young men gathering from Florida, Georgia, Colorado, Nevada, Illinois and Northern California had a wonderful time! You helped complete a memorable destination wedding in Sycamore (the bride grew up in Mazon, Il). I would highly recommend Prairie State Winery for any event you might consider or need. read more

Prairie State Winery - Men ready for a wedding and what a wonderful Host Prairie State Winery was to them that day! - Wineries Near Me - Genoa, Illinois

Ok, so I generally don't have high hopes for... well... anything in Genoa. Yet a Friday-night visit to this winery has convinced me that there is at least one reason to make the trip. The coffee-shop-style interior is quaint and inviting, including a large bar and tin-style roof. They offer free tastings of 3 wines at the bar, and then you can of course purchase bottles to consume there or to take with you. As someone who loves sweet wines, I had all kinds of options--most of which were very affordable at around $12 a bottle. Our little group especially enjoyed the pomegranate wine, and I was also a fan of their winter mulled option. Approximately twice a month (as was the case the night we were there), they also bring in bands to play on their small stage. The crowd that was there when we walked in was generally much older than us, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the cover band they hired was a) pretty good, for what I could hear in the loud restaurant area and b) a group that played current pop songs. Nice. I might have given them 5 stars, except for the one problem--they fill up very quickly and generally suck at taking reservations. For our first visit, we called ahead several days and took numerous calls to even get ahold of anyone. Then the owner/manager/whoever answered the phone told us that the place has 25 tables, but they only take reservations for 8. First of all, this "system" (if you can call it that), makes no sense. Secondly, the place was packed when we got there (which was around 6 p.m., mind you), and there definitely were not 25 tables. We counted. With 5 people, it was challenging to cram everyone in most anywhere, and we ended up crowding around a tiny cafe table close to the chilly front door. Food service of some kind would have also been a welcome addition. On the other hand, many of the people we observed there had planned to have whole parties there and had brought much of their own homemade food. Had we known this, it would have made for a homey twist on the traditional Friday-night outing. read more

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This place is a hidden gem! My boyfriend and I enjoyed a Sunday afternoon here and had a great time. We each tried a wine tasing (7 wines for $5) which was a great deal. We then ordered a bottle to share with our lunch. The Paninis we ordered were amazing. Very filling portions. We will definitely be back! read more

This place is a must do. First time visit and overwhelming surprised. Interior and shop greet you at entry which is very nice. But, the true pleasure is in back area outdoor seating. Plentiful and beautifully landscaped. Now for the food. Excellent quality (Sausage rustica and cheese tray) portions were very robust and all price points for food and wine are very, VERY reasonable. Service was excellent and very friendly. We were told they were short handed but you would not guess. Fast service and food was hot. The facility is exceptionally clean. This is now our lunch stop on our future motorcycle rides read more