Kite Hill Vineyard

Nestled in the beautiful Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois, Kite Hill Vineyards is a premier wine destination that offers a unique wine tasting experience like no other. Our winery is located at 100 Tasting Room Road, Carbondale, Illinois 62903, and is easily accessible from Southern Illinois University.

Our Story

Kite Hill Vineyards was founded in the late 1990s as a vision to produce high-quality wines from the Shawnee Hills AVA. Our founder sought out prime hilltop acreage in Southern Illinois and purchased the land with the intention of planting wine grapes. The name "Kite Hill" came about when our founder's wife told him to "go fly a kite" upon learning of his plan. Ever since its start, Kite Hill has been committed to producing wines of the highest quality possible from Shawnee Hills grapes.

Our Wines

Our winemaker, Scott Albert, uses state-of-the-art techniques to ferment our grapes into award-winning vintages. Our overall style is generally more focused on the ripe fruit flavors that can be coaxed from grape varieties that thrive in the Shawnee Hills AVA, such as Chambourcin, Chardonel, and Viognier.

Our Awards

We are honored to have received the following awards for our wines:

• The Aeronaut: Silver - 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (Vintage 2018)
• Broadwing: Gold - 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (Vintage 2020)
• Flyway Rose: Silver - 2021 Experience Rose Wine Competition (Vintage 2020)
• Mani: Silver - 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (Vintage 2012)
• Lost Prop Traminette: Silver - 2021 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition (Vintage 2020)
• Red Kite: Silver - 2021 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition (Vintage NV)
• White Kite: Silver - 2021 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition (Vintage NV)
• Sol: Silver - 2021 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition (Vintage NV)

Visitor Information

We welcome visitors to our winery and tasting room daily, except for Tuesdays and certain holidays. Please check our current hours of operation below.

Hours of Operation

• Winter Hours: November 7 - March 12

+ Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: 12:00pm-5:00pm

+ Monday - Thursday: By appointment

• Summer Hours: March 13 - November 6

+ Wednesday & Thursday: 3:00pm-7:00pm

+ Friday: 12:00pm-7:00pm

+ Saturday: 10:00am-7:00pm

+ Sunday & Monday: 12:00pm-5:00pm

+ Tuesday: By appointment

Memberships

We offer various membership options to our wine club and loyalty program. Contact us to learn more about the benefits and perks of joining our membership program.