Illinois Sparkling Co.

Illinois Sparkling Co. is one of the more distinctive wine stops in Illinois because it is built almost entirely around bubbles. Founded in 2011 by Mark and Teri Wenzel, the winery grows from Mark Wenzel’s deep dive into traditional-method sparkling production after working with fruit from the family’s 4-acre vineyard overlooking the Illinois River. He found that the vineyard’s high-acid, low-tannin fruit suited sparkling wine unusually well, and ISC has leaned hard into that lane ever since. The focus is bottle-fermented sparkling wine, with a range that moves from the signature Brut made from Illinois-grown Chardonel, Frontenac Gris, and La Crosse to Extra Brut, Brut Rosé De Saignée, pét-nat, and a few small-batch curveballs like a barrel-aged sparkling cider.

The tasting room sits in downtown Utica at 106 Mill Street, which makes this feel more like an easy small-town stop than a remote vineyard trek. Inside, the setup gives visitors options: a tasting bar near the entrance, a lounge for lingering, and a patio that picks up live music and weekend energy. Small bites are part of the experience, and larger groups do better by calling ahead. For travelers who want proof that this is not just a novelty sparkling program, the awards help: the Brut took Gold at the 2023 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition, the Demi Sec Rosé won the 2024 Governor’s Cup Trophy, Double Gold, and Best of Class, and the Extra Brut earned Double Gold at the 2025 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition.