mackinaw valley vineyard

Really like the place, will come again many times throughout the seasons. Liked the atmosphere and wine was good to....beautiful place....love the different taste of wines.

We were there with a large group on a Saturday night, so we paid the $5 pp for a reserved space on the deck. Additionally, because of the band it was $5 pp to park (this is essentially the cover charge). We also brought in our own food for our party.The wines I had were okay - Riesling and Vignoles - probably a little overpriced for the quality, but better than alot of other small midwestern wineries that I've visited. They also had a decent selection of beers from @ $3.00, as well as water and soda. The staff who worked in the outside drink windows weren't very knowledgable on the wines; their jobs were obviously to serve people as quickly as possible rather than make recommendations. You basically buy it by the bottle and take it back to your seat, so it would be nice to have a little more guidance from the staff; they just told me I could go inside and do a tasting. Since I was there with a large group for a special event, this option did not really appeal to me. Fortunately, folks in my group had been there before so I used their recommendations. Also, if you're outside you'll be drinking out of a plastic cup, by the way. I was surprised at how big this place is and how many people came out to see the band. Most folks that didn't have reserved seating brought their own camping/lawn chairs. The band wasn't great and probably louder than it needed to be; it was difficult to have conversations with anyone, even those sitting at the same table, while they were playing. There were plenty of groupie-types out on the dance floor area, though, so to each their own I guess!For a group event, I'd probably return, though maybe not a on a band night (or I suppose it depends on the band as well). I would also be interested in visiting for an actual tasting. Overall, I do think it's a fun place to go, especially for an area where there isn't much else aroud in terms of nightlife.

Go to beyond nowhere in Central Illinois and hang a left. There you will find this local winery. It's a charming place. Many acres of vines surround their tasting room. They have music most weekends in the summer. There's a small man made lake. The wines are not at all bad. But don't come expecting the finest Napa vintages -- it's Illinois. And reasonably priced. If you find yourself in Central Illinois' twin cities make time for a trip here--an interesting place it an often no so interesting area.

We went to Mackinaw on a Saturday night when they were having a concert. We paid $5 per person to rent a table and $5 per person cover charge, which I think was a little bit of a rip off, but I like the fact that you can bring your own food. I really liked the deck area and the grounds. It is very nicely done. The band was even pretty good, and played 80's and 90's songs that most people would recognize. This was the first time we have ever left a winery without buying a bottle of our favorite wine from the tasting. They give you a list of which wines are sweet and dry, and my recommendation would be to totally ignore that list and ask the people working which ones are the best. The first wine I tried was listed as a sweet, fruity wine, and it was neither. The sangria tastes like it was made from a store bought mix. If you are looking for something fun to do on a weekend, this is a great place. However, if you are looking to taste great wines, the liquor store has a better selection.

This Winery is nice but expect to get out your pocketbook.from the moment you pull in there is someone there waiting to take your money. when you get into the winery you get an extremely small sample of their bad wine. If you actually want to drink out of a wine glass, you can rent one and if you want to sit on the deck well you can buy that too. wasn't impressed and will not go back the staff was not the friendliest.

Dropped in on a whim and we were very pleasantly surprised at the whole operation. The white wines are best, and the views of the area are very nice. Looking forward to going back!

I recently visited this area for my friends wedding festivities. It was a grand time and they also had a band playing. It was wonderful and there were lots of people that came. It was very nice. I am not sure of their prices but their wine was amazing. I would definitely visit again with a loved one. Such a great place.

We recently visited the Mackinaw Valley Vineyard. We were getting really excited while looking over the wine list. So many wines sounded so good. Unfortunately once we tried (our very small samples) we were very disappointed. Not a wide variety in taste, and really only one or two wines that our group agreed that we liked. However, it is a great place to visit. They have a couple of nice patio areas with seating. You can bring your own food - just no drinks. You can also purchase food there. We brought a lunch and enjoyed the scenery. They seem to have a number of activities always going on. We were a little disappointed with the "lake". It had a lot of pond scum and smelled a little.We did have a nice time. It is a nice area to sit with friends and family, but don't set the bar too high with the wine.

beautiful ambiencethe winnery owners were very nice and tried to accommodate our needsthe wedding was right beside the vineyards, as well as the reception. we had wonderful weather and the room was very beautiful with plenty room to dance and sit...125 people

Mackinaw is run by a close-knit family- most of their wines are named after members of the family that you may just meet during your visit! I am a dry-red fan, and my favorite wines are Cole's Classic and Cody's Round-Up Red. They have a very cute indoor shop with great views of the vineyards and the pond, as well as outdoor seating on their extensive patio. They host many concerts at the vineyard during the warmer months, and host several wine and beer testing events throughout the year as well. It is located 15-20 miles outside of Bloomington-Normal. Worth the trip!

My husband and I got reservations for a patio table at one of their concert nights and we had a blast! We enjoyed a beautiful evening sunset over the vineyard and then the band played until 11pm with dancing allowed as well! We drank their wine and bought cheese and crackers and chocolate at the gift shop. You are allowed to bring coolers of food/drink also if you wish. Great place to spend the evening in good weather! We went in late September.

This is a gotta see winery.Weekends are full of activities and some nice wine.Bring your own food if you like or just cheese & crackers to enjoy with the wine.Small cover charge on weekends with a band.bring a lawn chair too.

The atmosphere is excellent, very relaxed, music to dance to if you like, bring your own picnic/snacks and purchase wine/beer and enjoy.

Frankly, I'm not wild about their wine, but it's a fun place to be on a Saturday night with a picnic supper and a band playing.

My sister reserved a space on the deck for 12 of us for her birthday last night. There was a band playing. The music was hard rock...Kiss, Journey, AC/DC, which is not my favorite, so it's hard to rate the band. They were loud, which made the crowd boisterous and the atmosphere one of a party, yet families were abundant. It seemed more of a party than a drunken bar scene. It was very warm and humid and sprinkling rain on us every once in awhile, but we were having too much fun to worry about it! You can take your own food and there is a cash bar, as well as wine tasting inside the gift shop. Something for everyone.