Kite Hill Vineyards

About Kite Hill Vineyards

Kite Hill Vineyards sits on a hilltop in the Shawnee Hills, about ten minutes from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. The name comes from family lore: when the founder announced he had bought the land to plant grapes in the late 1990s, his wife told him to go fly a kite. Jim and Barbara Bush bought the winery in 2006 and run it as a family business, and since 2010 every wine has been made in its own production building, with Scott Albert as winemaker.

The wines lean toward ripe fruit flavors and cover the full range from dry to sweet, in red, white and blush. Grapes the winery names as thriving in the Shawnee Hills, Illinois' first American Viticultural Area, include Chambourcin, Chardonel and Viognier. Staff will pour a full tasting tour of the list or only the styles you prefer, and the tasting room also serves its OG Wine Slushy.

From March into November the tasting room opens Wednesday through Sunday, with afternoon-to-evening hours midweek and longer weekend hours, and there is a deck for sitting outside. In winter it opens on weekend afternoons only. Any other day or time can be booked as an appointment by phone or through their social pages, which is handy for groups. The winery says it welcomes SIU students, staff, families and alumni.

The nearest lavender farm in our directory is Tenderloin Farms Lavender near Edwardsville, roughly an hour and 45 minutes north, so it makes more sense as part of a longer southern Illinois trip than a same-day pairing.

What to do

• Take a full tasting tour of the dry-to-sweet wine list
• Ask about wines from Shawnee Hills grapes such as Chambourcin and Chardonel
• Order the OG Wine Slushy on a warm afternoon
• Sit out on the deck
• Book an appointment tasting for a weekday group

Season, hours and prices

Season

Open year-round; full schedule March through November, weekend afternoons only in winter

Hours

Posted on their website (checked October 2026): March to early November, Wed–Fri 3–7 p.m., Sat–Sun noon–7 p.m.; early November to early March, Sat–Sun noon–5 p.m.; other times by appointment. A second hours table on the same site differs, so call to confirm

Good to know

Age

21 or older to taste or drink alcohol

Reservations

Walk-in during open hours; appointment at other times

Tips for your visit

• Their website shows two slightly different hours tables for 2026, so call before driving out
• Call or message through their social pages to set up a visit outside posted hours
• Plan a designated driver before you head out

Pair it with a lavender farm

Tenderloin Farms Lavender · about 105 minutes away

Tenderloin Farms Lavender near Edwardsville is about an hour and 45 minutes north, so plan the two on separate days of a southern Illinois trip.

Getting there

• Address: 100 Tasting Room Road, Carbondale, IL 62903
• Phone: 618-684-5072
• Website: kitehillvineyards.com

Questions

Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free