The St. Louis Post-Dispatch today mentioned two wineries that operate on the metro-east side of the region — including one on Route 66 in Edwardsville, Ill.
On the outside Springers Creek Winery may look like a corner bar, but the two-building winery has received state and national attention. Last year, the Edwardsville winery was inducted into the Route 66 Illinois Hall of Fame, a designation that recognizes people or places that have made significant contributions to the character or history of the Illinois portion of Route 66.
“It’s worked very well because we’re right on Route 66 and the Madison County bike trail,” said co-owner Colette Andre of her 817 Hillsboro location. “It brings us a lot of traffic. We get tourists from all over the world.”
Springers Creek even offers a Route 66 semi-sweet blush wine and a Mother Road red wine. Springer Creek’s Facebook page is here.
It should be clarified that Springers Creek itself wasn’t inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame, but the building it occupies did. Its address was the longtime site of Halley’s Cash and Carry Market. The distinctive building was built in 1914, and was a Barns Cash Market before it became Halley’s.
Route 66 enjoys a number of wineries along its path, especially in Missouri and eastern Oklahoma.