Local Flavor: Big Horse Vineyards

A unique Lewistown, Illinois, destination blends two of owner Don Archdale’s passions: horses and wine. At Big Horse Vineyards, Archdale carries on a family tradition of raising Belgian draft horses while running a winery with his wife, Trinity.

Since Archdale inherited the farm from his father, who started the tradition of raising Belgian draft horses, the business has expanded to include a vineyard, tasting room, winery, event center and outdoor pavilion.

“There’s something for everybody to come down here and see,” Archdale says. “We’re way more than just a winery. We’re more of an entertainment venue.”

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With 2.5 acres of grape vines, a pear orchard, a lake and wooded walking trails near the Dickson Mounds, Big Horse Vineyard is an idyllic escape for visitors from near and far. Fulton County has expanded its number of vineyards in recent years and now hosts four of the nine wineries featured on the Heart of Illinois Wine Trail, including Big Horse Vineyard and the neighboring Native Trails Winery.

“Our little area is kind of a destination,” Archdale says. “I just can’t really explain how beautiful it is on the farm.”

The winery produces a range of red and white wines featured in more than 100 local stores. The Romeo Red, named for one of the farm’s beloved draft horses, Indian Ridge Romeo, is a local favorite with a sweet flavor and a tart cranberry finish. Along with a selection of fruit wines, including peach, apricot and blackberry, the Archdales have expanded into new territory with a carbonated canned wine, hard cider and even a chain of Archie’s fast-food restaurants in Lewistown and Bushnell.

“It’s really gratifying to see somebody enjoy something that you made,” Archdale says.

Whether staying at the Big Horse Inn & Suites in downtown Lewistown or touring the vineyard on a spring day with the pear trees blooming, visitors can find hints of Big Horse Vineyard’s equestrian legacy all over town.

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