National Drink Wine Day on Wednesday, Feb. 18 is the perfect excuse to pour a glass with friends and explore what local wineries have to offer.

Northern Illinois wineries and tasting rooms are inviting guests to sip, sample and celebrate. Here’s a look at some of the best spots to raise a glass close to home.

August Hill Winery – Utica

You can enjoy August Hill Winery wines at its tasting room in Utica, or visit its Peru vineyard, which hosts the Wine on the Hill and Cave Tasting events. The family-owned winery, which opened in 2002, serves a variety of crisp white wines, hearty reds and refreshing blush wines, as well as dessert wines and bubblies from its Illinois Sparkling Co. Some of the August Hill offerings include chardonel, vignoles, chambourcin, blackberry, caramel apple and more. Small bites are available at the tasting room, as are nonalcoholic drinks. Relax in their lounge area or on the patio. The tasting room is at 106 Mill St., Utica, and the vineyard is located at 21N 2551st Road, Peru. augusthillwinery.com

Geneva Winery – Geneva, Batavia, Elburn

Nestled in the heart of downtown Geneva’s Third Street, Geneva Winery Wine Bar & Tasting Room gives guests a relaxed, inviting place to sip handcrafted wines and discover new favorites. The tasting room offers a cozy, rustic-chic setting where guests can sample a variety of reds, whites and seasonal selections, which can be paired with small bites. The winery’s signature selections include The Gnome Series, which has the St. Charles Gnome, a rich, vibrant red wine, and the Geneva Gnome, a fruity, medium-bodied white. Geneva Winery has a variety of reds, whites and unique wines like Blackberry Pomegranate, Cherry Sangria, Citrus Sangria, Tropical Lime and more. Snacks and beer are also available for purchase. Geneva Winery’s vineyard is located at 2N100 Brundige Road in Elburn. Tasting rooms are located at 426 S. 3rd St., Geneva and 5 N River St., Batavia. genevawine.com

Village Vintner – Algonquin

Village Vintner in Algonquin is more than a winery... it’s also a craft brewery and full-service restaurant that also hosts special events and live music performances. Village Vintner produces around 35,000 bottles of wine in their Huntley facility, with a wide variety of reds, whites and fruit wines. The wine menu includes classic reds and whites, as well as unique selections like a white Oktoberfest, a red Super Tuscan and a fruity Caribbean Lime. Select wines are available for sweet/fruity and/or dry wine tastings. 2380 Esplanade Drive, Algonquin. villagevintner.com

Bishops Hill Winery – Joliet

You’ll feel like royalty when you step inside Bishops Hill Winery’s gorgeous castle building in Joliet. The property, which overlooks the Des Plaines River, was once the home of the Joliet Catholic Diocese. The castle-like structure that now holds the tasting room was built by a German brewmaster, and has been completely restored. Wine tastings are available on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Pizza and charcuterie trays are available for purchase. Bishops Hill offers a monthly wine-tasting class, as well as outdoor yoga classes. Some of Bishops Hill’s wines include reds like cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and petite syrah; whites include chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio. 310 Bridge St., Joliet. bishopshill.com

Prairie State Winery – Genoa

Opened in 1998 by two former teachers, Prairie State Winery in Genoa takes pride in its high-quality wines and friendly service. The winery produces more than 35 wines, including unique varietals not found elsewhere with Illinois-grown grapes. Some of the red wines available include Bacio Di Sole and Recovery Noir; white wines include Edelweiss and Honey Orange Blossom; and fruit and dessert wines include Prairie Fire, Cranberry and Honey Apple Crisp. The tasting room also offers craft cocktails, as well as paninis, flatbread, shareable snacks and more. Music in the Garden events are held in the wine garden on the second and fourth weekends of the warmer months. Prairie State Winery is located at 222 W. Main St., Genoa. prairiestatewinery.com

Fox Valley Winery – Oswego

Fox Valley Winery specializes in small-batch handcrafted wines, available in its Oswego tasting room that’s filled with artwork from local artists. Relax on a couch in the warm and inviting tasting room, or sip outside on the spacious patio. Fox Valley Winery offers traditional varietals such as merlot and syrah, as well as fruit wines like cranberry and apple, dessert wines and sweet wines. Live bands perform there. 59 Main St., Oswego. foxvalleywinery.com

Galena Cellars – Galena

Galena is always a popular spot for a weekend getaway, and while you’re there, stop by Galena Cellars’ downtown tasting room or countryside vineyard. The family-owned winery opened in a restored 1840s granary building in Galena in 1985, and the Lawlor family purchased a farm outside the city in 1990 to begin growing their own grapes. Wines include dry reds like cabernet sauvignon, Eric the Red and petite syrah; white wines include Seyval White and moscato, along with fruit wines like Caramel Apple, Cherry and Honey Rhubarb. Sparkling, holiday and dessert wines are also available. The vineyard hosts live music on weekends, where you can also enjoy the view of the Galena countryside while sipping a glass of wine. The downtown Galena tasting room offers live music, as well as signature cocktails, shareable plates, sandwiches, flatbreads, salads and more. The downtown tasting room is at 111 N. Main St., Galena, and the vineyard is located at 4746 N. Ford Road, Galena. galenacellars.com

Gilted Edge Winery – Newark

Gilted Edge Winery, located in Newark near Yorkville in Kendall County, opened in 2023 in the barn of owners Ken and Laura Loos. Gilted Edge produces 31 wines, many with seasonal fruits, and uses Bourbon barrels for their aged wines, giving them a distinct flavor. Enjoy classic reds and whites, as well as fruit wines, dessert wines, sparkling wines and limited edition varieties. Everyday Tastings are served in a flight of four and reservations are not required. 9396 Plattville Road, Newark. giltededgewinery.com

Waterman Winery – Waterman

Waterman Winery and Vineyards, located in southern DeKalb County, has a 12-acre vineyard with 40 varieties of red and white grapes from which they produce their award-winning wines. The winery produces 20 varieties of unique, hand-crafted regional wines, including Royal Red, DeKalb Red, Waterman Red and several other sweet and dry reds. White wines include Wine Dog White, DeKalb County Niagara and Reflection. Waterman Winery also produces seasonal fruit wines like Harvest Pumpkin and Cherrylicious. Self-guided vineyard tours and wine tastings are available on Saturdays and Sundays. The winery is located at 11582 Waterman Road, Waterman. watermanwinery.com

Acquaviva Winery – Maple Park

Located in the western Kane County village of Maple Park, Acquaviva is a family-owned winery located on an 85-acre vineyard. The 20,000-square-foot facility includes their wine production area, which is visible to the public, a tasting bar and pizza bistro with foods paired to accompany the wines. Acquaviva produces a wide variety of red, white and specialty wines. Some of the varieties include reds like Don Giuseppe 2019, Piacere 2020 and Marquette 2020, and whites such as Fiora Della Vigna 2018, Donna Mia 2019 and Bianco Bello 2019. 47W614 Illinois Route 38, Maple Park. acquavivawinery.com

Sable Creek Winery – Romeoville

Sable Creek Winery, which recently moved from its Plainfield location to a new spot in Romeoville at 1876 Airport Road, is a seasoned, boutique winery producing artisan wines using premier grapes sourced from vineyards in California, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and New York. Starting in 2019 with eight flagship varietals, Sable Creek’s roster and renown have grown. It now features more than 50 different wines and has made appearances at numerous wine festivals and events. 1876 Airport Road, Romeoville. sablecreekwinery.com

Additional wineries in northern Illinois include Fergedaboutit Vineyard & Winery, located in the small Jo Daviess County village of Hanover; Rocky Waters Winery, also located in Hanover; Massbach Ridge Winery in Elizabeth, Illinois, about 30 minutes from Galena; Vigneto del Bino Winery in north suburban Antioch; and Lynfred Winery in suburban Roselle.