Von Jakob Winery & Brewery

Came here yet again for the boat drunks, which is a yearly tradition for my family and some friends, we have a lot of birthdays that are close yo this great annual party, they serve what to me are some of the best wines in our area, I haven’t tried one on their list that I don’t like, the people that work here are very helpful and friendly, and I also love the location and atmosphere here, however they changed some of the menu for the food being served at the event, they changed their great spring salad to «Cole slaw «it was awful, it tasted like plain cabbage with vinegar poured over it, they also changed the potatoes they served as well, they had no flavor and were under cooked, the sandwiches and fish were good as usual, but when had something that was almost perfect why change it?
As far as the music and overall experience goes, you can’t ask for a better time, but we took friends along and told them how great the food is there, then to be let down by one of our favorite places just kind of put a damper on the day.
If someone from Von Jacob reads this please go back to your original items as sides, the new ones are not good.

Visit is off season but I enjoyed my beer my waive her wine. Live music a little loud but not were we couldn’t talk. Full crowd it would have been fine. Cold weather and the doors all closed didn’t help
Place is clean and servers were quick to help
But they had maybe 50 customers I have been here when it was full it can get little crazy.

Love this place. Hadn’t been in a while, but my Dad took me on a Sunday afternoon to listen to some live music. The place was packed! Band was good. I was looking forward to trying the Cabernet Sauvignon, unfortunately they were out. I picked something close to a pinot noir. It was delightful. We also ordered a few appetizers. We did a meat and cheese plate and some chips (the chips were homemade) and salsa. Both were excellent. However, the meat and cheese platter had changed a bit since I’d been there in years past. Still a great place, love the music, love the wine. I’ll be sure to stop in next time I’m in town!

When looking at Von Jakob for a wedding location and the staff was GREAT. They went out of their way to show us around, provide inspiration, and sat down with us right there to review and clear up any questions we had over a wine tasting. Really great customer service, cannot thank Jodee, her team, and everyone we met in the process enough.
However, I have two problems.
1. If I rented the Cabernet Sauvignon, my view out the window would be an old, worn out, junk filled barn. HUGE eyesore. This barn could be beautiful if fixed up! Could be turned into a wedding venue or a family sized cabin as apart of the B&B.
2. The great room is one of the bigger locations in the area. It seats 250, I think, and it is all in one room. In my search for a venue I discovered that a location that will fit that many guests in one room is actually rarity around here! Walker’s Bluff technically has accommodations for those numbers, but it is not one open room like Von Jakob’s. But why on earth is that room yellow? What bride wants yellow walls at her wedding? It makes the room look dated. The wood beams in there are BEAUTIFUL but with such a bold yellow you notice the color before you notice the woodwork. The room was set up for a wedding while we were there and the very, very first thing I noticed was that the walls were yellow. Paint it cream, eggshell, or off white! It would really give it am updated and much cleaner look. And it is such a simple task considering the impact it would have.
Overall, I highly recommend Von Jakob. I did not try too much of their wine selection, but what we had was very good. We never came across a rude employee and the table next to us was gushing about how delicious their food was.

Facility is nice and it is in a very pretty spot. Beer is just ok. We ordered the pretzel appetizer for $ 5 and got three of the frozen super pretzels they sell at Wal-​Mart for six for $ 2. If you want pretzels, the brewery just up the road to the north has awesome ones. Also be aware they are charging $ 3 deposit for glasses and not always making that clear when you pay.

This is a must see stop for your wine trail tour in Southern Illinois.
The staff was knowledgable on both their wines and house brewed beers. My travel partner and I enjoyed this place a lot.
They are the first to grow Cabernet in So Ill. The cab was easily among the best I’ve ever had. Smooth, deep stone fruit flavors, hint of chocolate and tame, TAME tannins that made it a most enjoyable wine.
Added suprise that makes them a must stop is the full kitchen service with food paired to wine or beer. My travel partner and I each had the Grape Vine smoked brisket… perfectly cooked, sweet smoke flavor, moist, house made BBQ sauce and an excellent slaw on the side paired with the Cab, IT was heaven on a plate. Absolutely plan on hitting this place at lunch while making the grand Shawnee Wine Trail.

I would pass on this one unless you enjoy being ignored and treated rudely. We stopped on a Thursday afternoon and were one of only a handful of customers. Unlike the other wineries, no one welcomed or acknowledged that we came in. When we approached the bar all we received was a piss poor attitude and short remarks. The service was so poor we walked out and headed down the road to our next stop. We visited seven wineries that day and all were absolutely wonderful with the exception of Von Jakob. Skip this one and spend your time and money at one of the many other choices where you are openly welcomed upon your arrival.

Von Jakob is one of the weaker offerings on the So-​IL Wine Trail. Nice view and space from the back porch, but the kudos end there. We stopped in on a weekday so the place was pretty dead, but the bar tender still seemed impatient as we read through the offerings of wine and beer before making a selection. I had the Dark Bock beer, which frankly is on of the less drinkable beers I have had in a long time, featuring a lumbering malt that destroys any sense of balance one would look for in a German Dunkle.
The interior space is also pretty disappointing. I know this is an effort to convert an existing orchard building, but a LOT more could have been done with this opportunity to provide an amazing tasting experience. Instead the owner’s chose to privilege the event space, leaving the casual wine trail user to drink in a windowless, over-​sized room wrapped in dull materials with a strip of parking along the front off the highway (harsh as it sounds, the floor plan is EXACTLY that of a highway gentlemen’s club – and that is a true fact). This is especially sad considering how wonderful Von Jakob’s old vineyard location was, which offered an intimate deck and gorgeous views of their vineyards stretching over rolling hills. This new location offers ZERO interest and is not a place you’d want to spend any real time. Consistent with the thoughtless treatment of the space, the staff offer no actual tasting experience to walk you through their wines or explain the craft (just an annoyed bartender).
There are definitely better experiences to be had along the wine trail.

Excellent service. Great beers and wines. Food is phenomenal. I personally recommend the Von Jakob BLT. Make sure to visit if you are the area!

This place was meant to be the German style Beer Garten/​brewery/​restaurant.
The band played very loud. They were actually good! People had a blast.
It took a long time to get the bartenders attention. My server was great tho, juggling multiple tasks wtih some amazing efficiency.
The menus were filthy from the liquor being spilled all over them, yes: my bartender wiped it out for me)
Wines were ok. i hear good things of their beer.
Order of pizza took forever (yes, they were busy.)
By the time I finished, I really had to run, so I could not wait for my $ 3 for the glass. I dont care for the glass, I left it either way. I just don’t think this was such a great idea.
Nice deck, nice view. Also: the deck provides a nice alternative for the loud interior.
I personally did not like it. But I would not discourage others from trying out this place.

The beer I had was great, but the service was incredibly lacking. Rude bartenders when trying to enjoy a nice afternoon are not necessary.

The beer and wine were pretty decent, but the bar tender had a very poor attitude when serving us. She was impatient and rude. The outdoor patio area is pretty big, so that is definitely a plus when it’s nice out.

I didn’t spend a lot of time in the winery. I’ll be honest I just sampled the pilsner then bought a growler to take with me. There was a large group of senior citizens taking part in some kind of big drunken dance party at the time of my visit. This is nothing against the place but it wasn’t really my scene so I kind of just bought some beer and left. The place wasn’t really that inviting. One of the wooden bars by the beer area actually fell off and hit me while I was tasting the pilsner. Also, the staff was very busy. It’s not their fault; the place was packed. I really like the beer, though. I’ll definitely go back on my next visit to the Shawnee Wine Trail. Hopefully I’ll be able to try some of their wines and write a more thorough review next time!

Von Jakob Vineyard tasting room has moved from it’s original location in Pomona to Route 127 in Alto Pass. The directional signs on the road are very confusing as they still point to the vineyard that is closed to the public. The web-​site needs to be updated since it claims to have two locations and shows visuals of the quaint vineyard. Trust me, the current location for tastings is not represented well on the website.
Aside from the land, the Winery and Brewery is not quaint, or «winery-​like» in any way. It is a one story warehouse with dated banquet rooms and bar. They do have a shop that we did not get to see because of a wedding. The view off of the back deck is pretty, but, the facility itself is lackluster. At the very least, they need to add some skylights so it isn’t so dark inside and they should seriously consider hiring a decorator.
The winery offers beer or wine tastings of 5 samples for $ 2. If you purchase a bottle, you can get a bucket of ice for $ 1 and you will need to pay a $ 2 deposit for small, generic, non-​souvenir wine glasses. They offer food, but the menu looked pretty casual compared to what they show on the website video. Perhaps the wedding affected the menu or the upscale food is only offered at certain times/​days? They allow you to bring your own food, as well.
Sitting in a dark banquet room on a sunny day isn’t my idea of a nice day at the wineries, but they did have live music when we were there, which helps ease the pain. While we were on the back deck we asked the waitress for a bucket of ice for the 3 bottles of wine that we purchased and she instructed us to go and get them ourselves for $ 1 each.
I don’t intend to include this stop on any future stops along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail. I can go anywhere and sit in a dark hall and drink.

Better half took me here last Sunday for a winery trip/​night and it was a blast.
They had a band, and they were great…
We got there early and the band didnt start untill 2pm– so we winery hopped (Alto Vineyards is right down the road, and their wine is AMAZING!) and then came back later for the band—
We signed in for our B&B and were given a complimentary fruit and cheese basket– (how sweet!) and the B$B was in a house (like a normal house) lol— but the room was SUPER nice, extremely clean, and the lady was a total peach.
My only complaint was that it was FREEZING in the tasting room, and dance/​music area…
They had a huge fireplace but said it wasnt working bc they were in the process of redoing it– whatever… i want to be warm and relax when I’m drinking wine— not freezing my butt off!
The beers and wine were both very good— and their crisp apple cider beer is a must try! _​they also have growlers available.
They do a margaritaville themed party called Von Jakobville which we plan on going to, and the scenery on the drive was amazing! A nice change of pace from driving to the missouri wineries all the time.
The food is also really good.– i had the house smoked loally sourced sausage pizzza and it was delish!! — –
The shawnee wine trail is a must if you’re looking for somewhere different!
:)

We were the youngest ones there by 30 years! You have to pay for wine tastings ($ 2 for 5 $) and while we were there no one was manning the beer tasting. My husband ordered the hef which was horrendous. The wine was delicious! I liked all the wine I tried which is why I have three stars. If the wine is available at the store — I suggest picking up there instead of visiting this place.

The Von Jacob Bed and Breakfast has the most luxurious bathrooms I’ve used. Rooms are nicely decorated. Enjoyed being outside in the hot tub looking at the green view. The bathroom is so luxurious with the marble and big whirlpool with dual shower heads. Very romantic.
We got to choose a free bottle of wine and that came with snacks; add the free breakfast, and that’s worth about half the price of the weekday room. For breakfast you choose what you want when you check in. If, for example, you are vegan, you can easily order oatmeal and toast. Stay at Von Jacob.
Guests may want to unplug the room refrigerator, because it will come on several times in the night and the noise may wake you.

Ok for Illinois, considering in this state a winery is really a saloon/​party facility that has its own house wines. You don’t come here to taste sips of amazing wine and leave with a few bottles. You come here to drink a few bottles of less-​than-​amazing wine, and hang out long enough to avoid the DUI checkpoint you might pass on the way home.
This place has the ambiance of a Days Inn lobby. It could use a little sprucing.

Decent wine, good location, poor customer service.
Von Jakob has one of the most expansive and impressive structures on the wine trail. They have a massive back patio, a large dining room, a sizable gift shop, and an impressive selection of wine and beer (all of which is made in house), and a full restaurant menu. It is possibly the most all-​inclusive Vineyard on the trail. The problem is, with all of that, nothing is doing particularly well. The back patio is filled with plastic chairs and table and park style benches. The dining room is under-​decorated and uninviting. The wine is decent, but lacking any real substance or character. The beer menu has a couple selections that may surprise you, but for every beer you like there are two you hate. And the kitchen provides very inconsistent food (one day you may find a dish you love, the next that same dish will turn your stomach).
If you want to have a good time here, I can tell you how. Go on a nice sunny day, order a flight of beer (the beer is just slightly better than the wine), buy a cigar, go outside and enjoy the view.
What is most heartbreaking about Von Jakob is how much potential they have. I’ve had one really good meal there, so I know there is SOMEBODY back in that kitchen that knows how to cook. As for the drinks, Von Jakob is bold for attempting to make both beer and wine, and I give them prompts for trying. I feel like if they focused on just creating one or the other, the quality may improve greatly and they’d be better off.

I love the wine trail in Southern Illinois. Most of the wineries are very underrated, and I was very excited to see that Von Jakob is also a brewpub. This place is stuck between a 3 and 4 star review. The inside is very nice and clean. A bar makes a long L around the edges. No seats at the bar, but plenty of room to stand and taste with tables scattered about. A great back patio/​deck that is very relaxing. You can’t beat the scenery to Alto Pass in Illinois. Truly Gods Country.
The service is very nice. I have been here several times, but well before they started to brew. They are always wanting critics of their products, and are very receptive to any criticism. Most of the bartenders are knowledgeable of the wines, not so much the beers, though they will grab the brewer whenever you ask. They have lunch everyday, and special dinners on Friday. I did not try the food, but everything looks great on that front.
Unfortunately the one time I tried the beers, I was not a big fan. Most everything had the same kind of fruity estery thing going on. Pretty much everything tasted the same, or was just plain off. The beer selection goes from Pils to Stout. Nothing crazy. They do have a new head brewer, but I have not visited since he started. Hopefully I can make another visit soon to see how things have changed. The wine selection is very nice. They have some very interesting takes that you will not find at the other wineries around, as well as the more typical styles. I need to make another visit.