I realized that my childhood came full circle watching my critter run around the U-Pick grapevines at Mackinaw Valley Vineyard in Mackinaw, Ill., yesterday. My mother took me on seemingly endless trips each summer to pick fruit for that year’s jellies and jams. Memories of hours spend romping through Willamette Valley strawberry and blackberry fields still color attitudes about what food and wine ought to be. So standing in a long row of beautiful fruit watching my daughter cram grapes fresh off the vine into her mouth seems appropriate. We picked eight pounds of table grapes, and I was pleased to find subtle flavor differences between each. Store-bought varieties taste pretty much the same, and except for arbitrary childhood biases, I see little reason to buy anything but that week’s flier special. Himrod, a white skinned table grape had a honeyed character with a mild texture while the pink skinned Reliance, gave that classic Welch’s pungent foxy, grapey character. The tartness of the black Mars pleased me, and I plan on using this for the bulk of my weekend baking foray, grape pie with crème fraîche.

Last summer, I made my family take a two hour detour to Genoa, Ill., so I could snag the perfect wine for our concert date. Chambourcin, like so many grapes, offers a spectrum of styles, depending on how the vintner crafts the vintage. Our double bill of k.d. lang and Lyle Lovett needed a classy, yet country summer red (we were only eating saucisson after all) that we could drink chilled at the hot outdoor venue. I made my crew head to Prairie State Winery to grab just the thing. Rick Mamoser’s 2006 Prairie Red, a lighter style Chambourcin, provided the kind of bright cherry and cola splash needed for humid summer nights. Its dry, boisterous personality kept to its roots as a country wine that avoided trying to be something it wasn’t.

Years ago, a Father’s Day gift led Matt Schulte to join his brothers and father as a home winemaker. Once he realized that local fruit made the best wines, he took the family green thumb and planted some vines: first Norton, Chambourcin, Chardonel and then others. Matt produced the first vintages in his basement. Guests brought blankets and chairs and sat on their hill overlooking the Mississippi lowlands. Everyone drank delicious wines from nearby. Thus Spirit Knob Winery began.

Rarely do new businesses call on voters to approve their plans. Before producing wines from thousands of newly planted vines, Dawn and Joe Taylor had to call for a referendum in their part of Vermilion County (Catlin Township) that was still dry from prohibition. The overwhelming voter support (more than 88 percent of the electorate supported them) speaks volumes about these two. Dawn smiles when recollecting how they became part of the community, and how all their neighbors pulled for them. Sleepy Creek Vineyards fills a niche in East Central Illinois, giving us a number of solid wines grown and made just up the road. It's time for all you farmer's market disciples to drink local, too.

I have no burning interest in the upcoming Beijing summer games. While I may try to watch some fencing or swimming, winter’s luge is more to my taste. Besides, the medal contest I really follow occurred in early June in Urbana.

Over 250 wines competed for medals at the Illinois State Fair Competition held at Bevier Hall on the University of Illinois campus. The judges assessed entries using a predetermined rubric. While each of the 12 judges added their own professional wine experience and personal taste to the process, this scorecard allowed objective comparisons between wines of different styles, sweetness and ingredients.