Illinois has a thriving wine industry although this may come as a surprise to many residents of Illinois and beyond. Clara Orban, author of Illinois Wines and Wineries: the Essential Guide (SIU Press, 2014) will present the history of Illinois wines, with some little-known facts about an industry that dates back more than 150 years. She will also compare Illinois to other Midwest States and then see how the Illinois wine industry compares to that of the West Coast powerhouses. She will give an overview of the different wine regions of Illinois, the current status of grape varieties, and look into the future of Illinois wine.
After the presentation, attendees will have the chance to sample some Illinois wines and purchase a copy of the book which Dr. Orban will be glad to sign.
Clara Orban, PhD, is Professor of French and Italian at DePaul and chair of the Department of Modern Languages. Her publications range from seventeenth-century linguistics to the pedagogy of upper-division Italian conversation courses. She has written several books including: Wine Lessons: Ten Questions to Guide Your Appreciation of Wine (second edition 2012) and Illinois Wine and Wineries: the Essential Guide (2014). Part of her teaching load includes Geography 350: the World of Wine. Dr. Orban became a certified sommelier in 2007.
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