Wine on the Hill

At our Winery & Vineyard Location in Peru, IL!

We invite you to join us at our Winery & Vineyard location in Peru, IL for Wine on the Hill, open May through October!

The Long Road Home food truck will be at Wine on the Hill on June 10, 11, 17 & 18, and on July 15 & 16; they will have tacos and quesadillas!

Cave Tasting Experience
Saturdays & Sundays, May 13 – October 30

Experience where the magic happens at our Winery location in Peru, Illinois! Step into our Winery Caves where your favorite August Hill & ISC wines are produced and stored. Enjoy a unique wine journey presented to a small group of up to 16 people (approximately 45 minutes long).

The Cave Tasting Experience includes a wine tasting of six August Hill/ISC wines specially selected by our staff and a signature tasting glass for you to take home.

Tasting Time Slots are as follows:
Saturdays: 12-5 pm, on the hour
Sundays: 12-4 pm, on the hour

$30 per person
$20 for Insider Wine Club members (limit 2 discount tickets/day)

Wine on the Hill
Saturdays, 12-6 pm; Sundays, 12-5 pm – thru October 30

Enjoy the beautiful outdoor scenery of the Illinois Valley, and your favorite August Hill & ISC wines, while hanging out on our spacious hillside. Wine flights, wine by the glass and bottle, August Hill Chill by the glass, and a charcuterie box are all available. See our menu here.

Entry is free and reservations are not needed to hang out on the hill or to listen to music. Reservations are required for the Cave Tasting. For more info, see our FAQ’s below.

Reservation to Relax

Want to enjoy Wine on the Hill, with less work for you? Book your “Reservation to Relax” today, and the August Hill team will prepare you a spot on the hill for your selected date. The space will include two adirondack chairs, an umbrella for shade, a 30 quart cooler with ice, 2 bottled waters, and a small variety of snacks.

Music on the Hill

Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 pm, May thru October

  • Saturday, June 10, Jack Whittle Blues
  • Sunday, June 11, Fiddlerock!
  • Saturday, June 17, James Gedda & the Big Breakfast
  • Sunday, June 18, Amber Lea Berg
  • Saturday, June 24, Paulie & the Shakers
  • Sunday, June 25, Stuart Smith
  • Saturday, July 1, TBD
  • Sunday, July 2, Steve Sharp
  • Saturday, July 8, TBD
  • Sunday, July 9, TBD
  • Saturday, July 15, Boomstick
  • Sunday, July 16, TBD
  • Saturday, July 22, Jeff Manfredini
  • Sunday, July 23, Kevin Roy Kramer
  • Saturday, July 29, Brian Neumann
  • Sunday, July 30, Steve Sharp
  • Saturday, August 5, TBD
  • Sunday, August 6, Jeff Manfredini
  • Saturday, August 12, James Gedda & the Big Breakfast
  • Sunday, August 13, Phanie Rae

frequently asked questions

Your visit
  • Where are you located? Please refer to the map below to find us at 21 N 2551st Rd, Peru, IL. If you do a search in your map app for “August Hill Winery,” make sure it pulls up the “August Hill Wine on the Hill” location in Peru and NOT the “August Hill Winery Tasting Room” in Utica, IL.  If you look at satellite view on the map below, you can see our spot. The winery building is white with a burgundy roof, and there are a couple of semi trailers parked up near it. Look for the black and white August Hill Winery sign on the hillside or the big blue banner flag at the entrance.
  • Can I attend early/stay late? Guests can begin to arrive 30 minutes prior to opening to park and secure a spot on the hill; however, staff will not be available to make wine purchases until opening times. Last call is 15 minutes prior to closing. We ask that all guests leave by closing time.
  • Can I pick up my Wine Club order? At this time, Wine Club orders can only be picked up at our Tasting Room location in Utica, IL. The only exception to this is during the Will Call on the Hill events in May, July, and September; members can pick up their wine at these events if they RSVP ahead of time (we will send an email with RSVP info).
  • Are you handicap accessible? We offer handicap parking and our restrooms and cave are accessible. The landscape on the hill can be uneven and in some parts difficult to maneuver.
  • What if the weather is bad? We will still offer tastings in the cave, but live music may be cancelled. The hill will still be open for guests, but we do not provide shelter.  If the weather presents a danger, we may ask guests to leave the hill area.
  • Do you have restrooms? We have two restrooms inside the winery.
  • Do you accept credit cards at Wine on the Hill? Yes, we do accept all major credit cards at Wine on the Hill.
Can we bring . . .
  • Do you allow outside alcohol? NO, we do not allow outside alcohol. Guests who bring outside alcohol may be asked to leave. If you have friends who prefer beer, have them try one of our ISC pét-nat wines.
  • What items are permitted? Pop-up canopies, small tables, lawn chairs, picnic blankets, food, non-alcoholic beverages, umbrellas, coolers, picnic baskets, utensils, wine glasses. Coolers will be checked by staff for outside alcohol.
  • What items are prohibited? Firearms, outside alcohol, marijuana, grills, bonfires, fireworks.
  • Are pets allowed? Yes. Pets are allowed on the hillside, on a leash, but not inside the building. There will be a dog walk area supplied with trash bags for dog waste.  If your pet is causing distress or inconvenience for our other guests, you may be asked to leave.
  • Are children allowed? Children are allowed on the hill, in the Winery (bathrooms, purchase area), but not in the tasting cave. No one under 21 is permitted to consume alcohol. Children under 12 need to be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all times.
  • Do you sell food or other beverages besides wine? We offer a charcuterie box and other snack options. We also have water and non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice as alternatives to wine. We will occasionally have a food truck attending (see our events page for detail). You may bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks, but outside alcoholic beverages are not allowed.
  • Do you sell ice? We do have ice available for sale if you need it.
  • Do I need to bring my own wine drinkware? You can bring your own or we have some available for purchase or plastic cups for free.
  • Anything else I should bring? Don’t forget the sunscreen and bug spray. If rain is in the forecast, bring an umbrella. If we all have umbrellas with us, maybe we won’t get rain!
Cave Tastings
  • Can others attend the Cave Tasting with me? Only persons with reserved spots can enter the tasting area. If you have adults or children with you who are not attending, we kindly ask that they wait outside on the Wine on the Hill area.
  • If I made a reservation for a Cave Tasting and cannot attend, will I be refunded? You will get a full refund if you cancel your reservation at least 48 hours before your scheduled tasting.
  • Can I change the date or time of my reservation? Please make any change to your reservation at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled tasting.
  • What if I am running late for my scheduled tasting? In order to be fair to all guests, we must stick to our scheduled tasting starting times. You can come in and join the tasting late, possibly missing out on some of the experience, or we will do our best to fit you in at a later tasting time, availability permitting.  Best advice is to get here early!
  • Will I need a jacket in the winery? We keep our winery and caves at a cool 60 degrees throughout the year, so we do recommend bringing a light jacket.
  • What else should we know? You’ll be standing during the tasting. If you have someone in your group unable to stand for the 45-minute tasting, let our staff know when you check in.
  • Can I pre-order wine when I purchase my Cave Tasting Experience tickets? Please DO NOT pre-order wine when ordering your Cave Tasting tickets as our software gets confused if you do. We will have all our wines available for sale after the event.
  • How do I check-in for the tasting? When you arrive, enter through the double doors of our winery building, and and look for the Cave Tasting sign/waiting area.

Directions to Wine on the Hill