Oswego's Wine on the Fox Festival is May 3

Some 16 wineries will share their premiere wines made exclusively from Illinois vineyards from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Hudson Crossing Park, situated along the banks of the Fox River.

The 2,500 wine tasters that came to the inaugural event in 2007 discovered how Illinois' vast varieties of grapes are being produced into wines by the thousands of gallons by producers with deep roots in the prairie state.

"Oswego received very positive feedback from the community and people in attendance that came from throughout the region. People that enjoy wine may not always have the time to visit an Illinois winery -- this way they come to you," said Michele Bergeron, Community Relations Coordinator for the Village of Oswego.

Another part of the attraction is the scenic view of the Fox River, along with live music and culinary delights -- creating an almost magical setting to taste the hundreds of styles of wines.

"With the scenic view from the park, water rushing and music playing -- it is a very enjoyable experience and everyone is welcome to come," Bergeron said.

This year's guest artists are the Shawn Maxwell Quartet, The Flat Cats and Howard and the White Boys -- accomplished entertainers that started their success in Aurora and Chicago.

Kori Faltz of Oswego's Fox Valley Winery -- the event's host winery, says she's rarely seen an event in its first year experience the magnitude of success as the 2007 Wine on the Fox.

"It was absolutely amazing," Faltz said, adding this year's event has attracted even more wineries wishing to be a part of the festival's success. As for the wine lovers, it is a time to discover why Illinois winemakers have won acclaim in state, national and international competitions.

Illinois wineries use the state-of-the-art production equipment one would find at the large wine bottling companies of California and even Europe. The difference of course, the local wine producers are using varieties of grapes conducive for Illinois' climate.

"We're continuously finding new hybrids and strengthening existing grape varieties. It's a time for people to further their knowledge about locally produced and owned wines," Faltz said.