Mistie Hill Vineyard expands

CUSTER PARK – Big things are underway in tiny Custer Park as it relates to a 22-acre site dedicated to wine, and some beer as well.

Five acres of French-American hybrid grape vines, bred for the cold climate of northern Illinois, have evolved into Mistie Hill Vineyard, owned by Rich and Debbie Strylowski, opening a 50-seat, 3,400-square-foot tasting room at the rural brewery site, that will feature a 32-seat, 1,200-square-foot outdoor patio.

The new addition was unveiled March 14 and has been met with success despite not such great weather, Rich Strylowski said.

And more is on the way, Strylowski explained.

He said an additional two acres of one-year root stock vines will soon be planted. The owners are hoping to one day have a total of 10 acres of grape vines.

However, unlike garden plantings, the creation of fruit takes a little while longer, Strylowski said, noting the new vines will not produce grape crops for a two- or three-year window.

Like a perfectly-aged bottle of wine, time is needed.

About 20 minutes outside of Kankakee sits Custer Park, and while the word is now spreading, there is a jewel of a winery and tasting house waiting to be discovered by the public.

Closed Monday and Tuesday, the site is open from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; noon to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m., Sunday.

The tasting room is also a unique option for hosting meetings or events, Strylowski said.

Beer also on hand

The couple has also made some concessions to those who might stop with their significant other or a group, but not necessarily wine lovers.

The location will be offering the legendary craft lager beer, Yuengling. Yuengling & Son, based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and established in 1829, is the oldest operating brewing company in the U.S.

And, he noted, Miller Lite beer will also be available.

Back to the wines.

Strylowski said the site features 22 wines ranging from dry reds to sweet fruit and additional wines are also being developed.

Like all wineries, when a customer finds a tasting in which they want to bring home with them, a bottle or even a case can be purchased.

The winery is not likely to run out of supply. Strylowski said they have a stock of about 1,000 cases of wine on hand at any given time.

He said the site is currently producing 2,500 to 3,000 gallons of grape juice each year. He is hoping to have that production increased to 5,000 to 7,500 in the coming years.

To put those figures into more relatable terms, one gallon of grape juice can be transformed into five bottles of wine. Grape harvesting is typically completed in September.

Adorning the label on each of those thousands of bottles is an image of the couple’s beloved dog and vineyard namesake, Mistie.

In her younger years, the Strylowskis said, she would perch herself to overlook the vines as though it was her own to keep guard over.

Promising future

Regarding the business expansion, Strylowski, 61, has applied the label of “so far, so good.”

“The future is looking promising,” he said. “I always knew this would be successful and it seems like it’s coming true. We are happy with the response thus far.”

Early visitors to the winery will not likely see green vines of grapes. A grapevine typically starts to sprout in the late-April to early-May window.

Like their grapevines, Rich and Debbie are also transplants. They were not born-and-raised Will County grape producers. They came to Custer Park in 2001 from Oak Lawn before establishing Mistie Hill in 2008.

In a previous Daily Journal story from May 2021, Strylowski explained:

“I usually tell this story during every tasting because everyone’s always curious,” he said. “I found out that the soils here are perfect for growing grapes.”

The property and the soil used to be part of the Kankakee River many years ago, which made the soil ideal for not only grapes but blueberries as well. When the couple’s initial plan didn’t move forward, they decided to buy a few vines from Walmart on a whim.

“We planted them on the fence and they took off, and we thought, ‘Huh, this is something,‘” recalled Rich, who said they then put in another 150 vines that also took off. “A couple years later, we had our first harvest out of it. We took a sip and were like, ‘Wow!‘”

For information on Mistie Hill Vineyard and where to find their wines, visit mistiehillvineyard.com.