Hidden Hills Vineyard & Winery: A Passionate Journey from Grapes to Glass
By: Hannah Chatterton
Owner, Dave Poland (right) and General Manager Jennie Grove (left).
Hidden Hills Vineyard and Winery, nestled on a small plot of land near the Knox County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Illinois, is a testament to the passion and dedication of its owner, Dave Poland. The story of Hidden Hills is one of accidental beginnings, family collaboration, and a deep love for winemaking that has transformed a simple parcel of farm ground into a growing winery with unique events and quality wines.
Dave Poland's journey into the world of winemaking began quite unexpectedly. His passion for wine started during his travels when he would visit various wineries and engage with other winemakers. Dave's interactions with them sparked an interest that soon became a hobby. From the knowledge he acquired on these trips and his background in engineering from his career at Caterpillar, Poland began constructing his own small vineyard to make homemade wine.
In his early days of winemaking, Poland purchased wine juice from Baxter’s Winery in Nauvoo, the oldest winery in Illinois. When he began growing his own grapes, he then sold them to Kickapoo Creek Winery in Edwards, Illinois. However, the idea of turning this hobby into a full-fledged winery grew stronger, especially with the support of his cousins, Chancey and Holly Weidenhammer. Chancey and Dave started the family operation, and all three are now co-founders/owners of Hidden Hills Vineyard & Winery.
Hidden Hills officially started in 2007, operating as a vineyard for the first ten years. The addition of a winery began in 2016 when the owners acquired new land, previously used for row crops, and broke ground in the fall of 2017. They planted many of the trees around the property, and with the addition of a brand new building, Hidden Hills Vineyard & Winery was born. The land is now a charming and peaceful oasis that exudes the natural beauty of our area.
From planting and maintaining the trees and vines around the property to building the winery building from scratch, Poland and the Weidenhammers executed every aspect of creating Hidden Hills with a commitment to sourcing materials and labor locally.
The winemaking process at Hidden Hills is both meticulous and complex. The vines are handpicked to ensure the highest quality. The initial stage involves using a de-stemmer crusher, which separates the grapes from the vines. The grapes are then pressed using a barrel-shaped machine with a balloon inside that expands to compress the grapes, squeezing and extracting the juice.
From the press, the juice is pumped into tanks where it undergoes several weeks of fermentation. This process involves racking, where the wine is transferred from one tank to another to allow sediment to settle, enhancing the clarity and purity of the wine. For wines requiring refrigeration, a special tank with a cold stabilizer is used to eliminate tartrates, a byproduct of this process. They will back-sweeten the mixture with sugar for wines they want to be sweeter. A dry wine could have as little as 0-0.5% sugar included, while a sweeter wine could have up to 10% sugar. Hidden Hills’ wines typically fall between 0.5% for the dry wines and up to 7% for the sweeter bottles.
The wine then undergoes a final filtering process before being bottled. The bottles are then corked and a heat-shrink cover is placed over the top to ensure a perfect seal. Labels are added, and a new bottle of Hidden Hills wine is ready to be enjoyed. Hidden Hills typically yields around 2,000 gallons of wine annually, which requires the processing of about 20,000 pounds of grapes. This will yield approximately 10,000 bottles of wine ready to serve and savor.
Hidden Hills Winery is not only dedicated to making wine; it also creates experiences. One of their most anticipated events is their annual Wine and Woofs, which just completed its fifth year. This event invites guests to sip delicious local wine while walking their dogs around the beautiful grounds. Ten percent of all sales from the event day are donated to the Knox County Humane Society. This year, they also encouraged the owners to dress their dogs in costumes, and the adorable winner was little Delilah, adorned in a Wonder Woman suit.
Looking ahead, Poland shared that he is particularly excited about their upcoming annual fall event. Hidden Hills hosts a grape stomping contest where people can experience the winemaking process before the introduction of modern presses. Though yields from this method are small, and the juice will not be used to produce wine, Hidden Hills plans to expand. This fall, they will be hosting their first grape stomping competition! Poland encourages everyone to come out and enjoy this unique experience. To get their own feet dirty, watch other participants mash grapes, or simply enjoy the food vendors and miscellaneous activities.
Hidden Hills Winery is more than just a place to enjoy a glass of wine. It is a manifestation of a dream turned into reality, a place where family, community, and passion come together to create something extraordinary. Whether you attend for wine, woofs, or whomping some grapes, Hidden Hills Winery promises an unforgettable experience.
