Famous Fossil Vineyard & Winery

Famous Fossil is one of my favorite places to stop when I am in the area. It’s a small, very adorable winery in the Freeport area.
Not a fan of sweeter wines? Ask the helpful associates to steer your in the direction of wines more your style. There is truly something here for everyone! Have a tasting – they are SUPER affordable and you get to taste a variety of styles. Bottles of wine average around $ 15, give or take a few bucks.
Be sure to check out some of their fun classes. I painted wine glasses with my mom and they made for fun keepsakes.
Support your local arts and drink their wine: D

Terrible customer service. Stopped in yesterday to get a bottle of wine. I’m visiting family from San Diego and wanted to send a bottle of wine back to my partner. Walked in and never greeted, knowbody helped us. So we selected a bottle on our own. I don’t know if its good since didn’t get to sample it. Went to pay and the cashier seemed put off that were bothering them. They were happy to take my money. Then no «Thank You» or «Have a nice day». Then walked away and tended to the regulars sitting at the bar. The bartender had no problem opening another bottle for her regulars. I couldn’t even get a taste. Won’t recommend or ever return. Nor will I tell my local friends to ever go there.

Highly recommend! My husband and I stopped here during Valentine’s weekend. The place was busy, but not overly packed. We each did the selection of 6 wine tastings. I liked that you could pick which wines to taste as I like the sweeter wines and my husband likes the dry red wines. The staff answered all our questions and were attentive. We’ve been to several wineries in the area and loved the wines and atmosphere at Famous Fossil the best.

Nice little winery in Cedarville. The wines are good with a good staff. There are lots of books and even games for kids (and adults; we played some of them) there that make the stay that much more enjoyable. Make sure to check this winery out; you won’t be disappointed.

My husband and I took a short drive to this beautiful winery a few weeks back and so glad that we did. We would have loved to enjoy the patio with the views of the vineyard but the rain kept us inside. There is seating for a large group or small intimate tables for two. All with wonderful views of the vineyard. We both sampled 4 different wines and picked out our favorites. Did a little shopping for our new home and enjoyed a bottle of their fossil creek red.

Whyyyyy did it take me so long to get out here?
This winery produces wines made from varieties of grapes local to the Great Lakes region. That in itself is very cool. My boyfriend and I came in this afternoon to get a couple bottles of wine, and did a tasting beforehand ($ 2 to taste four wines, $ 3 to taste six). The woman who served us was very helpful, and we walked out of there with a bottle of the Crescent Moon White (very tart and refreshing) and the Fossil Creek Red (dry and medium-​bodied). We didn’t stay to eat, but they also serve lunch, and have cookouts on Saturday nights, I believe. The outdoor seating has a GORGEOUS view of the vineyard! If you’re in the area and want something to do, this winery is a must-​see.

My friends brought me here for my birthday as a surprise, and I didn’t want to leave! The service was AMAZING and I cannot say enough good things about it, they made us feel so comfortable and welcome, and explained everything to us about the different wines and the vineyard.
We did the wine glass painting as well, and its a great way to bond with friends, eat some cheese and just relax.
Were already planning our next trip for Spring! Took us 2 and a half hours from Chicago, but SO worth it! I loved all of the wines I tasted (mind you I am not a big fan of reds) and we all ended up buying bottles to bring home, I’m not sharing ;) !!
Highly recommend making the drive to Famous Fossil!

Although Famous Fossil, didnt provide a paper list of wines available for wine tasting (cheat sheet for future references), the server was more than happy to describe the ingredients in each wine. He also, rinsed our glass with water b4 every new tasting (not all wineries do this.)
They sold many kinds of cork holders for home decoration, I especially liked the wire globe!
You will love the RED wine selections and the fruit wine Blackberry, I sure had to buy all 4!

About a one hour drive west of Rockford’s east side, this is a place you need to visit. Signs on US-​20 help you to get here easily (a mere few minutes-​about five-​via car off the four lane highway, with one major turn after taking the highway exit, making it VERY easy to reach if in the area).
I was fortunate to get to visit Famous Fossil Winery (just north of Freeport, IL) due to it being open as a part of a local farmer-​based tour organized by the county’s University extension office. With many acres of land, they grow many of the grapes used in their wines (as opposed to trucking the grapes in from «Timbuck Four,» Timbucktu’s distant neighbor) and also buy grapes grown by nearby farmers. The facility has a tasting room and a smaller meeting room/​banquet (?) area for use as a place to hold a small meeting/​gathering of about 50’ish people comfortably, plus an outdoor deck which adds to the available space as weather permits.
But the real reason to visit here is to try their wine. When I visited, there were five different wines available to sample (for a mere $ 2 to get the equivalent of about a «serving» of wine) all of which were made on site. Most of the five were a bit on the sweeter-​side than what my tastes usually prefer (I usually like drier wines), but none were awful by any means. With many wineries in this region specializing in either wines which are overly sweet (or tasting like Welch’s Grape Juice) or making wines from grape varieties not grown locally, having a winery making wines from locally grown-​grapes is something unique and welcome, and moreso that the wine I have tried so far from here does not taste like Mogen David. The owner of the vineyard was available to show me the facility and the wine production area, plus to answer questions about how they are making the wines I was sampling. Bottles of their wines were available to buy for prices in the teens (from about $ 13 -$ 19 each, give or take a bit, and not overpriced in my opinion), and they (like many local restaurants these days) participate in the program allowing one to take home partially emptied bottles of wine (so you do not need to waste unfinished bottles of wine).
I am giving Famous Fossil a four-​star rating out of five only because their hours of operation are not convenient for my busy schedule and because I cannot get their wares outside of their winery at the moment (and because Unilocal does not have a «four-​and-​a-​half-​star» rating I can give because of these limitations); the staff are certainly five star quality, the facility is clean, and I am absolutely thrilled to be able to support a local winery making wines from locally-​grown grapes.
I can see where Famous Fossil Winery will be a future magnet for those taking weekend getaways and for those wanting a (presently) more serene daytime wine tasting experience either as an individual or as a member of a group tour. If you happen to be reading this while either on the road to/​from Galena, IL or while trying to find something to do in Northern IL/​Southern WI on a weekend, then this is one place you truly need to visit. If you are reading this while staying in Freeport, IL then you are fortunate to be close to greatness (which many areas wish they could duplicate).