Wine enthusiasts can now order their drinks by the glass at Sycamore Winery, 322 W. State St.

An ordinance modifying the city’s Class H liquor license changed a regulation which formerly permitted only 1-ounce samples to be offered at wineries and breweries. The new ordinance allows wineries and breweries to sell glasses of wine and beer.

Sycamore Winery owners Scott and Sheri Prutton are looking forward to the change that will now allow them to set up a “wine cafe” in their store.

“People seemed somewhat disappointed coming to our place before,” Scott Prutton said. “They loved our wines and they loved coming here, but it wasn’t really much of a destination.”

Patrons judge the overall experience, said Maria Mamoser, owner of Prairie State Winery in Genoa.

Mamoser said wineries are about more than just the end product of selling wine.

“They want that connection,” Mamoser said. “They don’t want to be just another sale in a big-box store.”

Concerns that offering such services would turn the winery into a bar or restaurant surfaced among some council members when the matter was first addressed. Scott said it was never his intention to turn his business into either.

He plans to serve “light fare that goes with wine” such as fruits, bread, crackers and gourmet cheeses.

The wine-enthusiast crowd is surprisingly diverse, Scott said.

“We see them from 21 on up,” Scott said. “That’s kind of encouraging to me because I think there are more people getting into wine. I see a lot more younger people, especially with the health benefits of wine and the Illinois Health Department endorsing it.”

Both the Sycamore Winery and Prairie State Winery are listed under the Illinois Grape Growers and Vineyards Association’s Northern Wine Trail. Prutton said local wineries tend to complement one another.

“Many people like to travel and visit multiple wineries in the area,” Scott said. “It’s better for all of us that there’s more there. And that’s the fun of it. You get to try the local products and each wine maker is different.”

The Pruttons hope to expand their capacity to make wine in the future.

“Our wine has been such a hit that we can barely keep up with demand,” Scott said.

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