Von Jakob Winery & Brewery hosts weddings, corporate events and private parties in two ballrooms, one for groups under 100 and one for more than 100, with in-house catering and two guest cottages on site. The winery and brewery stand at Alto Pass, in the Shawnee Hills of southern Illinois, overlooking a vineyard, an orchard and the Shawnee National Forest.
Seminars and company events
The events team handles corporate events, business workshops, fundraisers, university events, private luncheons and art receptions. Groups of ten or more can also book a luncheon during regular opening hours in the public areas. Each fall the venue releases a holiday party packet for company end-of-year events. A special events coordinator, chefs and waiting staff run each event, and an online questionnaire starts the planning.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the core of the events business: the team has coordinated more than 300 since 1997. Receptions take place in the Winery Ballroom for larger weddings or the Brewery Ballroom for smaller ones, with the brick patio and decks for drinks outside. The venue also hosts engagement parties, anniversaries, reunions, birthdays, baby showers and graduation parties. Wedding details are set out in a separate packet available from the venue.
Rooms and capacities
The Winery Ballroom covers more than 5,000 square feet and is meant for parties of over 100. It is built in a German Tudor style with a large slate fireplace and a 60-foot glass wall that opens the view onto the patio, decks, vineyard, orchard and forest. The Brewery Ballroom, about 2,400 square feet, suits parties under 100. It has the look of a German or English pub, with dark stained oak and windows into the brew house and the finishing tank room. The owner, Paul Jacobs, and his staff designed and built it. For small private parties of 50 or fewer, the Brewery Ballroom or the Barrel Tasting Room can be reserved.
Accommodation
Two bed and breakfast cottages, The Wine House and The Port House, are on the property and suit a wedding couple or a few guests. Larger groups will need other lodging in the area.
Catering
Catering is in-house. Small party packets offer a dinner menu, a lunch menu or hors d'oeuvres only. The brewery makes its own beer on site, and the bar also pours Grand River Spirits, whiskey, moonshine and cocktails alongside the estate wines.
History and setting
Von Jakob combines a working winery, a brewery, a grill and pub, and outdoor spaces facing the wooded hills of the Shawnee National Forest. The property sits on the wine trail of the Shawnee Hills, which draws visitors to Alto Pass on weekends, and the outdoor patio and decks give events a view across the vineyard.
Getting there
The address is 230 Illinois Route 127, Alto Pass. Carbondale, the nearest large town, has an Amtrak station.
