Twelve Oaks Vineyard, Carlyle, honored by IGGVA

Lisa Ellis from the IGGVAe speaks at Twelve Oaks Vineyard.    Lisa Ellis made a return trip to Twelve Oaks Vineyard in Carlyle on Sunday, Oct. 11.
    Ellis, the executive director of the Illinois Grape Growers and Vinters Alliance (IGGVA), presented Twelve Oaks Vineyard owner Doug Palm with the Governor's Cup for Red Wine for the Illinois State Fair Wine Competition. Twelve Oaks won the Governor's Cup for their Chambourcin red wine.
    Twelve Oaks Vineyard also won the Illinois State Fair wine competition top award for white wine Vidal Blanc 2025.
    Palm also won the Governor's Cup for the 2024 Chambourcin Rosé, which is crafted from grapes grown right on the Twelve Oaks Estate.
    Ellis said the Illinois wine industry is an integral part in the state's economy and agriculture and tourism community.
    Representative Charlie Meier and Collin Moseley from Representative Blaine Wilhour's office along with Marshall McNeely from Great Grapes Vineyard and Mike and Laura Wilke from Wilke Vineyards were in attendance on Sunday.
Twelve Oaks Vineyard was recognized by the Illinois Grape Growers and Vinters Alliance on Sunday, Oct. 11. Photo by Matt Wilson    Twelve Oaks Vineyard received four double gold medals, one gold medal, four silver medals, and a bronze medal. Five of those wines earned best of class honors.
    The Governor's Cup award winners all have to be wines from fruit that is grown in Illinois.
    Both the Chambourcin and Vidal Blanc earned double gold medals and best of class honors at the Illinois State Fair.
    "Either one of those wins would be worth celebrating, but together they are an impressive achievement," Ellis said. "The medals across the full lineup show the quality of the work at Twelve Oaks Vineyard."
Doug Palm speaks at Twelve Oaks Vineyard on Sunday, Oct. 11.    Palm was named the IGGVA wine maker of the year in 2021. Since 2020, Palm has won six bronze medals, 38 silver medals, 31 gold or double gold medals, 17 best of class designations, five Governor's Cup awards, three top awards for wines from any appellation and one best of show award.
    "When Doug was named wine maker of the year in 2021, his fellow wine makers and grape growers recognized the great quality here," Ellis said. "Since then he has continued to show us what he can do, vintage after vintage. That kind of consistency takes work, takes care in the vineyard, attention in the cellar, and all of the decisions that happen along the way. Today we get to recognize those efforts and celebrate the results."
    Palm thanked everyone for coming and said he appreciates their patronage and support.
    "I'm honored to accept these awards on behalf of everybody here on the Twelve Oaks Vineyard staff," Palm said.
    Palm thanked family, friends and customers.
    "Thank you to everyone who has worked along side us," Palm said. "We have a great staff inside and a great staff that comes and helps us with the vineyard. Their love shows in every bottle that we make here."
Doug and Jodi Palm pose for a photo at Twelve Oaks Vineyard.    Palm said he is grateful to the Illinois Grape Growers and Vinters Alliance.
   "One of the great things I did was get involved in the IGGVA," Palm said. "The source of information that you can get from them and all of the things you can learn from the other people involved in the IGGVA, it is truly putting Illinois wine on the map, big time, and it's getting bigger all of the time."
    Palm thanked the Wilkes and said they buy a lot of grapes from them. This is the second Governor's Cup that Twelve Oaks Vineyard has got from McNeely's Chambourcin red wine.