Sugar Grove OKs sale of wine at farmers market

If your farmers market shopping list has ever included a Chardonnay along with fresh vegetables and meat, you can visit Sugar Grove next summer for one-stop shopping.

The Sugar Grove village board voted Tuesday to amend a liquor control ordinance in order to allow the sale and tasting of wine at the farmers market when it opens the first Saturday in June.

The sale of wine is made possible because the farmers market will move to the parking lot of the municipal building at 10 Municipal Drive.

In years past, the market has been held at the Kaneland John Shields Elementary School on Main Street, where selling the fruit of the vine so close to a school was out of the question.

According to Pat Graceffa, one of the volunteer coordinators of the farmers market, the wines will come from Waterman Winery and Vineyards in Waterman, Ill.

"The winery approached us -- they're very excited to come to Sugar Grove," Graceffa said. "We couldn't invite them when we were at the school.

"They're all Illinois grapes," Graceffa added. "We'll be featuring 12 different wines, from a simple Chardonnay to the more exotic. The revised ordinance will allow one person to have up to three samples. So shoppers can sample more than one wine before they buy."

Graceffa said the decision to relocate the farmers market is an "excellent move."

"We're still close to downtown, but having access to Route 30 will give us greater exposure," Graceffa said. "We're hoping it does a lot of good for our vendors and farmers."

The new location also offers more parking and the use of restroom facilities.

The farmers market, sponsored by the Sugar Grove Chamber of Commerce, will be held Saturday mornings from June through October.