Hidden Lake Winery - Aviston, Illinois

hannah G.

Spent Valentine's Day here, booked a cabin for one night. Upon arrival we wondered if we had the right place with the overrun sign. The winery was eerily empty as we were the only couple there on Valentines night around 6pm, usually you would expect a crowd. The server was very kind and showed us all the specials and wine. The wine was good and the food was decent. Prices were a bit high, for the quality of food. We enjoyed the surroundings and ambiance despite being vacant. At the cabin we tested the tub after seeing some reviews but it was clean. The cabin was nice but lacked some cosmetic finishes such as working light fixtures. In the middle of the night my husband was woken by rustling in the night, it was a mouse in our trashcan. We tried our best to sleep through the night as we were already there but did have some trouble. After reading some reviews I see there has been recent issues with the winery. I think the winery has great potential if criticisms are taken to heart and real change is put in place. If not for the mouse I would have left three stars.

Courtney S.

Do NOT recommend for a wedding. The bridal suite was absolutely disgusting on morning of the wedding. There was a man living in the house, camera set up, dog and mouse poop, dog hair all over the place, puppy pee pads; filthy. Manager showed no remorse and when asked for help cleaning up, the wedding coordinator ghosted us and chose to ignore the problems and let us suffer rather than face them and help us. On the WEDDING day. Do not recommend for a wedding.

Kimberly W.

We got to the winery...AMAZING wine! We had cabin 3 and as soon as started to fill the tub gross black particles were floating & way more than enough to gross you out. Then we went to the shower & no hot water at all. We were moved to cabin 8 and the shower was full of bugs which we washed down the drain. In looking at the jaccuzi in either cabin I wouldn't recommend using them, they are old and outdated with nasty looking jets. At 4 am, we awoke to the sound of the trash bag moving and when we turned on the lights there was a mouse in the trash can. It took an hour for my husband to get it out of the cabin. We discovered a hole by the fireplace that it was coming in through and had to plug it with a towel and move the bench up against it so it couldn't come back in. This morning when we took our showers the shower backed up to half full and the water wouldn't drain. Needless to say, we won't be returning. Although quiet Think Twice before paying to stay here.

Robyn K.

We visited to celebrate our anniversary. We had gotten married here and it had been awhile since we came back.

The man behind the bar seemed annoyed we were there, it was dead on a Saturday night during holiday season, the whole place has not been kept well.

Theresa B.

Such a beautiful time of the year to visit, everything was such lush and breathtaking. A hidden gem to enjoy nature. We stayed in Cabin #1, very comfortable cushy bed...the overhead light did have a short, it kept flickering. We also enjoyed a flight of wine from the Winery, had a stray mama cat follow us all the way back to the cabin and hang out with us. Great weekend getaway nit far from Scott AFB.

Catherine L.

This review was hard to write. I had previously visited this winery about five years ago. I have always wanted to stay in one of their ten cabins, which look very romantic on the website.

I booked the cabin about a month in advance, as we have not been able to getaway. We both took time off work, found a safe place for our children, and went.

We drove for almost two hours, and when we arrived, the cabin was dirty, dusty, and poorly kept! No effort was made to clean the toilet; there was pubic hair on the toilet!

A wall air freshener was completely dried out, which is a hazard. I called/texted the emergency number many times, and my husband did. We got no answer. We emailed asking if they would send someone to clean so we could save our trip. We did not talk to anyone!

This was on a Monday, and I didn’t hear anything until I received an email response on Tuesday! They gave me a quick refund, but my time and gas money were wasted! I cried all the way home! I would suggest you take a tour before booking with this winery’s cabins. The wine is good, but the cabins are old and not worth the money they charge.

Such a great property needs a new, fresh direction!

Tess S.

We have come here twice for our anniversary. Once in 2021, and in 2023. Sadly we weren’t able to make it in 2022 but absolutely would have come then as well.

We had heard rumors that the service wasn’t as good as it used to be but I absolutely disagree. The service is outstanding. Every time we are welcomed so warmly. The room is clean and the food is delicious. The wine recommendations are top notch. The kitchen/tasting staff is so kind and makes you feel so at home.

When we shared that it was our anniversary, Lily immediately offered to bring us a chilled bottle of champagne (with flutes!) that we had selected, rather than have us bring it back ourselves, unchilled.

We’ve never had a bad experience and can’t wait to come back.

Katie P.

We had a small wine tasting before purchasing 2 bottles of wine. The wine was excellent!!! My favorites were the Wilder apple and something paws( I forgot the name). Unfortunately, they were sold out of those bottles. It's not surprising because those wines, in my opinion, are the best!!!

The venue itself is beautiful!! There are a couple of larger ponds surrounded by trees! It's lovely!