It's easy to forget the outside world when strolling Cedar Lake Cellars' 170 acres. Trees, rolling meadows, and two lakes not only erase any thoughts of urban living, they also form a pastoral canvas for restored buildings from the 1930s—including the aptly named Big Red Barn. But as serene as the environment is, the main focus here is on the wine. Varietals from California, Missouri, and overseas pour into glasses inside the tasting room, as do Cedar Lake Cellars' eight own elixirs. And, for something completely different, Cedar's team serves signature housemade wine slushies: a blend of ice, 100% pure fruit puree, and Cedar Lake Cellars wine that helps you stay cool without napping in your freezer.

For between-sips palate cleansers, Cedar Lake curates several distinct experience. Guests can explore a cheese plate in the tasting room or grab a meal to go from the Lakeside Grille and find a good picnic spot on the grounds. Or they can entrust their taste buds to Chefs Lee and his team inside Cedar Lake's main restaurant. Here, the kitchen composes everything from prime rib to asian nachos—an original dish of crispy fried wontons, sir-fried veggies, and a spicy and sweet Asian sauce with a creamy crab-rangoon dip.