I have never had an experience like this in my entire life. Aerie's Winery needs to really evaluate their management. We waited two hours for food with still smiles on ours faces. To only be told we was lying about the wait. To only get cold food and still had missing food. Still we were all smiling but hungry. We then asked for a manager just to make him aware of all the issues. First off I had a Brisket burger that was cold and a bun as hard as hockey puck. He came and picked my bun up and squeezed it and proceed to say well it is a toasted bun and threw it back on the plate. He then address my friend as Honey, then says he is not taking anything off because all our food was fresh and hot. That was a bold two face lie. He then starts raising his voice and cussing at us and to say that his staff has worked their fucking ass off all day. So he then continues to say we are banned and takes a picture of us after we asked him to just give us our checks. By this time our group of 20ppl is pissed and feel like degraded. We were never approached in a caring matter but instead we was embarrassed and treated like we was ghetto ,poor and uneducated. As we all go to the bar to sort out our bills and getting on the trams back down he chases out as we are taking off and yells: you know it's illegal to not pay your bill. Not only did we pay and gratuity was already added. We still all gave our servers and the bartender $5-$10 because it's not there fault. Needs to say baby bday dinner did not end well and we are not worried about being banned because we do not want to come back at all. The manager name was Andrew and even some of his staff considers him a prick. Way to go Andrew you are the DONKEY of the day. read more

The view is what sells this place as the other reviews indicate. The wines are good, a bit pricier than other local wineries though. The food is described well as overpriced for what you get and the pizza has a burnt/chemical taste. The servers are hit or miss. This place has SO MUCH potential and I hope the owners read the reviews and learn from it. First impressions go along way and many people will try something once, but it's repeat customers that keep a place in business read more

They have a great wine selection and nice views. However, there is something to be desired in the food. They have a good food selection but it was not executed well. For the price of the food I expected it to be better than something I could make at home. read more

I came with my guy and it was very romantic. We missed the sunset. Yet as the surrounding areas lit up, the view was breathtaking. I really enjoyed my Picante Pollo Flatbread and Blackberry wine. He had the Red Berry Sangria and a juicy cheeseburger with chips. Then we topped off with a turtle-like cheesecake, delicious! Beautiful weather live music. We plan to return for Valentines day to stay in one of the cabins. Let me not forget to shout out ANDREW, our waiter. He was very attentive, friendly, and informative. read more

The view was breath taking! We stayed in one of the cabins. When we first arrived we ran into some trouble with the jetted tub not working. But one of the employees, Sam, totally went above and beyond! He got us in another cabin right away, even shuttled up some water for us! Thanks again Sam! read more

The WORST winery i have ever been to. The shuttle drivers were extremely rude. Do not recommend this place to anyone trying to wine hop with a group of people. They gave us the most hostile hospitality one could give. Will not be coming back. read more

I am an easy-to-please Ohioan and I loved this place. We were in St. Louis and my friends were like "let's go to a winery an hour away." I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful property overlooking the river! Now don't get me wrong... I know it won't appeal to everyone, but it worked for us. We had like a million people and we sat in different places. Once we had a snack we paid and moved around and it was no biggie. We purchased our glasses of wine from the other entrance after our unimpressive pizza we just chilled and nobody bothered us or made us feel like we should be leaving. Yeah the wait staff was super busy, but I kinda like a low-key kinda place sometimes and the view was so amazing. We sat inside and it was comfy and relaxing. The wine samples are $1 and tiny and I'm cheap so I just got one and a glass. They also had a fire going outside in another area which we missed! Then the sunset was pretty. So maybe eat ahead of time and then head out here for an amazing view, an unimpressive snack that fills a need, and some wine that... well I'm no expert. And the drive up from St. Louis was pretty along the river. But my friends GPS took them up the other side of the river and they had to take a ferry for $8 (no biggie) so be warned. read more

I wanted to like this place. We waited 20 minutes for our server to come over while he was shooting the breeze with other servers and clearing tables people were still sitting at. He knew we were there because I asked him to make sure the table was open before we sat down. After that 20 minutes during which he looked at our table multiple times, he finally came over and joked to us about how he had made us wait. Seriously?! At that point we ordered but then walked out. Adam was our server and he was beyond rude. I used to be a server myself and know it is difficult but his behavior was no excuse. I'm guessing it also had something to do with the fact that we all looked young. When I go to a winery I buy four or more bottles typically if a taste impresses me. You lose dude, I would have tipped you on it too. read more

I was hoping for more local wine, but they plant their first grapes next week! The wine selection is vast and view is spectacular! The sommelier was friendly. It is $1 to sample each wine but he gave me a decent pour. You have to go a roundabout way to get to the winery, but there are plenty of signs to show the way. read more

Beautiful view! That's the only good thing I have to say...horrible service, seems like everyone is lost and running around crazy. They were nice, I'll give em that, but couldn't handle the crowd. Flatbread was half burnt and had a strange taste. They really need to get it together because they have a lot of people wanting to try and this will not bring people b read more

Went for dinner, way overpriced for no better than the food was. Service was great, wine was good but won't go back for a meal.

Sadly, my fav winery has changed their menu. Gone are all of the local dishes with style and flash. It's now more generic. Still a great place, but too bad about this change :(. read more

The view is worth the trip. Shuttle service from "downtown Grafton" is available every 15-30 minutes to ferry folks up to the winery (don't even think about trying to walk it)and parking at the top of the bluff can be limited during nice weather. The building and grounds are nice, well cared for. Restrooms could use a bit more attention during busy days, but I guess that's typical at most bar/restaurant combo places. Service was so-so. The younger people working the bar areas were nice and helpful. Some of the (presumably) management staff were not. One in fact was quite rude to us over a bar tab and when I overheard her speaking to the staff in the kitchen, she was unprofessional at best. They encourage patrons to start a tab, which is fine. But your tab is with THAT server and doesn't transfer if you move from area to area (i.e. Server to server). So be aware that you may get accused of "walking out" on a tab if you move from upper to lower or inside to outside areas. Seems like they could solve this issue with a different order system. Or maybe just address the attitude problem with the blonde headed manager. The food we had was good. Ironically, I didn't try any of their wines, but others said they were good. We will go back because the view and the atmosphere are worth it. read more

Beautiful views with a good wine selection at the winery. I had been her before and had a better experience. This time the food and service were passable but could have been much better. This was our first stay. Disappointingly, the suite we stayed in had clearly been smoked in although it was non-smoking. As a whole the service just wasn't quite where it could be. The check-in staff seemed put out by questions. They didn't give you info about the shuttle or wi-if password, nice amenities, and we had to go out of our way to get details?? It could be amazing, but some staff training is needed. read more

I went to the restaurant. First the view was amazing! The wine was fantastic! The food was good but their options were kind of lacking. Mainly you go here for wine and appetizers. A great place for a date read more

Great food and friendly staff. Our waiter was great. Very reasonable wine prices. Blue cheese bacon green beans were awesome!! Highly recommend. read more

This establishment is a complete joke of a business, we had a amazing wedding planned for this past weekend before COVID-19 had recked all our plans. We thought we were doing the right thing financially and paid the Venue completely off in February of 2020, totaling to $4500. As the wedding grew closer we began to get nervous. With tight regulations being placed upon businesses and with 50% of our guest flying in from out of state we had to make the unwanted decision to move our wedding to next year. When we went to talk to Aeries about this they initially agreed to move it to next year however we would need to agree to the new 2021 contract. This was initially fine with us until they informed us there was no available dates within the month we had originally requested (October of 2021). After we were denied a date in October we then asked for a partial refund, understanding that we would lose our deposit of $2000. After we asked for a partial refund Angie, the wedding planner, said she would have to speak with the owners and she would get back to us. That was the last time we heard from Aeries. After we asked for a partial refund they stopped all communication despite our multiple attempts to seek a resolution. Despite their beautiful views I would highly recommend looking elsewhere to have your wedding. We understand this is a global pandemic and everyone is hurting. However we were more then accommodating and willing to work with Aeries. We were even willing to have Aeries credit us with a gift card in the amount paid for future getaway trips. We feel extremely taken advantage of and used. We would still love to hear back from Aeries one day to be able to come to an agreement. read more

What a shame the people running this place can't get it right. The view is awesome, but their attitude towards customers is lacking. We went yesterday for the first time since their recent renovations and were very disappointed. They enclosed most of the seating & what is left outside are some tables sitting on an open deck with no décor or personality. Not at all inviting. But what really offended us was they charged $1 to taste a wine. We were debating between 2 different cabernets & they wouldn't let me taste the unfamiliar one unless I paid $1. We ended up buying 2 bottles of wine anyway , and refused to pay their tasting fee. Ridiculous! We'll keep our business at the more friendly wineries down the hill from now on. read more

My husband & I went there Saturday and loved it. Beautiful scenery, great music , good wine! Can't wait to go back.

The good: The view is AMAZING. For Illinois/Missouri, I can't imagine it gets much better. We went on a warm winter day, but there was a lot of ice floating on the river from the recent frigid weather...it was an awesome sight. We had the winery's brand of wine (they carry many different wines from other places) - Bluff Top White - which is a sweet wine and was very good. I also had a Guinness draft which was very good. The bad: My wife and I are NOT picky eaters and we've been to dozens of wineries all over. The food here was too little for the price we paid, and was just kind of "meh" on the taste side....it didn't taste bad, but it wasn't tasty. Our waiter was ok at first, but then pretty much ignored us. Our appetizer never showed, until our food arrived and we asked about it. We had them go ahead and bring it out anyway and we ate it with our meal. It was the bread and oil, and it was, again, just "meh". It was a 45 minute or so wait for our food (salad, sandwich, and burgers). My inlaws said the burgers were good, but not great. My club sandwich was tiny and I could make better at home. My wife's $10 salad (grilled chicken caesar) would barely make a side salad in other places. I had to ask twice to have my ice tea refilled, and when my waiter AGAIN said "Sure" and kept going to whatever he was doing, another waiter saw my disgusted look and jumped in and refilled it for me. So: Go for the amazing view and the good wine and beer, but don't expect much from the food. We WILL go back, but I think we'll eat somewhere else beforehand. read more

I went on a day trip to Grafton, IL with my sorority and we had heard wonderful things about this winery- especially the view. However, I would never return to this restaurant. I have never written a review but my experience here was so bad that I had to. My group ordered wine and food and when the food began to take awhile to arrive we asked what was taking so long. They told us that they were a bit backed up but it would be ready soon. We were sitting for OVER 2 hours waiting for food that never got to us. This ended up taking up our entire visit and we were not able to do anything else while we were in the city. I would NOT recommend this winery. read more

The menu is limited,poorly prepared and over cooked. Also the owner is the rudest person I have had the displeasure of talking to.

Aerie's Lodge was wonderful! Our villa was clean and beautiful. There was a balcony off every room with wonderful views! Great, quiet pool. Aerie's Winery was nice. Good, mellow live music. It's not a vineyard, so I don't think they bottle their own wines, but it was nice and quaint, again, with great views. Very good appetizers! Get the cheese ball or the pizzas! read more

While the view here was nice (definitely not the "best view in the midwest" that they try to claim), everything else about this winery was poor. The food was incredibly overpriced for what you were given. The pizza's had interesting flavor combinations (like goat cheese, spinach, and raisins), but they were executed poorly. The crust lacked flavor except for a burnt oven taste. The table next to us ordered salads which they immediately began complaining about because they were tiny! They should be advertised as side salads and cost less than half the price. The air circulation is very poor in their "indoor" seating that is really an enclosed porch. I was sweating throughout my dinner. The weather was nicer outside on a 95 degree day than in the patio. The service was nothing to write home about and the music entertainment is fit for the crowd that likes Johnny Cash and Elvis. Poor quality of food. Overpriced. OK view. Poor venue. I would never visit again or recommend it to a friend. There are much better wineries across the river in Missouri that aren't a far drive. read more

We were disappointed. We paid B and B prices for a mediocre room and no breakfast. The sink in the bathroom was so high that I couldn't get my arms above the edge to rinse my face. It was one of those above the counter bowls. We were in the "terrace" rooms and they were cleaning up after a wedding- that we didn't attend- at 8 in the morning on a Sunday. We could hear all of the chairs moving and footsteps from 3 floors down. I DO NOT recommend staying in the Terrace area. The cabins may be o.k. but we were not happy with the room. The view is great from the winery and that part of the facility was great. Just don't plan on a great experience in the Terrace rooms. read more

Something came up and we had to cancel our reservations. they honored our request and because of that we will give them business in the future. very professional! read more

We booked the lodge rooms for my bachelorette party. When the river flooded we called and asked if we could cancel because we weren't sure if we'd even be able to access the lodge rooms. They told us we could not cancel. So we decided to go, and when we got there, they told us that our card was declined so they thought we had just cancelled the card. Which is odd because we had been using that card all day and every other business was taking it just fine. They said they had sent an email and tried calling us about the card getting declined but we received nothing of the sort. So they ended up giving our lodge room away to someone else! We had 8 girls who had all traveled to Grafton from 2 and 3 hours away and they gave our lodge room away after they told us that we could not cancel our reservations! They said "we can get you 2 hotel rooms right next to each other for $160 per room" okay, well first of all those rooms should have been comped. Because that whole situation was just ridiculous. Then they said, we'll bring you two blow up air mattresses. Which they never brought until around 11pm when I decided to venture out to find an employee, they ended up bringing us one air mattress. They offered 2 complimentary bottles of wine and two complimentary appetizers. That we didn't even get to choose which bottles of wine and which appetizers we wanted, they gave us 2 free bottles of the cheapest wine they sold and the cheapest appetizers they had. Any other hotel would not have charged us for those rooms at all. We had to haggle our way to just get them to drop the price $30 for the rooms. Sandy was very pleasant to deal with and I hated being an angry customer with her, but Eric the manager was nothing but rude to us when dealing with this entire situation. This whole situation just completely ruined Grafton for me, and I will never go back to the Aerie's Resort. read more

Had an amazing time Zip lining today with Delainey and Eric!! Thank you so much, you guys rock!!

Wow. We just celebrated a wedding at the winery and it was great! First off, the staff and owners were so solicitous, relaxed, and accommodating. We felt they truly would do anything they could to meet our expectations. Amy was the liaison for Aeries and was always available for any questions or needs that came up. And the chefs Jarrick and Terry were Fabulous! They spent time with us, had helpful suggestions and catered the food to our liking. It was delicious! Great view, great venue, great staff, great food and drink and great music!(they can hook you up if you need musicians). So, yeah go to Aeries and enjoy! read more

We enjoyed the winery, didn't stay long or order food. Not much to review. The view was good and the outside area was nice. If I'm in the area again, I would stop in. read more

First of all...winery and Illinois is an oxymoron. With that said, this is an interesting place on a steep hill high above the junction of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Nice view from way up high which presents a few problems. #1 problem is parking...difficult to find a spot on a busy weekend and on the edge of a cliff. Not a problem for me since I can walk easily...not so much for my 87 yr old parents. #2 problem is the bathrooms...tiny cramped not easily accessable for those with challenges. However the menu is creative and I enjoyed a greek salad and a seared duck breast both of which were very good. The greek dressing was not true greek dressing...more of a balsamic dressing but pretty good. Advertised as having artichoke hearts which always grabs my attention but only had 1 small piece but fairly priced none the less. The duck breast was beautiful...I prefer some pink but many probably fear pink foul. #3 problem is the waitstaff...completely scattered and almost non-existent at times. I like to take my time when eating out...its as much about entertainment as the food. If you are in a hurry to stuff your face as quickly as possible this probably isnt the place for you on a busy weekend. I like to enjoy the surroundings and people watch so no problem for me. If you want a horseshoe and tenderloin you are NOT going to like this place. Plenty of those joints down the hill in biker haven. The biggest disapointment was Grafton itself...just a bunch of biker bars and a few odd gift shops. Maybe in the fall there might be something beautiful to see but other than that kinda strange...not at all like I was expecting and I like to shop! If you are thinking New England meets Midwest Charm you would be wrong. More like New Orleans sleeze meets the Sons of Anarchy. Ive heard the Pere Marquette is a historic lodge but the reviews are terrible so gonna cancel coming back. Oh well...a mediocre getaway at best. read more

There were pretty views and it was a great atmosphere. We had a Malbec which was good, but the food was lacking. There aren't a lot of options besides (personal sized) pizza so we decided to split a pizza and cheese plate. The cheese plate was completely disappointing. It was a few ritz crackers, grapes, a slice of ham (salami was advertised), and what looked like some crumbles of cheese found in the back. They charge $13 for what looked like scraps from the kitchen. Another couple we were with got the artichoke dip and really enjoyed it, so there are definitely better options...I would advise people to not waste their money on the cheese plate. read more

Came here with my family for some lunch and wine. Great atmosphere and service! Our waitress was Amy and though it was very busy she did a great job making sure we were taken care of! read more

Looks nice but I had dealings with the owners. They gave only arguments and excuses. My family has been in business over 100 years. These people put themselves ahead of you. Mr Lorton and his wife were surly and dismissive of our needs. They offered nothing but excuses and argument. They do not put the customer first. Their facility is running down and they don't care. If your room is substandard and things don't work don't expect a remedy from them. You can expect attitude. I gave them every opportunity the help tried but the owners failed. read more

Awesome view! Fun snacks! Chilled wines! Attentive service! Highly recommended for outdoor dining, weather permitting! Certainly will be back. read more

The only thing this place has going for them Is the view. My sister recently got married and held her reception at this venue and their service was nothing less than a disaster! The people who run the hall are rude and inept. They make a lot of promises to get you in the door and then make you jump through a thousand hoops. The "Bro" that runs the place (or "what not" as my family started calling him because that is all he says) is so rude. They lock the front door so you have to go in and out through the gross, stinky kitchen before the wedding and would not even open up for the DJ or the photobooth guys to set up. All the while this "Bro" guards the side door like a 40 year old frat kid guards a keg. The "wedding coordinator" while very nice is kind of a mess. She is not very coordinated. She started to set people on the balcony while we we're finishing up pictures which allowed people to see my sister before the ceremony. They had been standing guard all day! They could not have asked the bride prior to opening up the doors? Long story short is I only had to deal with these people for one day. My mother and sister had to deal with them for a year and decided Aries was not worth the hassle or money. While the view is pretty there are a plenty of other wineries and venues on the river road with much better service. read more

If you are in a large group, think twice, or even thrice before you go there, unless you do not mind being moved around from one sitting area to another, to a third one, to a fourth one. The starters and mains are OK, dessert good and the wine not bad. However, what got my goat was how one staff member came out and asked the 19 of us to move after all had been seated on the deck with the view. They moved us indoors, and then another staff member said that they could not accommodate 30 patrons there (the last I counted, 30 is not the same as 19). There was no sun over at the deck in the back, and some seniors in the group felt really cold. Finally, we got shepherded downstairs and drops of water fell down on some of us and on the table where we were served. Perhaps they have some visceral feelings about groups: there is even a sign next to the Men's saying "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups". read more

First of all, the term "resort" is a misnomer. Last Resort would be more accurate. I wish smell could be captured in a photo. The TV was a little box with rabbit ears that never worked. The bed was a full size hotdog bun and with my husband being on the large size, neither of us slept. There was no cell phone service, no wifi, not zip lining and absolutely nothing to do. The "lodge" is only accessible using the three flights of rickety stairs. Beware there is no elevator for those who are physically challenged and carrying suitcases up is a real workout. The "hot tub" is a very old 3-4 person "jacuzzi" tub that has been painted and appears to be nothing more than an electrocution hazard. I thought there was no shower but apparently I'm a dummy. It was that nozzle you pull out of the tub and hold over your head. The toilet needed a seatbelt because of the forward pitch when you sat on it, presumably from the rotting floor. There's no closet; well, there's a small rack with some hangers next to the door but it lacks walls and a door, thus the confusion. The decor included plastic miniblinds cut around the door knob and the floors (three different versions of vinyl) were filthy. If you are prepared for camping then you should be satisfied. If you think you're getting a cozy cabin at a resort, think again. read more

Visited this weekend with a group of 16. Nate was great:0) Loved the small plates...the mushroom flatbread was my favorite. The bottle of Norton was very ....not done before it's time...was a strong grape juice. But we loved the place and scenery was beautiful. Will visit again:0) read more

I just spent 3 days here and cannot say enough good things about it. The staff is some of the best I have experienced in the service industry and I have traveled quite a bit. The rooms were very well appointed, spacious and comfortable. The zipline was so much fun and the views from it were very nice. The staff members with our group made it so much fun. Very personable and at the same time keeping safety at the top of the experience. I had a few meals at the winery and the food and service were top notch. While at the winery I also had a few glasses of the Norton and Confluence wines. Both of those were pleasant surprises to me. I wasn't sure what to expect from Southern Illinois wines but they sure did not disappoint. Wherever you are in the country, this would be worth flying in to STL and spending some time there for a perfect vacation or getaway. The experience is amazing but the views will just blow you away. I couldn't take enough pictures to share with others so they could see what I was talking about. My entire stay was exceptional! read more