Our Story

The Peachbarn Winery & Café is located in the heart of the Shawnee National Forest in Alto Pass, IL. It was originally a peach orchard farm dating back to the 1800s. In 1946, this very barn was constructed to better accommodate peach harvesting and livestock. Around 1995 Anders and Gerd Hedman landed in Alto Pass from Sweden with the intent of staying in the USA for one year. They were enamored with the area and began to serve delicious peach dishes out of the barn. Soon they opened the Peachbarn Café. They served gourmet Swedish food, cooking themselves. They then went on to plant grape vines and keep a smaller peach orchard. In the early 2000’s they started Hedman’s Vineyards in addition to the Peachbarn Café. All of their business was conducted in the barn’s basement with the kitchen made from a previous horse stall, which still exists today. In the mid-2000’s they renovated the main floor of the barn to expand the wine-tasting space. For 20+ years they ran an exceptional and award-winning restaurant and winery.

In December 2019, Scott and Jennifer Schroeder bought the business, and the Hedman’s relocated back to Sweden to be with their family. Scott comes from a career in construction management and firefighting while Jennifer has been an anesthesia provider by trade. Scott has become an award-winning winemaker and the restaurant is now an array of fresh and locally sourced dishes. Serving Americana-style foods that are house-made as much as possible, the restaurant continues its tradition of quality service and cuisine. All wine is hand-crafted from grapes and peaches grown onsite.

We are proud to continue the tradition of this working farm and are happy you are here to enjoy the fruits of our labor, enjoy!

Despite the age of this unique barn, built in 1945, original owners, Gerd & Anders Hedman realized that there is a special charm and classic structure that should be cherished.  Being handy with a hammer, Anders sought to restore and preserve this historic barn.  Doing much of the work themselves, Anders and Gerd opened the doors of Hedman Vineyards to the public in 2005.

The winery and café are housed within the renovated barn that was originally built in the 1940s. Back in those days the property and the barn were used to harvest peaches from the region.  Staying true to local roots, the café was referred to as The Peach Barn Café. This historic barn is just one of many reasons we fell in love with the property during our many visits to the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.

During your visit to the Peach Barn Winery please notice the unique Scandinavian touches throughout the building from the hand of the original owners.  From traditional kurbits painted on overhead beams to the enticing aromas of homemade dishes from our kitchen to the nostalgic antiques, we are proud to display this vintage charmer right here in beautiful southern Illinois while building and creating our own legacy as the years pass.