La Salle County-made wine christens USS Hyman G. Rickover submarine, served at commission ceremony

The commissioning ceremony for the USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 795) submarine was held Saturday in Groton, Connecticut, and wine made in La Salle County was served at the celebration.

The submarine was named after Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, who grew up in Chicago’s Lawndale neighborhood. Rickover is known as the “Father of the Nuclear Navy.”

A local sparkling wine made by Illinois Sparkling Co., will be served at a key celebration during commissioning weekend. This traditional method sparkling wine, named Blend 795 after the ship’s number, was created specifically for the christening of the submarine, which occurred in July 2021. This wine was served Oct. 13 at the unveiling of the Admiral Hyman Rickover exhibit at the Submarine Force Museum.

“We were honored and excited when the USS Hyman G Rickover commissioning committee asked us to be a part of these memorable celebrations,” said Mark Wenzel in a news release.

Wenzel is the winemaker, and he and his wife Teri, are owners of Illinois Sparkling Co.

Blend 795 is made from 100% Illinois-grown grapes and is a traditional method sparkling wine with notes of lemon, marmite, brioche and hazelnut. For each bottle sold, $5 is donated to the USS Hyman G Rickover commissioning committee, which organized the commissioning weekend ceremonies and continues to provide support for submarine crew members in times of need.

While ISC Blend 795 is only available online or at the August Hill Winery Tasting Room in Utica, you can find other Illinois Sparkling Co. and August Hill Winery wines throughout the state.

For more information on Illinois Sparkling Co., visit iscbubbly.com. For more information on the USS Hyman G Rickover submarine and to see the commissioning ceremony, visit https://ussrickover.org/.