Chicago and the surrounding suburbs are home to a fabulous–and numerous–collection of places to buy wine.
The five-county area sports more than 2,700 retail outlets; Chicago alone boasts almost 1,200, according to Karen Faltin, industry education manager for the Illinois Liquor Control Commission. They range from the mom-and-pops to the giant Samn’s and Binny’s, so you would think that local consumers would be well covered. In the last few months, though, a half-dozen new spots have or are opening. To a degree, it is the result of the powerful economy.
“As the city gentrifies, more and more people with disposable income try to become part of the (trade),” said Howard Silverman, who opened Howard’s Wine Cellar on West Belmont Avenue just over 2 years ago. “They either back people who want to open shops or open them themselves.”
Several of the owners also say they are trying to set their enterprises apart from larger, warehouse-like operations.
– The largest and most traditional of the new shops is Chestnut Wine & Liquors (1808 Waukegan Rd., Glenview; 847-729-8691). Formerly an Armanetti’s and before that a longtime part of the Austin Liquors chain, it just re-opened under the new name and ownership. Bill Hristakos, president, and Paris Koulogeorgas, vice president, are the principals. Hristakos comes from the restaurant and retail business having worked in the latter end at the Evanston’s First shop for 14 years.
This 5,000-square-foot, six-person operation offers about 800 wines (350 from California) as well as a sizable collection of spirits and beers. Cigars, pates, cheeses, caviar and other gourmet edibles also are available. Echoing the owners’ heritage is a wide selection of Greek wines that are not seen everywhere. And if you are looking for birth-year beverages, Chestnut carries a brand of Bas Armagnac by Christiane and Michel Lamothe with vintages from 1978 back to 1955 ($50 to $200 per bottle).
Chestnut offers tastings every Saturday. Selected prices include Mouton-Cadet at $10, Mumm’s Cordon Rouge non-vintage Champagne at $29, Lorentz Alsatian Pinot Blanc at $9.70 and 1993 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Gold at $35.
– Clearly the most ambitious of the new shops is Randolph Wine Cellars and the adjoining tasting room (1415 W. Randolph St.; 312-942-1212). Brenda and Perry Fotopoulos spent years searching for, developing and building this complex on the western fringe of Chicago’s “restaurant row” along Randolph.
Formerly with Main Street Liquors in La Grange, the couple broke away and began to refine their concepts of a complete environment for wine-lovers. On the ground level, side by side but with separate entrances, are the retail area and a wine bar called The Tasting Room; another very large space lies above for seminars and other gatherings.
The retail part, about 2,000 square feet, carries about 500 wines “with 1,000 being the goal in the next 6 months” according to Perry Fotopoulos. They also carry a small selection of beers and high-profile spirits. “We want to offer an alternative to warehouse stores without sacrificing prices.”
A basement below stores their wines at the proper temperature (often a problem for many retailers who have to store their stock at above-ground, higher-than-ideal temperatures). Prices include Hess Select Chardonnay at $10, Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio at $16, 1996 Chateau Lagrange (a St. Julien Bordeaux) at $45 and Fess Parker Syrah at $18.
The 4,000-square-foot Tasting Room has 16 stools at the bar, 45 to 50 seats (and 60 more upstairs where the ambience is homey and welcoming) and a by-the-glass list of 100 wines (200 by the bottle). There will be regular tastings and seminars.
– Bin 36 (339 N. Clark St., 312-755-9463) is more a full-service restaurant than a traditional wine store, but the small (500 square feet) retail area is designed to address the frustrations that partner and wine director Brian Duncan faced earlier in his career. “People would come to the restaurants where I worked, have a wine and then ask where they could buy it. I see this as a service to that consumer, a convenience.”
The selection is small (51 wines) but broad, and Duncan expects it to change seasonally. Helpful written descriptions cover each wine. Prices include 1997 Mercurey Chateau De Chamirey at $28, 1998 Sauvignon Blanc from Chancellor (New Zealand) at $27 and 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon from Tattachilla (Australia) at $15. Tasting flights are available at the restaurant.
– Viva le Vine is a new wine shop in Libertyville (118-A N. Milwaukee Ave.; 847-247-0004). Craig and Leslie Olesen and daughter Marcella and three other folks run this beautiful spot at the junction with Illinois Highway 60. If you have ever toured the wine country of California and stopped in at a tasting room, this place will seem familiar. Bright, immaculate and decorated not only with great cabinetry but also with scores of wine maps and posters, it reflects the country air around it.
Olesen, a cardiovascular physiologist “retiring into wine,” was a wine collector before opening the shop, and he knows his way around the wine roads of Europe and California. His selection of 550 wines (with a few spirits but no beers) echoes his own tastes for the classics but also represents some little-seen brands of Italian wines (Giovanni Sardo, Gianni Gagliardi), Champagnes (Rodez, Cattier) and others.
The store also sells accessories and some food items. Every month begins a different coverage of a country or region (March was Italy, April is Oregon) together with pertinent sales, seminars and tastings. The Olesens also offer classes as well as wine dinners at neighboring restaurants. Prices include the 1996 St. Supery Cabernet Sauvignon at $23, Louis Latour Montagny Grande Roche at $19, 1997 Crozes-Hermitage from the Cave de Tain at $11 and a great dry zinfandel rose from Pedroncelli at $8.
– I wasn’t able to visit Old Willow Wine Shop, at 1500 Paddock Drive, Glenview (847-724-7800), which opened late last year in an industrial park 5 minutes from Chestnut Wine & Liquors. Wine buyer Dean Weiner says the 4,500-square-foot store stocks 400 to 500 wines on a regular basis, in addition to a few allocated, older and specialty wines. Surprisingly, Weiner says the store sells “a lot of German rieslings and California sauvignon blancs. You can taste wines there every Saturday.
– Opening in a month or so will be The Wine Shoppe (1587 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-862-2226). This tiny shop (300 square feet) managed by Anne Markovich-Girard will focus on “high-quality, great value items.”
