Chicago is fortunate in its spectrum of wine shops. I bring this up because soon the holiday season will be upon us and one person who can be invaluable during this period is a wine merchant who knows your taste and respects the limitations of your purse. Whether a wine purchase is for yourself, a friend or a business acquaintance, buying it can only be more agreeable, and less nerve-wracking, if you have confidence in the seller.
Therefore, instead of recommending specific wines this week, let me introduce you to three new or relatively new boutique-sized shops where personal rapport between customer and merchant is a normal part of doing business.
Visiting them will not be a bland experience because the people who operate these shops are driven by a passion for wine. Their stocks are small and hand-picked and the proprietors are forthright about why some famous names are not to be found on their shelves. It is likely that prices will be high for wines that are scarce due to limited production or limited distribution. It is likely, too, that these shops cannot match the prices at large shops with broad selections. But a wine that is perfectly matched to your taste has a value all its own. You may find it at the following merchants.
The Wine Crier Ltd., 2070 N. Clybourn Ave., 773-404-8684.
Airy and decorated with attractive light wood, this 1,400-square-foot shop in a Clybourn mini-mall is inviting and not at all intimidating. Owner Kathleen Foley, a Minnesota native, developed a taste for fine wine while working as an executive producer for a film company. She opened the shop in July with sales manager Norman Kaehn, a wine industry veteran who had worked as a restaurant wine buyer in northern California.
Foley is seeking to combine the personalized, educational approach to selling she admired in London wine shops with computer-age tracking of stocks and customer preferences. The 335-wine selection represents a broad spectrum of interest including Bordeaux, Burgundy, Spanish reds and California cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. Wines are priced from $7.99.
Three recommendations: Mount Eden Vineyards 1998 Santa Maria Valley chardonnay ($16.99), Byington Alliage 1997 Sonoma County red ($19.99), Finca Villacreces 1997 Ribera Del Duero Spanish red ($32.99).
Open noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Web site: www.thewinecrier.com.
The Artisan Cellar, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, main floor, 312-527-5810.
Once the success of Fine Wine Brokers, a European-style wine shop that opened in 1994 on North Lincoln Avenue, was assured, partners Philip Bernstein and Gerhard Rohr began to examine other opportunities. Bernstein, whose background is marketing, began working with caterers and corporations to upgrade and personalize their selections. As these connections grew, it made sense to seek a showcase outlet closer to these customers, and in June 1999 The Artisan Cellar opened in the Merchandise Mart.
Bernstein is based at the 750-square-foot shop along with Gregg Wilson and about 500 wines from small producers “off the beaten path,” many of which make “meaty reds” in regions such as Sardinia, the south of France and southern Italy.
“We only sell wines we are very enthusiastic about,” Bernstein explains. “It’s an eclectic selection.”
It appears charmingly eccentric too, crowded together in the small display space on racks that are covered with white cards explaining the selections. The fastidious might want to visit the firm’s new Web site, www.reservewinecellars.com, which offers about 150 “highly allocated” American and European wines.
Three recommendations: Mayo Family Winery 1997 Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon ($31.95), Jean-Luc Colombo 1998 La Chance de Saint-Luc Roussillon red ($17.95), Banear non-vintage prosecco Veneto ($12.95).
Open 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday. The e-mail address is artisancellars@earthlink.net.
Howard’s Wine Cellar, 1244 W. Belmont Ave., 773-248-3766.
Howard Silverman was born into the wine and spirits business and worked in both wholesale and retail operations, most notably at Sam’s between 1978 and 1995, where he specialized in French wines. He opened Howard’s Wine Cellar in 1997 in a 1,000-square-foot storefront on Belmont Avenue.
The hand-built shop is cluttered but comfortable. The highly knowledgeable owner is more mellow than he once was but still strongly opinionated.
The selection he offers, about 900 wines, is strong in French bottlings from Burgundy and the Rhone Valley, plus hand-picked small-producer wines from Bordeaux. Silverman also is bullish on Italian reds and has been building his selection from Australia.
Three recommendations: Chave 1998 Hermitage red Rhone Valley ($100), Wild Duck Creek 1999 shiraz Australia ($43), Muga 1996 Rioja reserva ($16).
Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; by appointment Sunday and Monday.
