Anna Lee Iijima

Anna Lee C. Iijima is a Japanese and American journalist and wine critic based in New York City. In addition to the Chicago Tribune, she writes about wine, sake, food and culture for publications like Decanter, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, the Philadelphia Inquirer, RESY, Full Pour, the New Wine Review and others.

Co-owners Charlette Stanton-Thomas, left, and Jacare Thomas are seen at their restaurant Park Manor 75 on Feb. 10, 2026, in Chicago. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)

Black wine visionaries in Chicago are reimagining wine culture

February 17, 2026 at 10:50 a.m.

Chicago is uniquely primed for the blossoming of a distinctly Black wine culture — one that’s creating new spaces, reframing how wine is discussed and sold, and redefining who belongs...

Joe Sayekh drinks sake during a food and sake event at Akahoshi Ramen in the Logan Square neighborhood, Dec. 11, 2025. Ticketed guests were given three dishes paired with three temperatures of Kanbara Bride of the Fox Japanese sake. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

The Chicago Sake Crawl: A neighborhood guide to the city’s most compelling pours

January 21, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

River North and the West Loop have multiple locations fit for a sake crawl, while singular outposts in Logan Square, Lakeview, Wrigleyville or Lincoln Park function as sake destinations in...

Head sommelier Dylan Estey pours wine for Brittney Vidosh and Erik Retzer at Hawksmoor in Chicago on Dec. 9, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Rediscovering the lost luxury of sweet wines: The coziest holiday ritual you haven’t embraced — yet

December 15, 2025 at 10:48 a.m.

Especially amid the rush of holiday gatherings, sweet wines are an everyday luxury worth rediscovering. They offer the kind of modern ritual many of us crave.

The Brotte La Marasque Gigondas. (Maison Brotte)

Thanksgiving wines made simple: 3 Chicago pros, 9 picks, 1 easy guide

November 18, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

To help demystify the holiday wine hunt, we asked three Chicago wine professionals to find wines from a favorite local retailer that deliver pleasure and versatility at approachable prices.

Owner Adrian Weisell at the counter of Anfora Wine Merchants in Oak Park, Oct. 15, 2025. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Oak Park uncorked: The Chicago suburb’s best wine destinations

October 27, 2025 at 12:12 p.m.

A dry town until the 1970s, Oak Park hardly seems the place for serious wine drinking. Yet today, this Chicago suburb hides a handful of thoughtful outposts for oenophiles, both...

Ricardo Rivas prepares a Summer in Seoul martini at Perilla Steakhouse on Sept. 24, 2025, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Modern Korean cuisine’s unexpected drinks revolution

September 29, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Whether through wine, cocktails, or the emerging array of artisanal sool, modern Korean restaurants have become the vanguard of some of the most daring drink programs in America.

Ting Ting Shi, center, the sommelier at Miru, talks to diners on the restaurant's terrace on July 23, 2025. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

Is Gen Z destroying wine culture?

July 29, 2025 at 1:24 p.m.

Is Gen Z truly to blame for wine’s decline? Or are they simply the most visible face of a broader cultural shift?

The Central Coast blend 40 Days from Union Sacré Wines is poured at Union Pizzeria in Evanston, June 19, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Evanston uncorked: From restaurants to retail stores, the best wine destinations

June 23, 2025 at 9:35 a.m.

A core of tightly-knit, independent businesses has shaped a uniquely thriving wine and food culture in Evanston.

Adam Caldwell, second from left, and Patrick Rauber, third from left, chat with friends while sampling wine at Uovo Wine storage facility in Chicago on May 1, 2025, in preparation for their upcoming Silvaner Summit event. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Quiet influence, loud wines: Inside RieslingKenner’s mission to bring German wine to Chicago

May 14, 2025 at 1:54 p.m.

Two Chicago-based wine obsessives — neither from the wine or hospitality industry — are on a mission to make America fall for German wine.

Co-owner Zack Eastman retrieves a bottle of wine from a shelf in the storefront at Easy Does It on April 18, 2025, in Chicago. Under-the-radar corners of California feature prominently at Easy Does It, but Eastman is quick to point to other underappreciated American wine regions like the Finger Lakes in New York, Michigan and the Columbia Valley in eastern Washington and Oregon too. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Navigating price and quality in the complicated landscape of the American wine market

April 23, 2025 at 10:19 a.m.

As tariffs threaten to send import prices soaring, domestic wines might be poised to be a value alternative for many American consumers.

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