Top 10 Wine Stores

 

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   CHICAGO IN

 

Grape Expectations 

OP EN  BEST CELLARS The expert staff at these standout Chicago wine stores, such as Lush Wine and Spirits (shown here), will help you find the perfect bottle.

When it comes to selecting wine, a litt le sage advice from the experts goes a long way. way.  

| By Anthony Todd | | Photography by Nathanael Filbert |

While craft beer might be getting all of the attention lately, lately, Chicago’s wine scene has been there all along. Whether you are a novice or an expert, the key to enjoyable oenophilia is finding finding a good wine store you trust. Here we salut  Chicago’s  Chicago’s finest—and their best bottles. 1. Binny’s Beverage Depot   With 30 Illinois Illinois locatio locations, ns, 24 walk-in walk-in wine cellars and tens of thousands of

all times. “No question is too simple and no query is too complex,” self-proclaimed head motivator Brian Rosen insists.

bottles, Binny’s has the market covered on selection. “Considering that we first started buying Bordeaux futures in the 1980s, we’ve had plenty of time to establish a world-class wine cellar program,” explains Greg Versch, Binny’s communications director.  Multiple locations, 866.975.6188, 866.975.6188, binnys.com  FALL WINE PICK  Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia 2009, $145

“We take pride that our wine team was not selling Vs at Best Buy last season.” 1704 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.772.9463;  2766 Dundee Dundee Road, Northbrook, 847.272.2200, 847.2 72.2200, evolutionwines.com  FALL WINE PICK Casa Mateo Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, $11

5. Fine Wine Brokers  Te shop feels like an antique library,  with rolling ladders, tall wooden shelves and maps of wine regions drawn high on the walls. “We pride ourselves on giving the public a little bit of education and history of our wines,” buyer and mana ger  Andrew Willis explains. 4621 N. Lincoln

carried by only one other store in I llinois, try the Romanee-Saint-Vivant Romanee-Saint-Vivant MareyMonge 2005, which retails for $2,000 a bottle. Te other store wants nearly W. Roscoe $16,000 $16,000 for a three-pack. 2232 W. St., 773.281.8888; 1412 W. Chicago Ave.,

have a personal wine consultation each time they shop. If they are preparing a menu at home and want expert pairing advice, we can do that too,” explains Perman sommelier Shebnem Ince,  who was a customer at Perman Perman while

 Ave., 773.989.81 773.989.8166, 66, fwbchicago.com  FALL WINE PICK Domaine de la Rochelierre, Cuvée Privilège, $22

 312.666.6900,  312.66 6.6900, lushwineands lushwineandspirits. pirits.com com  FALL WINE PICK Chateau Nomad Te  Alani and Te Gitan, $35 $35 each

6. In Fine Spirits  

8. Pastoral

 working as a restaurant wine director. 802 W. Washington Blvd., 312.666.4417,  permanwine.com  FALL WINE PICK Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissée 2011, $37

 With Eataly’s great selection of of largeformat bottles, make sure to take a look at its bevy of magnums and double magnums. In addition, it sells the trendy Coravin, which lets you extract a small amount of wine from a bottle without disturbing the seal of the cork. 43 E. Ohio St., 312.521.8700, eataly.com  FALL WINE PICK Borgogno Barolo, $86.80

Despite its name, In Fine Spirits is more of a wine shop than a liquor store. Owner  Jarran Conger emphasizes the sh shop’ op’ss small size: “We enjoy being the ‘little guy.’” guy.’” Why? He and his sta ff can taste every wine on their shelves, which ensures you’ll find the perfect selection. 5418 N. Clark St., 773.506.9463, 773.506.9463, infinespirits.com  FALL WINE PICK Holloran empranillo 2009, $26

“Te wine program at Pastoral focuses on small production wineries, typically run by families who are dedicated to responsible farming methods,” explains wine buyer Mark  Wrobel. Te wines are arranged by N. body instead of varietal. 2945 N. Broadway, 773.472.4781; 773.472.4781; 53 E. Lake St.,  312.658.125  312.6 58.1250, 0, pastoralartisan.com FALL WINE PICK Vincent Dancer Meursault Les C orbins Chardonnay, $59

4. Evolution Wine & Spirits

7. Lush Wine and Spirits 

2. Bread & Wine  Some diners may not realize that Bread & Wine is a wine shop as well as a restaurant, so you can quaff an amazing glass at dinner and then buy the exact bottle to take home on your way out.  3732 W. Irving Park Road, 773.866.5266, breadandwinechicago.com FALL WINE PICK Te store’s private label red, $25

3. Eataly Chicago 

Evolution aims to keep things intimate by having expert sommeliers on duty at

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Lush’s two locations specialize in exclusive wines. If you want a bottle

9. Perman Wine Selections  “Each customer has an opportunity to

10. Provenance Food and Wine  Provenance’s two neighborhood wine shops are relatively small, but that means the selection is choice. “Our small space demands that we keep a c urated selection of wines on rotation from small producers who use responsible practices,” explains owner racy Kellner. 2528 N. California  Ave., 773.384.0699; 2312 W. W. Leland Ave., 773.784.2314, provenancefoodandwine.com 773.784.2314, provenancefoodandwine.com FALL WINE PICK  Verus Vineyards Furmint, 2011, Stajerska, Slovenia, $18