Wine stores in Chicago??

I’m moving from S fla to chicago and will be in need of a good go to wine spot with good people (I currently frequent the wine watch in ft lauderdale…it is a great spot).

I will be living in the wicker park area. I prefer a spot w a knowledgeable staff, good clientele and that does tastings/events etc.

All feedback is apreciated.

Binny’s is the big retailer in Chicago…not always high on the service front (depends on who you get) but some of the better prices in town. In your hood there’s a smaller shop called red and white which focuses on a smaller selection but they have good service/tasting but always a bit pricier than anywhere else. HDH (the auction house) has a retail arm where you can pick up good deals but it’s not a shop to go to. Hope that helps…

In my view, the best wine stores in Chicago are:

  1. Knightsbridge - https://www.knightsbridgewine.com/ - they have a great selection of imports and do a lot of tastings. Great staff too. Highly recommended.

  2. Vin Chicago - http://vinchicago.com/ - they have a good/interesting selection, are very well priced and have the occasional tasting.

  3. As mentioned above, Binny’s. This is where you’ll do the bulk of your wine buying.

Oh yeah…Vin is a good shop as well. Would echo the thoughts on Knightsbridge, it’s just out in the burbs. Also, if you’re looking for wine storage in Chicago, Domaine has a facility very close to Wicker Park. James and Chris are top notch.

Red & White in Wicker/Bucktown is my favorite store in that area - by a wide margin. Prices aren’t all that competitive, but I love their selection. Great staff, and they do tastings every Thursday night and Saturday afternoon.

Perman is another great store, but it’s located in the West Loop.

You should check out Howard’s Wine Cellar on Belmont betw. Racine and Southport. Howard has been in the business for 35-40 years now, the store is small, the prices are not very competitive and he is a curmudgeon but knows exactly what he has and he has some very nice selections, but you need to engage him (many of which are hidden from general view). He usually has tasting on Saturday (get a glass and shop)

Another small store choice would be Howard’s Wine Cellar on Belmont. They have an unusual depth in Alsace and Germany, and a nice Burgundy selection (though I haven’t stopped by in a while).

I find Vin better for good, cheap wines. If you go there, ignore their store write-ups/scoring - everything seems to get an “Our Score - 91”.

Knightsbridge will also deliver to your downtown storage for a small fee, and make sure to hit up their annual Burgundy/Champagne tasting at year-end, both for the insanity and the discount pricing.

What David said…

Does anyone go to the Permin’s tastings? Just curious.

Friends from work and I have enjoyed a few of the tasting events at Plum Market - very hit or miss on quality but nice folks and a fun early evening activity and at times interesting options. They’ve replaced Binny’s for me - especially given their loyalty card discounts.

VDG / Plum is decent.

Perman’s Wine Selections is a great shop. Craig (Perman) is about as knowledgable a person as you will find. He also understands good service and that great wine and a sense of humor can easily co-exist. Highly recommended

If you’ve got some time on a Saturday to do some serious wine hunting, head up to the North Shore of Lake Michigan and hit the following: (1) Knightsbridge in Northbrook, (2) Binny’s in Highland Park, (3) Vin Chicago in Highland Park, (4) Grand Cru in Lake Forest, and (5) then be adventurous and continue North up to Milwaukee and check out Waterford Wines on Brady Street and Thief Wines in the Milwaukee Public Market. Since I’m in the North Shore of the Milwaukee area, I make this trip in reverse every few months and I can find many hard to find high quality New and Old World QPR wines in the $15-$45 range that I want at very reasonable prices. Also, get on the e-mail list for Ben Christiansen’s Waterford Wines as he has some extraordinary blowouts: for example, a few months ago he offered the NV Bereche et Fils Champagne Brut Réserve for $29/bottle.

Seconded. It’s worth storing your wine with the guys at Domaine just to hang out there with the other members. Overall, a really great group that James and Chris really help foster.

The wine retail scene in Chicago is awful. Binnys has huge stores with not much of anything that one would want to drink in it. Knightsbridge is good for burgundy vintage tastings. I suggest you figure out a way of shipping via Domaine Transit from retailers in CA and NY or get a mailing address in Wisconsin. For everyday drinking wines I suggest Vin Chicago and if you live in the Andersonville neighborhood Andersonville Wine and Spirits (small selection nicely curated, and yes store could be cooler) is good for everyday drinking wine as well as some surprises.

Chevalier Wines is a great source locally for burgundy.

Interesting…

I’ve lived in Chicago for four years and don’t feel that that way at all. The Chicago retail scene is not NY or CA but I think it’s pretty good. There are some small shops around that are bringing in some interesting things.

Andersonville W&S is way too warm for me to trust their stock

As I said previously, Andersonville W and S is only for “drink me now wines”.

Please tell me where does one find "interesting wines’ in Chicago? Is Red and White still open? You were better offer financially buying wines out of NY and shipping to Chicago.

How many times have I walked by Binnys, multiple locations when it was over 100 degrees and they were getting deliveries. Do you think I would trust anything bought there?

HDH and Flickinger all the way. Storefronts are overrated.

Is this tongue in cheek? I mean, really? “Not much of anything?” Can we move this post over the the “most pretentious” thread?

Yikes -

Again, I state, “not much of anything” considering the number of stores and the square footages. The Lincoln Park store has a good champagne selection, but I do not trust the provenance of a majority of their wines.

And yes, the wine retail scene in Chicago is awful considering the size of the market.