Favorite wine shop and top three wine regions

Just curious...what's everyone's favorite wine shop and top three wine regions?

For me, the shop is Howard's Wine Cellar on Belmont near Racine.
Regions: Alsace, Austria, and maybe..hmm...maybe a three-way tossup between Rhone, Rioja, and Piedmont

Fine Wine Brokers 4621 N. Lincoln Chicago

The Bottle Shop 1138 Central Avenue Wilmette

Vicnic Wine Company 1509 Chicago Avenue Evanston

Bordeaux, Côtes du Rhône, Loire valley

Since that great old Italian wine store on Rush and Delaware whose name I am forgetting (northeast corner) closed many years ago, I haven't had a favorite wine store. I go where I need to find what I want.

As to favorite regions, Austria seems kinda big to call a region, but what the heck. My three would be Bordeaux, Alsace, and the third varies depending upon my mood, I guess.

Gypsy Boy wrote:Since that great old Italian wine store on Rush and Delaware whose name I am forgetting (northeast corner) closed many years ago, I haven't had a favorite wine store.

You aren't talking about Chalet, are you? That's on the northwest corner and still there. I haven't been in a long time, but remember it being a pretty good (albeit not cheap) store.

brianzee wrote:Just curious...what's everyone's favorite wine shop and top three wine regions?

For me, the shop is Howard's Wine Cellar on Belmont near Racine.
Regions: Alsace, Austria, and maybe..hmm...maybe a three-way tossup between Rhone, Rioja, and Piedmont

We could be long lost twins! Definitely Piedmont for red and Austria and Alsace for white. I might have to sub the Loire for Alsace since I can get some reds there, too.

I think that the wine store that Gypsy boy is referring to is BRAGNO. But if this is the case it was located at the corner of Walton and Rush

Thanks Alain.

My favorite wine shop is Perman's. I've written about Craig Perman a few times. Here and here. He is incredibly knowledgeable and will track down anything that he doesn't have in his shop. His prices are excellent. Finally, he hosts a lot of interesting tastings and other events.

Binny's has great prices and large selection.

I've been meaning to get to Howard's and Wine Discount Center since I hear great things about each.

Favorite wine regions: Languedoc, anything from Spain, Mendoza.

alain40 wrote:I think that the wine store that Gypsy boy is referring to is BRAGNO. But if this is the case it was located at the corner of Walton and Rush

Alain is indeed correct. (I am in awe of your memory!) Somehow the question mark that I inserted in the original post to indicate that I was unsure of the exact intersection got deleted when I finally posted what I wrote. I used to live on LaSalle Street, walking distance from there, but haven't for many, many years. The area has changed so much that I wasn't sure of the original location. But Alain nailed it. I do have very fond memories of that store....

Bragno was indeed a well-stocked wine shop where the staff was always eager to help.
Too bad that section of town, after the above-mentioned Chalet closed for good 3 or 4 years ago, does not have any decent wine store anymore.

Rick T.,

Right on! When times were good I had wine parties where people were required to bring wine from a certain region, so I'd have Austria day and cook Wiener Schnitzel and serve bread from the Austrian bakery with pumpkinseed oil. We'd open some Prager, F. X. Pichler, and if memory serves me correctly a Franz Hirtzberger Honivogl, which is possibly the best Gruener Veltliner I've had in my life. (Unfortunately it seems that the $10-25 Grueners are losing their white pepper/lemon characteristics due to increased demand.) For Alsace, I love Trimbach, Hugel, Weinbach, Barnes Buecher, Ehrhart (for value), Marcel Deiss (If I can find it), and Rene Mure. Zind-Humbrecht is not bad, though many of their wines tend to be a bit sweeter, as is Jean-Marie Bernhart but I find them overall well made.

I'd like to get more into the Loire--I enjoy (but haven't really dived deep into it) Muscadet, Savennières, Sancerre, as well as some of their Cab Franc reds. In general, I think French do Sauvignon Blanc much better than New Zealand, California, and South Africa. I find many sauv. blancs from the New World almost like drinking a wheatgrass shot from Jamba Juice, though there are some good ones out there. I find Loire wines (and since we're talking sauv. blanc, white Bordeaux) having nice acidity, more nuanced flavors, and of course good terroir expressions.

A couple things I forgot to mention: despite the lack of a good wine shop in the Gold Coast (RIP Chalet), at least House of Glunz on Wells/Division is, depending on where you live, a 5-15 minute walk. Good selection, and the people who work there are very knowledgeable.

Second, good point about Austria being too big to be called a region--I should have narrowed it down and say Wachau (especially their Smaragds), though I have gotten decent wine from Kamptal, Kremstal, and Burgenland, but for me the most memorable wines, so far at least, have been from Wachau.

Darren, I love Perman. I've been in his shop a few times, scoring three bottles of the elusive 1987 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco from Rioja (which is the most recent vintage released--he knows the family there), as well as some also hard to find German August Ziegler Pinot Noir. He introduced me to Vin Jaune, from the Jura region of France. He's got some good stuff, and is an engaging guy to talk to.

Alain, thanks for the North Shore recommendations. I've been meaning to get up there. Love Fine Wine Brokers--good selection.

My favorite wine shop is Premier Cru in Berkeley. You can find them at http://www.premiercru.net . They've been selling grower champagne at crazy prices lately. My only word of caution is that if you buy an item that is pre-arrival, be prepared to wait.

Locally, most of the better choices have been listed. While I haven't visited the store I have purchased a few things from Knightsbridge on Sunset Ridge in Northbrook ( http://www.wineaccess.com/store/knights ... index.html ). They have an interesting inventory. I've also found a few decent bottles at Lush on Chicago Avenue, but was not particularly impressed with their pricing ( http://www.lushwineandspirits.com/ ).

I think it's interesting that Bragno was called an Italian wine store above. I've never seen so much Romanee Conti and so many first growth Bordeaux wines in an Italian wine store.

I don't mind a decent glass of Burgundy from time to time. I've also upped my Champagne consumption as of late. It really goes with just about everything.

I enjoy the selection at Binny's.

I'm no oenophile, but I often find myself drinking lots of Italian reds (Piedmont and Sicily, even though the regions couldn't be more different). Can't go wrong with Alsace or Austria for whites, but my hat is perpetually tipped to the under-appreciated, and very hard to find (in the U.S.) white wines of Hungary. Nothing I've drank out of Germania beats a proper Tokaji Furmint (and I don't mean the sweet, aszu variety) in my book. I really like obscure regions. I once had a beguiling Algerian red that continues to haunt me.

Cheers!

My local is Que Syrah on Southport just south of Grace--well-edited selection, good pricing, fun tastings. Their wine wall of value bottles is terrific.

Regions: Austria, Champagne, Piedmont, Veneto, Rhone. I know that's 5--whatever. It's wine--who can limit themselves!!

My favorite wine shop is The Discount Wine Center on Elston between North and Cortland/Armitage. They taste every selection they offer and rate them; I find the ratings to be spot on and you can find a number of 90+ rated wines for under $20.

For a totally different choice, the Dominic's on Canal at Roosevelt has a very good wine selection. I met the wine buyer once and I don't think he realized some of the gems he has, including a number of Penfold's Grand Hermitage he had stashed in the back. The store also has a lot of 2007 Napa Valley Cabs, one of the best vintages of the last decade. In a pinch, not a bad place to go although how they store the wines could be an issue.

Favorite wine regions:
1. Barossa Valley, Southeast Australia. I lived in Adelaide as an executive chef and spent a lot of time visiting the vinyards and producers of Australia's most noted wine region. The valley is famous for its big bold shiraz' and other varietals not normally found in the US. Plus the wine producers, especially the mom and pop guys, are gracious and charming and funny in that Aussie way. Unfortunately, the very best wines do not make to the States; they tend to get gobbled up by the locals.

2. Burgundy
3. Piedmonte

As to wine stores, some of the Binny's have the best selection and prices, but there is something to be said about the personalized service one receives in a smaller shop. That is why I like Taste in Rogers Park. It has a very small inventory, but each wine is carefully chosen and the staff knows every wine in the store. On occassion, though, I have been very impressed with the knowledge and helpfulness of some Binny's employees. There is a guy at the 'warehouse' binny's in Niles that looks like he unloads trucks and stocks shelves for a living, but it turns out he has a hugely expansive knowledge of wines and viniculture. He has been extremely helpful in aiding me in selecting wines, and has never tried to upsell me, rather pointing out some surprisingly good bargains. Another small store with a surprisingly eclectic selection is the Rogers Park Fine Wines and Liquors.

Answering part two of the question, is not so easy. While France has grape varietals unique to each region, places like Russian River, CA produce multiple varieties some of which are to my liking and some of which are not. My favorite varietal, on the other hand, is Petite Sirah. The best examples of PS are produced in California (I have never tried an Australian Durif), and the best example I ever had was from Paso Robles which is in the Salinas River Valley (part of what is called the Central Coast). Come to think of it, I have had several excellent wines from this area including a very good Viogner, which is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum from a Petite. I guess that illustrates my point about how only in Europe, specific varietals are associated with particular regions. I do also like some of the Spanish wines from the Ribera del Duero region and Cote du Rhones from France. Lately, I have tried some interesting wines from Romania and Hungary, which use some ancient grape varieties not found elsewhere in the world.

Upon reconsideration, I'm gonna amend my answer upthread. Bordeaux, Alsace (which were on the list last time), and Jerez--on the theory that Pedro Ximenez sherry qualifies as wine. (I copped out before and said that the third varied according to my mood. Although that may sometimes be true, I love PX too much to omit it.)

Arguably the best wine shop in the mid west (at least) is Martha’s Vineyard! It’s in Grand Rapids, MI and has access / connections to some VERY hard to find wines. If you should make it up this way ask for Peter Eixel and see if you can have a tour of the upstairs! You will not be disappointed. They are also a gourmet food shop.

Nantucket bakery, next store turns out some very good bread and pizza. I’m sure there are other references here for that.

I’m currently in Santa Barbara so I have had opportunity to try some very nice central coast wines that are not typically available elsewhere. Outside of the U.S. it’s Rhone and Burgundy.

Martha’s Vineyard
200 Union Ave. NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503



Nantucket Bakery

Same as above

I finally got down to Kenwood Liquors last weekend. While not a huge store, prices were amazing. Picked up a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Brut for under $25 (about $38 for the same thing at Binny's), and a 30-case of LaCrosse Lager (admittedly, a lawnmower beer, but among the better ones) for $9.99 ($14.39 at Evanston 1st). It's way out of the way, but I'll be back.

Fav wine regions ... Temecula, Bordeaux, and Champagne (I'll be visiting Champagne next week ... )

Kenwood Liquors
10750 S. Cicero Ave.
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
Phone: 708-424-3580

I've had excellent experiences with Berkeley Wine Company, especially when you catch some of their deep discounts. Locally, I like the folks at Lush, I think they're fun, and they're good for some more obscure stuff like Movia, but their pricing is not the best. For good discounts, I like Wine Discount. And for old world wines, House of Glunz is a reliable source.

My favorite wine regions are Champagne, Alsace, and well, too many other great ones to list.

deesher wrote:My favorite wine shop is Premier Cru in Berkeley. You can find them at http://www.premiercru.net . They've been selling grower champagne at crazy prices lately. My only word of caution is that if you buy an item that is pre-arrival, be prepared to wait.

And wait and wait and wait....

I've had stuff take 3 years to be delivered. But, I was not planning on drinking that wine for 10 years so not a big deal...
Just trying to put a # on how long you can wait for wines from PC.

Mel,

I waited 2 1/2 years for some 2002 Girardin Echezeaux and it eventually showed up. I waited a few years for two cases of 2005 D. Laurent Fixin that never showed up. PC told me that they were not going to fill my order and offered me 125% of what I paid in credit for a replacement. They still owe me some 2006 Bordeaux that you would think would have arrived but I'm not too worried. When I was worried I would check with them from time to time about the estimated date of arrival for my wine. It didn't do any good but made me feel (a little) better.

I'm never in a hurry to receive what I've purchased from them. I feel pretty good about only having problems with one pre arrival order. Lots of people do not like PC. Count me a fan. I find that they ultimately deliver wine in good condition at unbeatable prices. Cheers, Doug.

deesher wrote:Mel,

I waited 2 1/2 years for some 2002 Girardin Echezeaux and it eventually showed up. I waited a few years for two cases of 2005 D. Laurent Fixin that never showed up. PC told me that they were not going to fill my order and offered me 125% of what I paid in credit for a replacement. They still owe me some 2006 Bordeaux that you would think would have arrived but I'm not too worried. When I was worried I would check with them from time to time about the estimated date of arrival for my wine. It didn't do any good but made me feel (a little) better.

I'm never in a hurry to receive what I've purchased from them. I feel pretty good about only having problems with one pre arrival order. Lots of people do not like PC. Count me a fan. I find that they ultimately deliver wine in good condition at unbeatable prices. Cheers, Doug.

But, of course you are no longer ordering from them since IL passed the law outlawing the purchase of wine from out of state shops.....
I know I sure have!

d4v3 wrote:... Another small store with a surprisingly eclectic selection is the Rogers Park Fine Wines and Liquors.
...

I wanted to bump this to comment that Rogers Park Fine Wines and Liquors has recently expanded. They have doubled in size and continue to have an eclectic selection of wines and an excellent selection of craft beers.

Rogers Park Fine Wine and Spirits
6733 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60626
773-761-1906

After reading The GP's comment I went Yesterday to Rogers Park Fine Wines on N. Clark to find out if they have wines that I would like to buy since I live in West Rodgers Park.
They certainly have some interesting Californian wines, but I was quite disappointed by their extremely limited selection of French wines. Only a dozen. And most shelves on the North side of the store are empty.
But it looks like a store with a potential.

alain40 wrote:After reading The GP's comment I went Yesterday to Rogers Park Fine Wines on N. Clark to find out if they have wines that I would like to buy since I live in West Rodgers Park.
They certainly have some interesting Californian wines, but I was quite disappointed by their extremely limited selection of French wines. Only a dozen. And most shelves on the North side of the store are empty.
But it looks like a store with a potential.

alain-

I think they are still stocking the new space. I do think the owner is open to suggestions so let them know what you'd like to see!

I love a small but fabulous store downtown, right between Harold's Chicken Shack and Buddy Guy's. Despite the location and the name (Warehouse Liquors - not the chain) the gem here is the owner, Gene. Get there between 7 am and 2 pm to talk to him personally. The selections laid out are a great mix of moderate wines with great variety, some well-known and some of his own finds. But the real find here is the hidden collection and Gen. He loves nothing better than getting to know your palate (not overselling) and then offering you new finds that might offer you interesting stretches or less expensive alternatives. He's like working with your own importer, but without the markup. His spirits collection (especially scotch, bourbon, but everything) is also particularly deep; never fail to ask for other items not on the shelves. A fun, quirky place.

Fine Wine Brokers in Lincoln Square will close its doors at the end of the month after losing the lease on the space it has occupied for the more than 20 years.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... -wine-shop

Dave148 wrote:

Fine Wine Brokers in Lincoln Square will close its doors at the end of the month after losing the lease on the space it has occupied for the more than 20 years.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... -wine-shop

Very sad to hear this. While I don't live as close as I once did I do remember how knowledgeable and friendly the folks there were every time I stopped in. Give an event or a food type and a price range and every time they delivered winners.

Kman wrote:

Dave148 wrote:

Fine Wine Brokers in Lincoln Square will close its doors at the end of the month after losing the lease on the space it has occupied for the more than 20 years.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... -wine-shop

Very sad to hear this. While I don't live as close as I once did I do remember how knowledgeable and friendly the folks there were every time I stopped in. Give an event or a food type and a price range and every time they delivered winners.

Agreed - a terrific place and my go-to wine store for the last 10 years. I guess I should have sensed something was up because on the last couple of visits (in the last month) inventory was surprisingly lacking. Great folks -- I pray they relocate in the area.