Chicago Wine Report: June 1, 2022

Podcast Field Trip ReportsI (Lainie) checked out several wine shops this past week and shared my experiences with Chip in our most recent podcast. Visits included:Konbini & Kampai1433 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657(312) 884-9780Chip has reported on this delightful Lakeview shop in the past. I finally got to visit and thought it fantastic. If you are a Japanese beer or sake lover, this is your place (much of their stock is in one of their many fridges). Thoughtful wine selection. Great assortment of Japanese snacks and treats. I look forward to returning!Uvae Fromagerie & Tasting Room5553 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60640773-654-1432 • I got to this place by accident: Was heading out to another tasting but CTA delays interfered. Decided to switch gears and try out Uvae’s wine and cheese shop, which is quite special. Huge list of wines by the glass (and in your choice of 3, 6, or 9 ounce pours), pre-set wine flights (four wines for $10), and fantastic cheese flights (see the photo above). Taste Food & Wine1506 W Jarvis Ave, Chicago, IL 60626(773) 761-3663Decided to take a long stroll on Memorial Day and visit this Rogers Park shop. Impressed by the selection of bottles under $20, as well as the quality of the house-made Mediterranian dip! I also love that this shop shares an outdoor patio (actually a street take-over!) with a few other area establishments. News & Upcoming EventsDoor 24’s Loire Valley wine class takes place on Thursday, June 9th at 7 pm. The cost is $30 and you must sign up online. I’ve attended one other class at Door 24 and enjoyed it very much. Great way to try different wines and meet other wine people.Perman Wine Selection has updated their Six for Everyday—$20 and Under monthly wine assortment and it looks pretty good! I appreciate that Perman takes the approach of selecting 12 “everyday” wines each month in two price categories: Under $30 and under $20. You can buy the wines separately, of course, but the staff at Perman recommends purchasing the whole set for maximum enjoyment and building your wine collection!Ongoing TastingsBelow is a list of regularly scheduled tastings at local wine bars and shops. Many are free or low-cost, but it is always a good idea to contact the shop/wine bar ahead of time to be sure.This list is hardly comprehensive, though I hope it will eventually become so. Please let me know if you’d like to recommend a spot or need to correct any information:Door 24 holds regular tastings every Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. These are free and no sign-up is required. Get on their social media pages for updates on their Friday night lineup! (Bucktown)In Fine Spirits advertises regular free wine tastings Wednesdays from 5 to 7 pm and Saturdays from 3 to 6 pm with an occasional Thursday tasting (which will be announced on their social media and in their newsletter). (Andersonville)Konbini & Kanpai holds regular wine tastings (often on Wednesdays and usually free), plus additional tastings of beer, sake, and spirits throughout the month. I strongly recommend checking out their online calendar and getting on their mailing list so that you can stay informed. (Lakeview)Red & White (mentioned above) continues to offer tastings each Saturday from 1-4 pm. The cost is $10 and their wine club members get to participate at no added cost. The Red & White Wines newsletter usually releases information about the tastings the day before. I recommend getting on the mailing list so that you’ll know what to expect. (Bucktown)Taste Food & Wine hosts $5 tastings on Tuesdays and Fridays from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. 10% off the featured tasting bottles if you take one home that evening. Snacks are available at an additional charge. (Rogers Park)Uvae Fromagerie & Tasting Room offers free hosted tastings from 6-8 pm on Tuesdays. Wine flights of four one-ounce pours are also available for $10 when the tasting room is open. As of publication, their hours are Sunday & Monday 1 pm – 8 pm and Tuesday to Saturday 12 pm – 9 pm. (Andersonville)Tune In!The Chicago Wine Report premiers every Wednesday at 3 pm (CT) on World Perspectives Radio Chicago. The archive goes up a day or two later here on Substack. You can also listen to No Chalice Required, our wine review show, on Anchor.fm or most other podcast services.World Perspectives Radio Chicago is part of the 99 Perspectives studio here in Chicago. Get full access to Chicago Wine Report at chicagowinereport.substack.com/subscribe