From new wines, to local events to overall tips, this is your place to get inside the mind of Chicago's Wine Guy.
On Thursday, October 7, yours truly will be hosting an Italian wine tasting in Daley Plaza. We'll travel through Italy's rich history of wine along with many of their great indigenous varietals. The tasting will be free to all participants and will begin at 1pm. Hope to see you there!
Summer's end brings more opportunity to enjoy the rest of 2010 and all that Chicagoland has to offer. Great weather, food and drink is what's on the menu for the next three weekends so get your fall outfits and taste buds ready!
Windy City Wine Festival (Sept. 10 & 11). Over 300 different wines will be onhand to sample along with food, beer and music. You will also love the new location- 500 S. Columbus at Buckingham Fountain! Tickets available for $25 online or $35 at the door.
Naperville Wine Festival (Sept. 17 & 18). If you live out in the burbs or just want to
Also available this month is Dine Around, where special prix-fixe menus will be available at some of Chicago's best restaurants like NoMI, Mercat a la Planxa, Piccolo Sogno and many more. This gives you a chance to check out some Chicago restaurants you've been dying to try on a budget. You can also earn yourself a free ticket to Chicago Gourmet by enjoying five different meals at participating Dine Around restaurants. I can't think of a better way to get the most out of Chicago culinary!
The concept behind Frietkoten sprouts from owner Jeroen Hasenbos and his life experience of Amsterdam Fry Shacks. Family recipe includes hand cutting the fries, blanching and double frying them. There are 20 different sauces available in both Mayo form like Truffle, Wasabi, Green Chile and Garlic, along with Ketchup form like Roasted Red Chile. He also features over 20 Belgian and American "Belgian Style" beers (3 organic) both on tap and in bottle like Dupont's Avril Biere de Table, Urthel Saisonniere, De Koninck Pale Ale, Bosteel Tripel Karmeliet and Brasserie Lefebvre Blanche de Bruxelles.
Not much goes better with these crisp, full flavored fries and sauces than beer- try them out next time you stop The Chicago French Market (131 N. Clinton)!
Our wine dinner featured some new and exciting menu items including Roasted
Here's a bit of footage I took of one of their private dining rooms along with an interview from Chef/Partner Jerl Griffin:
There's lots of great things happening at Fleming's this month and next including a $39.95 three course prix fixe menu, a Caymus interactive dinner, wine Tuesdays with 25% off Fleming's 100 bottles & free corkage, and "Opening Nights" every Thursday in September where they'll bring you into the Fleming's 100 by opening 20 bottles for you to taste for $25- and you'll also receive a $25 dining credit if you stay for dinner! A lot of value at a steakhouse.
There are three church masses, a huge parade procession,
There's also some good drinks like homemade lemonade, which you can get spiked with vodka, Heineken Light and Amstel Light, and some wine choices- my wife had a Sterling Chardonnay Vintner's Collection. And for the first time there was some wine sampling by Midland Wine & Grape from Arlington Heights. They had samples of some homemade wines and they sell wine barrels, grapes and grape juice to make wine. Grapes like Barbera, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Sirah and Zinfandel along with white grape juice is available from select California vineyards in Lodi, Alexander Valley and the Sierra Foothills. I tasted a Zin and really liked it- I'm gonna look into getting some juice from these guys!
It's always a great time at this event even if you're not Croatian. Located in a great neighborhood, lots of families, good food and drink. Make plans for next August 15- you won't regret it!
The Gamay Noir varietal is a cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais, which was introduced to French soil by the Romans, who started wine production in the region, later to be carried out by the Benedictine Monks. Gamay was grown all throughout Burgundy and was a huge asset around the time of the Black Plague, as it was easy to cultivate and ripened earlier, giving more and faster fruit to many starving people. However, due to it's extremely thin skin and harsh acidity, it was not seen as being noble like Pinot Noir, and was eventually pushed out of most of Burgundy to the south, where it flourished on granite soil.
The name "Beaujolais" hails from the 9th century and a village called Bogenis, a Celt word meaning "fine white bull". That named was later Latinized, first to Bellibocus, and later to Beaujeu, before it finally became Beaujolais. In the 19th century, it grew in fame with the expansion of the railroad, and became known for making lower priced wines which required less aging.
Wine production in the area is very unique, as grape clusters are picked by hand and put through carbonic maceration. The clusters are placed in stainless steel tanks, the bottom third grapes are crushed by the weight of the grapes on top of them, releasing juices which are fermented by native yeasts on their skins. This releases CO2, which pushes O2 out the top, creating an anaerobic environment. This triggers fermentation inside the other grapes at an intracellular level. The grapes are all later crushed, but this process changes the wine's profile: malic acid is significantly decreased, pH is increased, glycerol levels increase ten-fold which brings up the potential alcohol, tropical flavors like banana become highly detectable. This produces wines are ready to drink, low in tannins and very fruity.
90% of the wine produced is made by 30 different négociants like Louis Jadot, Bouchard Pére et Fils and Georges DuBoeuf. The rest is made up of 20 different co-operative producers and estate bottlers, though both are very hard to find.
The wines are known to be "the only white wine that happens to be red" and is the perfect picnic wine. They are also easily pairable with dishes many would only drink whites with like appetizers, fish and poultry. Make sure to try these amazing wines and the value that they bring!
Beaujolais wines come from southern Burgundy, just north of Lyon. They're made from the Gamay varietal which is known for it's thin skin, low tannins, high acidity and loads of fruit flavor. Be sure to watch for my upcoming post about the different growing regions and production.
We started with the '09 DuBoeuf Beajolais-Villages ($10), made from grapes grown in the northern half of Beajolais. The higher tannins in this wine is the highlight of the vintage and was quite surprising- it makes an interesting combination of not just being extremely drinkable, but also great with food. It's total harmony of ripe acidity, full fruit, fresh herbs and the 2009 vintage tannins. Here's a bit more about the vintage from winemaker Emeric Gaucher:
Emeric and I also talked about what some of his favorite wines are and he really loves Syrah/Shiraz, especially from Côte-Rôtie and Barossa. He gets chances to visit many vineyards throughout the world and is really looking forward to an Australian trip.
Each wine exhibited the unique character of their growing region's soil through their aroma and flavor profile. The Beaujolais-Villages had the most jammy fruit, while each Cru wine was typical but with the added strength and tannin of the vintage. We also tried a couple of special wines from DuBoeuf: the Fleurie Domaine des Quatre Vents ($16), which was an extremely pretty wine full of cherry and violet, and the Moulin-a-Vent Domaine de la Tour du Bief ($18), which was strong with black fruits, spice and licorice.
I not only recommend purchasing Beaujolais-Villages and Cru wines for their tremendous value and versatility, but also the 2009 vintage for it's amazing quality, tannin and power. Make sure to take advantage of the value these wines bring and let me know how you liked them!
This past Tuesday evening I was fortunate enough to be invited to Blackbird Restaurant for a very interesting dinner featuring Partida Tequila and Folio wines from Michael Mondavi. Now alot of people may be saying "Tequila with dinner?!", but the flavor profile of this beverage matches well with many foods and sauces, not just with salt, lime and margaritas. If anything, this would prove to be an interesting experience.
We got our chance to taste some good wine as soon as we walked in the door when I was handed a glass of 2009 Isabel Mondavi "Deep Rose" of Cabernet Sauvignon ($15). The label is inspired by the wife of Michael Mondavi and the wine is her concept created by her son Rob. The color is nothing short of amazing- translucent purple/red. It is fruity, dry and delicious with watermelon and strawberry, balance and length. A great way to kick off the night before starting dinner.
Blackbird's Chef Paul Kahan makes great food and also pairs his dishes very well with beverages. We
It was then onto the main event with roasted lamb loin, charred polenta, sea beans and caramel paired
Dessert was on the way and we were in for a treat as the Elegante was being poured. This extra aged select tequila had alot going on and did match well with the honey parfait with passion fruit, rum and carmelized white chocolate. A good way to sip through the rest of the experience.
To sum up, I think smooth, premium tequilas do match well with food, but I would pair blancos with light fresh seafood and spicy vegetables, while aged tequilas match well with desserts at the end of a meal, though I still like shooting them with salt and lime (for fun)! Wine still wins in this battle but they each have there place, and I encourage everyone to find where you like them- let us know!
This past Tuesday I was introduced to the newest sparkling wine producer to hit the Chicago market- Valdo Spumanti. Their wines were set to be paired with the cuisine at Tony Mantuano's Terzo Piano in the Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago. This would be an all out effort to not only prove the versatility of Prosecco but also the versatility it can bring.
A little bit about Prosecco- it's famous for being crisp, light and fruity, along with being a great value sparkling wine. It's made from the Glera varietal (formerly known as the Prosecco varietal) in northeast Italy, mostly from the hills surrounding Treviso. Valdo has been making wine for over 80 years, was purchased by the Bolla family in the 1940s and has dedicated itself to making high quality sparkling wine from hand picked grapes along with single vineyard bottlings, which is rare for Prosecco. The wines were brought to us by Dr. Pierluigi Bolla, proprietor of Valdo, and were to be paired with three courses prepared by Chef Meg Colleran. On to the tasting!
We were initially greeted with Valdo Prosecco Brut DOC ($12) and it proved to be just as flavorful as it was aromatic. Sweet golden apple, white peach, meyer lemon and lilies were coming out of the glass- it'll be hard to keep this wine off my patio this summer!
The next course would be a big challenge- a rich dish of roasted Miller's skin-on
Chicken Leg w/ Cous Cous chicken leg with fennel seed, cous cous and Nichols Farm snap peas. We were poured Valdo Cuvée del Fondatore Prosecco Brut DOCG ($20), another single vineyard Prosecco aged 12 months sur lie, 6 months in the bottle and blended with 10% six month barrel aged Chardonnay to add richness. The wine was extremely complex and lengthy with tropical fruit, toasted nuts, baking spice and dry, crisp acidity making it drinkable with many rich fish, poultry or meat dishes.
These Prosecco wines were very impressive all the way around- point taken!
Special thanks to Dr. Pierluigi Bolla, Chef Meg Calleran, Lindsey Johnson of Lush Light Productions for the invite and Marene Babula of Pasternak Wine Imports for being an awesome host.
They have a great line of wines which pair well with food, friends and good times: a Tempranillo, a Garnacha, a Verdejo and a Rosé (a blend of Garnacha, Monastrell and Shiraz). Glass pours will be available at a discounted price and paired with each venue's tapas Come out to enjoy the food & wine, prizes will be given out, and say hi to the Windy City Wine Guy.
Make sure to come out this coming Wednesday evening to celebrate Bastille Day at Pavillon Christofle with yours truly, the Windy City Wine Guy! Below is your invite:
See you there!
Before our WBC or Bust group was to set off east from Seattle to Walla Walla, we had a chance to break in the bus on a short trip to Woodinville, a former suburb of Seattle. There are over 50 wineries in Woodinville and we were on our way to its most famous, Chateau Ste. Michelle, which has been around since the repeal of prohibition, when it was known as Pommerelle Wine Company. Now it is nothing short of ginormous, with a large number of lines: Columbia Valley wines which bring out regional and varietal character, Indian Wells brings out new world nuances, Single Vineyard, Ethos Reserve with old world style, Artist series Meritage blend, Domaine Ste. Michelle sparkling wines, Eroica Riesling collaboration with German winemaker Ernst Loosen, Limited Release wines for club members and Col Solare, a red wine collaboration with Tuscan winemaker Marchese Piero Antinori.
We embarked on a tour of the winery led by Lynda Eller (Director of Communications) and winemaker Wendy Stuckey. We went through the winery's long history and partnerships, and saw their large fermentation tanks and multiple storage barrels. Later, we were treated to a wine tasting and food pairing conducted by John Sarich, winery Culinary Director. We tasted four different Rieslings: 2007 & 2008 Eroica ($24), 2009 Columbia Valley Riesling ($9) and 2009 Cold Creek Vineyard Riesling ($15), Spiced Dishes & Rieslingpaired with three spicy samples: Indian Spiced Prawns & Tomato Chutney, Sesame Seared Halibut with Orange-Basil Thai Curry, and Currywurst. I always love comparing different vineyards and vintages against eachother, as this is the best way to catch subtle and interesting differences. Also, Rieslings pair very well with both exotic and inflamingDuck & Red Wine spice because of the grape's high acidity, citrus fruit profile and varying degree of sweetness. We were then offered up Roasted Duck with Cherry Merlot Sauce, Sweet Potato Cake and Manchego Cheese paired with three reds: 2007 Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot ($22), 2006 Cold Creek Vineyard Merlot ($28) and 2006 Artist Series Meritage ($50), a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Merlot and Meritage wines are a great pairing for rich duck dishes while Manchego, a rich sheep milk cheese, blends greatly with Merlot's silky tannins. We finished off with 2005 Ethos Late Harvest Riesling ($35) with a lemon cookie and berries. This fantastic dessert wine meshed well with the citrusy, butter cookie flavor.
Northwest Totem WinesAfterward, we met a slew of Woodinville winemakers at Willows Lodge: Northwest Totem Cellars, BetzBetz Family Family Winery, DeLille Cellars, DiStefano Winery, William Church Winery, Hollywood Hill Vineyards, Brian Carter Cellars, Novelty Hill/Januik Winery, Sparkman Cellars, Cuillin Hills Winery, Baer Winery, Des Voigne Cellars and Barrage Cellars. There I met Bob Betz and his daughter Carmen, and tasted the best wine of the entire trip, 2008 Betz Family La Côte Patriarche Syrah ($55) from Red Willow Vineyard in Yakima. An inky, black/dark purple color, with deeply spicey, floral, smokey aromas and deep dark fruit, black pepper and a touch of dried, cured meat on what seemed to be an endless palate. This wine was so complex and lasting that I couldn't stop thinking about it! I tasted so many good wines that it's hard to mention them all, but Hollywood Hill Vineyard Malbec, DeLille Cellars Grand Ciel and Northwest Totem Cellars Cabernet Franc were a few standouts.
The Barking FrogIt was a small walk to the other side of the lodge to The Barking Frog, where we were in for a killer lunch prepared by Chef Bobby Moore paired with more DeLille Cellars wines. It kicked off with Grand Marnier Prawns and led to Seared Sea Scallops. We finished with Dark Chocolate Coffee Ganache. I would have been happy to call it a day after that perfect lunch on their outdoor patio, but we were in for more tastings and fun back in Seattle. More on that in the next post!
My first night I checked into the Roosevelt Hotel, an older building with nice sized rooms and central downtown
Satay at Wild Ginger location making it easy for me to walk to my targeted restaurants and bars. I walked to Wild Ginger, an Asian Restaurant with a reputation for making great satay. If a restaurant being busy is a good sign, this place would be great- there was quite a crowd for a Tuesday evening. When I'm in town alone, I like to dine at the bar because there's always someone to interact with. The bartender's name was Nathan and he clearly had a grip on the action. He knew his drinks and the menu very well. I started with two satay- a Thai Chicken and a Young Mountain Lamb, and a Hitachino Nest White Ale (an awesome Japanese whitbier). Both satay were extremely tasty, accompanied by sticky rice, pickled ginger cucumbers and their own sauce. The wine list is exceptional with great selections by bottle or glass (which is dispensed by the Enomatic system), and a separate cellar list with over 2000 selections they've collected over a 20 year span.
On Wednesday I checked out and met up with the WBC or Bust group at the site of my new hotel room, the Renaissance, before we departed for Woodinville, which I will touch on in my next post. When we returned that afternoon, it was time for a beer tasting hosted by Charles Finkel himself at Pike Pub & Brewery. We tasted a lineup of their beers like the Pale, IPA, Kilt Lifter, Naughty Nellie and XXXXX Stout before we moved onto a tour. I wish we had time for the menu, 
In my visit to Seattle I had a small piece of what makes the city so great and I still have so much more to see. If you get a chance to visit then make sure to take advantage of it and try to visit the places I mentioned. If you live there then be proud and let us know what I missed, which places are your favorites and why- share the wealth!
Coming up- Woodinville & Chateau Ste. Michelle, Yakima and Walla Walla.
I just returned from Seattle and the Wine Bloggers Conference in a hellacious flury of planes, trains & automobiles. I'm also trying to recover from seven days of traveling, tweeting, taking photos & film, trading business cards, seminars, eating, some BSing, networking and wine tasting. Now it's time to enjoy my family and home, and get some rest!
But before I do that, here are a few thoughts on some codes I live by and what I experienced:
Beautiful countryside and great land for growing. Not only is the countryside blessed with great views, mountains, hills and just plain nature, but also with growing land. The ability to grow so much great fruit: apples, raspberries, cherries (the biggest I've ever seen!), apricots, pears and of course grapes along with wheat and hops means this is extremely fertile land. Since they can make great fruit, they can also make great wine.
You haven't seen it until you've been there. I've heard many stories about Washington state and Walla Walla, but almost everything I heard was forgotten after my experience. I've heard it compared to a "prehistoric" Napa, desolate land, full of nothing but farmers, shack wineries, etc. But the town opened itself up to us with professional B & Bs, polite and knowledgeable winemakers, quaint yet classy tasting rooms, very good food and wine.
Passion writing, rapid messages and video. This is the best way to keep fans interested, attract new readers and leave people wanting more. If you're passionate about anything you do, odds are you will reach your goals and have fun doing it, while infecting others with it along the way. People want to be captivated online, but only for a few minutes. The online viewer has these moments to check out your site, get some entertainment and off to the next. Reach them in this time and you'll be an accomplished online presence. There is tremendous passion in the blogging community.
Stay true to yourself and your readers. People will love you for your honesty and transparency. Don't hide behind an agenda. Even if you write for work, make sure you pick your employer carefully and you believe in their product. If you have advertising on your site or promote a product, believe in that as well. If you accept free samples, make sure to be truthful in your opinion of whatever you review- it may have been free, but that shouldn't buy you off. Your readers are counting on you. There is great integrity in the blogging community.
Wine sure is fun. There may be this snobbish tag placed on wine by a number of people, but it's just a fun beverage. Life is a celebration and wine is a member of the band. With so many inexpensive bottles, it's easy to experience. It goes great with food and they have a symbiotic relationship- they can make eachother taste better. Winemakers are out there to make a product for us to enjoy, restaurants and chefs make us enjoy it more, sommeliers and wine writers make you understand it better. Read a little, taste more and drink alot!
Stay tuned for more info and videos about the conference, Washington and wines from the Windy City Wine Guy on the Road.
The name comes from Tenzing Norgay, a Nepali-Indian Sherpa mountaineer who guided Edmund Hillary to the top of Mount Everest. This will be a another kind of journey, of wine and spirits tastings and knowledge.
Tenzing will focus on bringing their portfolio to the Chicagoland market, while educating consumers through their blog, along with classes and tastings in their storefront on 165 N. Morgan Street. This is a smart idea, bringing the consumer in direct relation with the distributor and their products. In Illinois with regards to alcohol, we have a three tier system where you'll have the manufacturer or importer selling their product to a local distributor, who in turn re-sells the product to restaurants, bars and wine/liquor stores. More consumer demand for your distributed product will inevitably lead to wider availability and demand in both restaurants and wine shops.
Some items in the Tenzing portfolio include Block Nine Pinot Noir, Ayala Champagne and Domaine Select Wine Estates. We'll look forward to more products as they're added and the tastings and classes which follow!
It's been 49 years but Lord Stanley's Cup has finally made it back to Chicago. The Blackhawks fought their way through a tough road to end up beating the Philadelphia Flyers in six games to take the NHL's greatest prize. Loyal Chicago hockey fans have endured years of failure and disappointment: trading away Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge, Fred Stanfield, Jeremy Roenick, Eddie Belfour and Chris Chelios, Stanley Cup losses in '62, '65, '71, '73 and '92, failed draft picks, early playoff exits ('91- ouch!) and one of the worst ownership/management duos of "Dollar" Bill Wirtz and Bob Pulford. I have to admit that I gave up on the 'Hawks after the Chelios trade and even refused to watch hockey. But a fresh front office, young talent and a winning attitude has changed the losing culture and brought all the closet Blackhawk fans out to celebrate!
Since the Cup came to Chicago, it's been touring all over the city. It was on parade, at Harry Caray's, the United Center, Wrigley Field, Stanley's Kitchen and Tap, Market and the Viagra Triangle among many other restaurants and bars. Still waiting to hear of South Side appearances, as there are many die hard 'Hawks fans down there, but I'm sure it'll make an appearance or two. Suggested places: US Cellular Field, Cork & Kerry, Schaller's Pump and Harrison's Brew Pub.
It's been filled with beer and wine and even babies have found their way in the Cup! Here's a couple of suggestions for drinking out of the Cup: Goose Island Green Line Pale Ale, Raimondi Valpolicella (Italian wine made by a Berwyn born doctor), Wild Blossom Hibiscus Mead (made in Beverly), Half Acre Gossamer Golden Ale (brewed in Chicago) or Lynfred Winery Merlot (made in Roselle).
Where would you like to see the Cup or drink out of it? Write a comment and let us know!
I'll be flying from the Windy City to Seattle next Tuesday, staying downtown and trying out Wild Ginger Asian Restaurant. On Wednesday morning I'll be meeting up with the WBC or Bust crew and we'll be heading out to Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville for a tour and food/wine pairing. Then it's on to the Woodinville Grand Tasting at Willows Lodge and lunch at the Barking Frog. Afterward it's back to Seattle for a palate refresher at Pike's Brewery, before we get ready to finish off the day with Seattle Winemakers Dinner at Waterfront Seafood Grill.
On Thursday we'll move east over the Cascade Mountains to a brunch/wine tasting at Cave B Inn. Next we cruise into Yakima Valley for lunch at the renowned DuBrul Vineyard followed by a Yakima Grand Tasting at Prosser Vintner's Village. We'll finish the day in Walla Walla, checking in our B&B and enjoying wood oven pizza and wine at Walla Walla Vintners.
We'll be up and ready that Friday for the beginning of the 2010 Wine Blogger's Conference, a new media/wine industry conference. It'll be a weekend of wineries, tweeting, vineyards, blogging, dinners, live streaming, tastings and pairings. I'll be ready to come back home on Sunday evening, but make sure to follow my tweets (@WCWineGuy) and this site for all the updates- it should be an awesome week of wine and travel!
I am starting the 2010 World Cup of Wine where we pit twelve of the best wine producing World Cup nations against eachother. We will put history, tradition, regions and wineries on the block and let you decide who is the best. Feel free to pick your favorites by voting through Comments, Email, Twitter (@WCWineGuy) or Facebook.
I've divided the twelve nations into four Groups and we'll pick our favorite out of each and go from there:
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
So now you have all the facts. Let's get to voting!
I was looking forward to some family, sun and fun on this Memorial Day weekend, and today we took a drive to the Arboretum of South Barrington. It’s pretty much an outdoor shopping mall surrounded by gardens and trees with almost everything you need to see or do available. There are shops, restaurants, festivals, a cinema, clock tower, brick sidewalks and a bowling alley/bocce ball court. There’s also ample parking- but just remember where you last saw your car!
Tenderloin Sliders. The bruschetta was amazing- ripe cherry tomatoes, ciliegine mozzarella, toasted crostini brushed with sweet balsalmic and arugula salad. Everything worked so well together and it was very tasty. The sliders were delicious and I couldn’t figure out which was softer: the bread or the beef! The steak was so tender and was topped with sweet peppers and cippolini onions. They were surrounded by a lick-the-plate bordelaise sauce and topped with crispy shoestring potatoes drizzled with truffle oil. Our server, Amanda, was not only very informative and helpful on our first visit, but also very attentive- she heard us talking about the Meatball Sliders and brought us a sample to try! They were excellent as well. I don’t know how anyone could order an entrée after all that, so it was time for dessert. Pinstripes offers free cheesecake to anyone who checks in on Foursquare, so we took advantage of it. My wife said it was one of the best cheesecakes she ever tried- it was brûléed and moist with a crunchy crust and served with strawberry sauce and fresh strawberries. We decided to bypass the bowling/bocce until next time and walk the Arboretum.
It was great to stroll in the open fresh air and pick which shops we wanted to stop in. We checked out Yankee Candle, LOFT, Sur La Table, Anna Shea Chocolates and Panera for coffee. We also stopped by 
A great weekend which included all the essential elements: family, food, fun, sun, beer and wine. Throw in a prayer for all my fellow veterans, current service member and those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and that makes a perfect Memorial Day. Let me know how you spent your weekend and make sure to try the Arboretum!
At the end of November, I decided to pursue my love of wine writing and consulting full time. What an amazing six months I’ve had.Michael Bottigliero, a Chicago sommelier here to fit your wine needs including corporate events, training, in home wine tastings, bachelorette parties, beverage menu creation and wine cellar management.
