Wine
Twenty four hundred bottles across every region, with a rotating staff pick shelf and shelf talkers we write ourselves.
On Halsted since 1979
Tell us the meal. We will find the bottle.
Twenty four hundred wines, a deep craft spirits wall and cold beer in the back. Ask any of us for something good under twenty dollars and you will get a real answer.
47 yrson Halsted Street
2,400wines in stock
52tastings a year
$0corkage on gift bottles
In the shop
Wine, spirits, beer and everything for the party
Prices range widely, and the staff pick shelf always has something good under twenty dollars.
Craft and allocated spirits
Deep bourbon, agave and amaro shelves, plus a fair lottery for allocated releases instead of back room deals.
Cold beer and cider
Forty feet of cold case with Chicago breweries, imports and a build your own six pack wall.
Weekly tastings
Friday evening pours with importers and distillers, free for most wine nights and ticketed for spirits flights.
Party and event ordering
Case pricing, delivery within three miles, and unopened bottles taken back after your event.
Gift baskets and engraving
Built to your budget with bottle, glassware and snacks, plus in store bottle engraving with two days notice.
About the shop
Two generations behind the same counter
Ray Halstead opened the store in 1979 and his daughter Jo runs it now with a staff of seven, four of whom have been here more than a decade. We taste everything we put on the shelf and we write our own shelf talkers, which is why they say things like too tannic for chicken instead of ninety two points. We would rather sell you a fourteen dollar bottle you come back for.
•Every bottle on the staff pick shelf has been tasted by someone who works here
•Allocated releases distributed by public lottery, never held for insiders
•Unopened bottles from party orders returnable for two weeks
Reviews
From the neighborhood
“I asked for something to go with braised short ribs and forty dollars. What they handed me is now my house red.”
Marcus O., Lakeview
“They ran an actual lottery for the fall bourbon release. First shop I have seen do that fairly.”
Jenna P., Roscoe Village
“Ordered eleven cases for our wedding, they delivered on time and took back four unopened without a fuss.”
Tomas R., Event order
FAQ
Shopping and events
How much wine do I need for a party?
Plan on about half a bottle per guest for a dinner and closer to a full bottle each for a longer reception. We will overshoot slightly on purpose, since you can return anything unopened within two weeks of a party order.
How does the allocated bourbon lottery work?
When a limited release lands we post a sign up in store and online, draw names at random, and text the winners. One bottle per person, no purchase required to enter, and the winner list is posted. Nothing is held behind the counter.
Do you deliver?
Yes, within three miles for orders over $75, usually same day if you order before 6pm. Someone twenty one or older with ID has to be there to receive it, no exceptions and no leaving it at the door.
Can you order something you do not stock?
Usually. If it is available through an Illinois distributor we can typically have it in three to five business days, and there is no upcharge for a special order. Rare allocated items are a different story and we will tell you honestly.
Contact
Come ask us something
Tell us the meal, the occasion or the budget. That is genuinely the most useful thing you can say at the counter.
Phone(384) 555-0184
Address3218 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60657, Chicago, Illinois
HoursMon to Thu 11am to 10pm, Fri and Sat 11am to 11pm, Sun noon to 8pm
AreaLakeview, Boystown, Lincoln Park, Roscoe Village