We made our broadcast radio debut on Sunday. Our station is WCGO in Evanston, and our first show, while a bit bare bones (I didn’t want too many moving parts for our first episode), went great!
Many thanks to our guest, Shad Martin of Augusta Food & Wine in Lincoln Square. Our conversation was a bit of this and that, and we learned a lot from him!
Our guest this Sunday is Liz Ahern from Picnic Wine & Provisions in Rogers Park. Tom and I visited Picnic back in September and had a truly wonderful time. You can read/hear about our experience here.
Reminder: We welcome your wine-related questions! Call our voicemail line to leave your question for possible inclusion in our show: 224-210-1620.
Planning to Tune In? Here’s How!
Yes, our podcast is actually a radio show! Real, old-time radio. Of course, you can always stream our podcast, but we are so excited to also be on the radio dial. Need help tuning in? We can help!
Are you in the Chicago area?
Technically, the show starts at 10:06 am Central time, but if you are tuning in via our Facebook Page or YouTube channel (the YT channel may be a bit tricky as it is new, so you might be better off on Facebook for now), we start streaming at 10:00 am. This will likely just be a video stream of us prepping for the show, but do say “Hello!” in the comments!
If you plan to tune in to WCGO Radio the old-fashioned way, you can do so at 1590 AM, which covers much of the Chicago metropolitan area, including parts of Indiana and Wisconsin. 95.9 FM offers reception in the North Shore and far Northside neighborhoods of Chicago.
Outside the Chicago area?
You can also stream the show from anywhere via the WCGO Radio website or the Tune-In app.
Video Streaming
Prefer video to audio? Never fear! We have a live video feed in the studio that streams to Facebook & YouTube.
Getting the podcast
The show will continue to be available as a podcast: Subscribe here on Substack or via Apple Podcasts. The podcast version will be available within a few days of its original airing.
Every Saturday (or possibly Sunday morning) you’ll get a newsletter with information about Sunday’s show, including links to the businesses and products that we mention. The podcast newsletter will also go out later in the week. Both newsletters are free (though we appreciate your paid subscriptions!).
Disclosure: Some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links. We may receive a small percentage of any sales made through these links.
The Chicago Wine Report is a reader-and-listener-supported publication, radio show, and podcast. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
FIELD TRIP
We’ll be talking more about our visit to Joe’s Imports on Sunday’s show and will soon have members of their team on as guests. Meanwhile, however, I wanted to share some photos of the fantastic food and wine that we got to enjoy while visiting:
813 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL
(312) 736-1750
HOURS
Tuesday - Thursday: 5pm-10pm
Friday: 3pm-11pm
Happy Hour; Tuesday-Friday: 3pm-5pm
Saturday Brunch: 10am-3pm
Saturday Dinner: 4pm-11pm
Sunday Brunch: 10am-3pm
Sunday Dinner: 4pm-9pm
CHICAGO WINE EVENTS
November 10th: Lincoln Square-Ravenswood Wine Stroll. Purchase tickets online for $40-$45.
November 12th: The Wine Goddess in Evanston is holding its Thanksgiving Mega-Tasting from 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm. Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased online.
November 16th: WineStyles in Norwood Park hosts a Back in the USA wine class from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online.
November 16th: Le Midi in Wicker Park hosts Wines to Pair for Thanksgiving from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. RSVP and prepayment of $65 are required. Email seth@lemidiwine.com to reserve. Tickets are limited and there is a strict 48-hour cancellation policy.
November 19th: Beautiful Rind in Logan Square hosts a producer pairing tasting with Vom Boden. Cheese and wine pairings will be available for sampling from 3:00-5:00 pm. The tasting is free and does not require a reservation. You can, however, reserve a larger sampling of cheese and paired wine at additional cost via the Beautiful Rind’s website.
REGULAR WINE TASTINGS IN THE CHICAGO AREA
Below is a list of regularly scheduled tastings at Chicago area 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:
57th Street Wines holds tastings on Thursdays from 5-7 pm and Saturdays from 3-5 pm. Tastings are usually themed and occasionally the schedule switches up a bit, so be sure to check out their website and call ahead to avoid disappointment. (Hyde Park)
Augusta Food & Wine offers free tastings on Thursdays between 6-8 pm. No sign-up is required. (Lincoln Square)
BottlesUp! First Friday tastings take place the first Friday of every month and include free wine tastings plus new, in-store art. (Lakeview)
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 5-7 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)
Independent Spirits is holding wine tastings from 5-7 pm on Thursdays. Tastings are free and information about the tastings appears on social media. Tastings are free and there is no charge. (Edgewater)
Picnic Wine & Provisions holds wine tastings from 5-8 pm on Thursdays. $5, reservations are appreciated but not required. (Rogers Park)
Red & White Wines continues to offer tastings each Saturday from 2-5 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)
Table, Donkey and Stick holds its “Terrior Tuesdays” every, you guessed it, Tuesday, selling a wine or wines by a featured producer by the glass at wholesale cost. Events sometimes include wine producers as special guests. (Logan Square)
Uvae Fromagerie & Tasting Room offers free hosted tastings from 6-8 pm on Tuesdays. Cork Dork Thursdays and Somm Pick Saturdays offer more extensive wine knowledge. Sign up and pay for your tickets online.
Uvae Fromagerie also offers pre-set wine flights of four one-ounce pours for $10 whenever the tasting room is open. (Andersonville)
Vin Chicago: Tastings on Saturdays from 12-4 at all three stores (Chicago, Barrington, and Highland Park). Free. No RSVP is necessary. Check out Vin’s Instagram for more details.
The Wine Goddess: $5 tastings every Saturday from 3-5 pm. Tastings feature four different wines. (Evanston)
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