Tinned fish & potato chips: Àndale Market's Mia Sakai
Chicago Wine Report | 2.12.2023
OUR LATEST SHOW
This week our guest was Mia Sakai of Àndale Market, an upscale specialty food shop in Andersonville. (Their snacks and foods are wonderful for wine pairing!) We enjoyed learning about her entrepreneurship journey, product curation process, and favorite snacks.
(Tom and I (Lainie) were particularly vocal about our fondness for Torres Potato Chips, and Àndale carries many flavors: We love them all, but fried egg and foie gras are our favorites.)
Àndale is close to many fine wine shops, including Andersonville Wine & Spirits, In Fine Spirits, and Uvae Fromagerie, making it a perfect place to stop for bites to go along with your wine. Visit them at 5232 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640. They are open seven days a week!
We also reviewed our recent visit to Le Midi in Wicker Park (my birthday lunch!). You can check out a quick stream that we did on Instagram.
Did you miss the show? Never fear, you can stream or download the show on Spreaker or your favorite podcast service.
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
The Chicago Wine Report is brought to you by our paid subscribers and our sponsors Pyne Properties and Velocity Courier:
Contact Velocity Courier at (312) 944-0754 for your business delivery needs. Yes, they do deliver wine!
(Interested in sponsoring the show? Drop us an e-mail at ChicagoWineReport@gmail.com.)
COMING UP ON THE CHICAGO WINE REPORT
(All guests and show schedules subject to change.)
February 19th: Our guests are real estate broker Daniel Pyne, who will talk about his experiences working the grape harvest in France and making the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, and Morten Sorensen, founder of ISH Spirits, a range of alcoholic spirits, wines, and canned cocktails.
February 26th: Get to know us! Chip, Tom, and I will interview each other and discuss how the Chicago Wine Report came about and how we hope to see this show evolve.
March 5th: Collin Moody of wine importer and distributor Vom Boden will be our guest.
The Chicago Wine Report broadcasts on WCGO Radio at 10:06 am (CT) every Sunday. If you are in Chicago, you can tune in at 95.9 FM or 1590 AM. Not in Chicago? Stream at WCGORadio.com or via the Tune-In app.
CHICAGO WINE NEWS & EVENTS
Binny’s in Lincoln Park has re-opened its tasting room, offering a large selection of wines by the glass (some very affordable) and beers on tap. Hours are Thursday & Friday 2-8 pm, Saturday 11-8 pm, and Sunday 12-5 pm.
February 16th & 17th: Perman Wine hosts “Sangiovese Face-off!,” comparing the wines of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. $75 per person, RSVP: orders@permanwine.com.
*February 18th: Prāzbar in West Town will hold a non-alcoholic wine tasting from 2 to 4 pm. You’ll get a five glass flight paired with snacks. Tickets are $24.99 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
February 27th: Wine Goddess Academy focuses on The Wine Regions. Five-class series. Sign up online on Eventbrite. The Cost is $395 per person, and a certificate of completion is provided. (Evanston)
*March 1st: Taste Food & Wine in Rogers Park will hold an “Old World vs. New World” wine class at 7 pm. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased by calling 773-761-3663.
*March 6th: All Together Now in Ukrainian Village hosts a “Natural Wine & Natural Dye” class, pairing a tasting of low-intervention wines and a picnic lunch with instruction on how to use plants to dye fabric. Liz Mortenson of Laila Textiles will lead the class and everyone will get to dye a silk scarf to take home. Tickets are $115 and can be purchased at the All Together Now website.
March 19th: Beautiful Rind in Logan Square hosts a “Rhone Around the World: A tasting of Global White Wines inspired by the Rhone” class from 6 to 8:30 pm. The cost is $40 per person and both in-person and virtual options are available. You can purchase your ticket via the Beautiful Rind 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 we 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 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 complimentary 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)
Ella Elli holds a monthly “20 for 20” tasting (20 wines for sampling, tickets are $20). Their kitchen is open during the tasting for snacks. Reservations are required, and space is limited. (Southport)
Galleria Liquors holds free wine tastings at both its locations on Fridays from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm and Saturdays from 3 pm to 6 pm. (Southport & Old Town)
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)
Juice@1340 holds free community tastings from 5-7 pm on Thursday nights.
Konbini & Kanpai holds regular wine tastings (often on Wednesdays and usually free) and additional beer, sake, and spirits tastings 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 Fridays. Tastings are free, and information about the tastings appears on social media. Tastings are free. (Edgewater)
Perman Wine Selections offers an informal Saturday tasting: Come to the shop, ask what is open, and Craig Perman pours you a taste. The store is open from 11 am to 7 pm. (Near North)
Picnic Wine & Provisions holds wine tastings from 5-8 pm on Thursdays. $5 charge; 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)