Wine Shop With Taps Asks You To Come In And Drink

By Kyle Thacker in Food on Jun 28, 2012 8:20PM

Liquor stores generally come in two varieties: the supersized alcohol utopias like Binny’s, or the small corner store type, with bright yellow awnings as beacons for cheap booze. The recently opened Joe’s Wine Cellar breaks those conventions. It's a wine store (also selling craft beers and select liquors) that wants to create a more interactive experience, one that expects you to hang around for a while.

Located right next to Folklore on Division, in the home of what was once a drop-off laundry, Joe’s is in the heart of Wicker Park. And as we spied a handful of stroller-burdened mothers wheeling into Joe’s while there, it seems they’ve won over an important wine-drinking demographic of Wicker.

Joe’s provides a service that most liquor stores and wine depots don’t - a chance to drink and relax in the store, or even try a wine before you buy it. With a state of the art wine dispenser, you can sample a range of whites, reds, and roses. The “tastes” will run you around a $1.40, but you can also have half glasses or full glasses of your favorite varietal. The full glasses run between $5-8, which still beats most restaurants for value.

A small seating section is available for groups for wine tastings and parties, and soon the store will be will be selling cheeses, pate, and baguettes.

The store has upwards of 350 different wines, and half of those are under $30. And though there’s no three-buck chuck, there were a few wines under $10, so if you’re balling on a budget, you can still find out what you’re looking for.

Stop in for an impromptu wine tasting.

Joe's is located at 2108 W. Division St. Open Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. and are closed Mondays.