You gotta have friends
ROGERS PARK | Lifelong pals make their wine shop dream come true
Looking out his window one day, Eric Aubriot envisioned a continental wine store down an unlikely stretch of Greenview Avenue in Rogers Park.
Now three years later, just off the intersection of Jarvis and Greenview avenues, there's a homey spot, Taste Food and Wine, which is owned and operated by Aubriot and three couples, all of whom are lifelong friends and wine lovers.
(Rich Hein/Sun-Times)
If you're not familiar with the area, it's tempting to think a wine store in East Rogers Park sounds like an oxymoron. It's just the opposite.
Several components make this an ideal fit. With the increase in wine consumption over the last 10 years in the United States, the timing couldn't be better.
Rogers Park, a community where people speak 40 different languages, has been experiencing considerable development, particularly in the surrounding neighborhoods with condo conversion the past decade. And this stretch has become a foodie's paradise. On the corner is Charmers Cafe. Taste Food and Wine is nestled next to Poitin Stil Pub and Gruppo Di Amici Restaurant.
"People have put a lot of money into the immediate area," said Steve McMillian, one of the partners.
Since they opened in November, they've exceeded expectations. Only a Rex Grossman interception from the Jarvis Street L stop, the bustling food and transportation crossroad provides consumers with a vibrant nightlife. In the evening there's a steady flow of pedestrians, which has increased during the warmer weather.
"The L is a big plus for us," said Aubriot, whose store is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Tuesday; Sunday it closes at 6 p.m. "You can get off the train and get a bottle of wine for dinner and some bread and cheese. We don't do much until 3:30. We wanted a place that was like a European food store."
They have an ample selection of quality wines from Italy, Brazil, United States, France, Spain, Argentina, Australia, Portugal and others countries. Prices ranging from $7-$35 dollars.
For the beer lover, there are products from Canada, England, Ireland and Belgium's award-winning Delirium Tremens.
With fine cuts of flat iron steaks, chicken, Italian sausage and smoked salmon it's an ideal stop for a meal or more. There's delicious homemade soup and panini sandwiches.
Dealing with smaller companies, the owners can hand pick the wines they want. Aubriot, a two-time James Beard nominee, and his partners have extensive wine backgrounds. They are able to give the buyer a guiding hand and unlimited time.
"We have a number of people with a European connection, they either lived in Europe or are married to someone from there and they know what they want," said Aubriot, who was trained as a chef in France and had previously been a restaurant owner, among them his namesake Aubriot. "We have a guy who comes in and buys three to our bottles of California Cabernet every week. There are others who are new and that's where we can be helpful.
"Fifteen years ago, you didn't have people who had wine with dinner," Aubriot said. "Now it's becoming more common. The last five to 10 years, wine consumption has more than doubled."
Monday and Friday evening wine tastings have been a huge hit, with Fridays bringing as many as 50 people. The events are run by wine representatives and sommeliers, a number of whom live in the neighborhood, who keep the drinker fortified with information.
Another of the nice options available is the wine of the month club that mails out two select bottles and catering for small parties of weddings.
"Wine is a 5,000-year-old industry and an exciting business," McMillian said. "We want people to learn as much as they can and become aficionados. We have a lot of regulars we know by name and have a personal relationship along with many new ones coming in all the time."
Always ready to enlighten the public with samples, Taste Food and Wine will celebrate Bastille Day July 14. Patrons can partake in French beer, Champagne and live music all afternoon. In August there will be a Taste of Spain, with Spanish wines and products from Solex Partners.
Seth Schwartz is a local free-lance writer.