Did you know that women do most of the wine shopping?  Although that fact is true in my family . . . I was still surprised to hear it.  I was told that by Joe Alter, co-owner along with Amy Lafontant of The Bottle Shop in Wilmette, and it's one of the reasons that the store came into existence.

Amy, with a background in insurance and finance, felt that the "big box" wine and liquor stores were run for and by men and that they didn't cater to her and her friends.  She was inspired to open the Bottle Shop in December 2005 with the thought that it would be a niche store.  To that end it's been a success and sets itself apart from the larger stores by offering handpicked wines, small selections, unique wineries, and by choosing wines they like as opposed to wines that have high scores by anonymous judges.

The store has a clean, open space and all wines are organized by grape as opposed to by region.  Most of the wines are priced under $30 with the average bottle being $15.  They carry wines from all over the world and . . . .  taste every wine before they buy it!  Whereas the larger stores can carry an inventory of 1500 to 3000 different bottles of wine, the Bottle Shop carries approximately 300 products.  Chances are they might not carry the brand that every grocery store carries, but they can order anything and are experts at suggesting something else that is comparable.

But there's more to just buying a bottle of wine at The Bottle Shop  in November of 2008 they received an additional license for an on-premise wine bar in Wilmette. They serve glasses of wine priced between $7 and $15 for a hefty 5 oz pour, and offer an array of small snacks such as a cheese plate, charcuterie plate, hummus and crackers, and grilled cheese.  I am thinking this is a wonderful idea for myself and my husband as empty-nesters, or for moms' night out, or book club groups.  After your snack, you can treat yourself to a gelato or coffee.

The wine bar is open evey night until 11:00 pm except Sundays when it closes at 8:00 pm.  Store hours are:  Mon-Fri 11-11, Saturday 10-11 and Sunday 12-8.  They also offer open house wine tasting samples on Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons.  For private or corporate functions, they can do your wine catering.

It all about relationships, Joe told me.  They get to know you and your wine preferences just like the saleswoman at the local clothing boutique knows your dress size.  So go in and get fitted!  And you will discover that Amy and Joe are not wine snobs - as their business cards attest:

Amy Lafontant - Director of Everything

Joe Alter - Vine Jockey

Cheers!

     Another view of the wine display

       Co-Owner Joe C. Alter - knowledgeable and friendly

       My Kind of Wine!

     Wine Bar Seating