Aba
As creatures of habit, we tend to go for the known. Chances are you will order your favorite wine rather than try one that’s unfamiliar and from some unknown region. Here’s a thought: take a leap of faith by ordering something new and different from a lesser known region. To help you, we’ve recruited some of Chicago’s top wine enthusiasts and sommeliers to do all the heavy lifting on finding the best new places to source your wine from. We promise you’ll find a new favorite spot among the bunch.
Alex Augustine, Sommelier at Aba {302 North Green Street, 3rd Floor, Chicago; 773.645.1400}
“In the hills of Macedonia lies Naousa. Mountainous, cold, and windy, the vineyards here belie the idea of Greece being a strictly warm country. While people would have a hard time finding Naousa on a map, it was, in fact, Greece’s first legal wine designation. It has since been overshadowed by the many fresh, delicious whites of the Aegean. Made entirely from the Xinomavro grape, the wines are comparable to Piedmont’s red Barolo, but at a fraction of the price. Highly acidic and tannic, Naousa wines age beautifully and pair well with meats and winter stews.”
Eduard Seitan, Partner of One Off Hospitality; Wine Steward at avec {615 West Randolph Street, Chicago; 312.377.2002}
“Illinois is decades behind other wine-producing states like New York and Michigan, mainly due to the state’s financial problems and lack of support on the tourism front. I am confident that Illinois wine will be a thing one day, I try to do my little part in helping with that. Most Illinois wine is produced south of Carbondale in Shawnee Hills. I flew down there and brought back 18 bottles from five wineries for our Shawnee Wine Trail Dinner benefiting Misericordia. I had to strong-arm regulars to come to this event—lots of skeptics, as all the wine was from Illinois. At the end of the dinner, those skeptics became believers.”
Jillian Riley, Wine Director at NoMI Kitchen {Park Hyatt Chicago, 800 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago; 312.239.4030}
“Western Cape, South Africa, produces wines at absolutely dynamite values. The region is still defining itself, post-apartheid. They’ve come a long way in the past 20 years, and they’re already producing exceptional wines in their relative adolescence. It’s extraordinary to think what they might be doing decades down the road.”
Daniel Kroes, Sommelier at Terrace 16 {401 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago; 312.588.8600}
“A region that I have always been fascinated with, and that doesn’t receive enough attention, is Savoie. A small French region near the Swiss border, Savoie is an eclectic area where obscure grape varietals, such as the Jacquère and Mondeuse, thrive; and old friends like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir coexist.”
Cathy Mantuano, Wine Director at Terzo Piano {The Art Institute of Chicago; 159 East Monroe Street, Chicago; 312.443.8650}
“One interesting and relatively unknown wine region that I like to tell people about is Finger Lakes AVA (American Viticultural Area) in upstate New York. The area encompasses 11 glacial lakes and includes 11,000 acres of vineyards, mostly on hillsides surrounding the lakes. This region specializes in Riesling and Pinot Noir, but it’s also known for Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, sparkling wines, and ice wine.”
Katie Mikhailova, General Manager at Tanta {118 West Grand Avenue, Chicago; 312.222.9700}
“Ica Valley, Peru, is one of the most fertile regions in South America, though the region sees very little rain and, 90-percent of the time, there’s sunshine. Considered a desert, this area has produced spectacular wines. The soil is clay and limestone, so you get a lot of minerality in the white wines. The red wines tend to be earthy and robust.”
Reena Patel, Beverage and Mixology Lead at Taste 222 {222 North Canal Street, Chicago; 312.383.6620}
“You may be surprised to learn that Lebanon has a rich history of fine wines. In fact, the Phoenicians began cultivating grapes around 4000 B.C. Two thousand years later, the Romans built a classical temple in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, appropriately dedicated to Bacchus, the god of wine. Jesuits brought Cinsault, Grenache, and Carignan to the region in the mid-19th century, adding more varietals to the native Obaideh and Merwah still cultivated today.”
Tina Majethia, General Manager/Sommelier at Fisk & Co {225 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago; 312.236.9300}
“One relatively neglected wine region that definitely deserves more recognition is Sicily: The wines are more mineral driven because the grapes are grown in volcanic soil. The area produces reds that are light in body and high in acid, which makes them perfect for pairing with food.”
By David Hammond
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