A Wine Tour of Italy...on the Cheap at South Loop Wine Cellar

Amy Garman, owner of South Loop Wine Cellar at 1442 S. Michigan Ave., hosted a wine-tasting event last night: "Italian Value Wines." The selection included white and red wines, all under $20 per bottle.

Customers sample "value wines of Italy."

Weekly Wine-Tasting Events
Friday night's event isn't unique. The South Loop Wine Cellar hosts wine-tasting events every Friday from 7-9 p.m. Wine-tastings are $5 per person; however, if you're a wine club member, the tastings are free. Wine-tasting events generally have a theme, often focusing on a particular region (like next month's wines from Argentina and Chile) or price point.

Live "background music" by singer-guitarist Starr Peterson

Live Music
Another feature of these wine-tastings is musical entertainment by singer-guitarist Starr Peterson. The music is pleasant, but never overpowers the evening; it's main purpose is to provide live background music (for a sample of her performance, see video below). If Ms. Peterson looks familiar, perhaps you've seen her working at the Bongo Room on the corner of Wabash and Roosevelt. She's been working at the Bongo Room since they opened almost seven years ago.

For future wine-tasting events, check the South Loop Wine Cellar's Web site.

Wine-tasting makes you smile.