Wine Tastings and Class Schedule
All of our tastings are casual, walk-around tastings with great wines, appetizers, and good music - a perfect setting to both learn more about wine and mingle with friends. We begin the events with a brief presentation covering important facts and history of the topic, followed by the tasting which generally includes 14-20 wines. Our "Food & Wine" events include food that amount to dinner portions. And note that for all of our tastings, the wines are selected by our Sommelier, Jeremy Quinn; therefore, you can be assured that you'll be tasting wines that WE want you to try (because we think they are outstanding) and not wines that some distributor is trying to unload!
- 16 January: The Rhone Valley, Reds and Whites, with a special focus on vintages 2005, 2003, 2001 - $35, starts @ 7:30pm
Each of the last 6 vintages, the quality of Rh™ne wines has swung wildly, with well-defined peaks, valleys, and lots of tasty surprises. Taste through 20 carefully chosen, heartwarming wines, red and white, from classic zones (Hermitage, Cornas, Vacqueyras, Chateauneuf, etc.), and form your own picture of this region in the 21st century. Featured by the glass Jan-Feb.
Reserve a spot for this event. Please remember to provide a daytime phone number and credit card to hold your reservation. - 30 January: Barolo and Barbaresco: where they belong in Piedmont at large and Nebbiolo around the world - $45, starts @ 7:30pm
Among Italian wines, Barolo and Barbaresco are known as the best, yet they remain a mystery to many; it takes a lot of money and time to get find out why. Our staff recently visited these zones and tasted with some of their best producers: join us as we taste several superlative wines from each area, placed alongside other Piedmontese wines and a few Nebbiolos from around the world for better relief.
Reserve a spot for this event. Please remember to provide a daytime phone number and credit card to hold your reservation. - 14 February: Valentine's Tasting: Port (and other sweet wines) - $35, starts @ 7:30pm
Nestled in Northern PortugalÕs Douro Valley, first demarcated in 1757, fortified 'Port' has one of the oldest histories in wine, with more than a millennium of experience. Today, there are many different styles of Port Š tawny, ruby, late-bottled-vintage, etc. Get a handle on PortÕs uniqueness as we taste through a wide swath of the best, from each major style, along with a handful of similar sweet wines.
Reserve a spot for this event. Please remember to provide a daytime phone number and credit card to hold your reservation. - 27 February: Sicily: Portrait of an Island - $30, starts @ 7:30pm
Sicily represents a terrific mix of ancient varietals, traditional viticulture, visionary winemakers, and modern investment, and is now producing some of the worldÕs best and most interesting wines, red and white. From the heights of Mount Etna to the western flats, from dark Nero d'Avola to crisp Inzolia, taste through 20-25 of Sicily's coolest bottlings. Featured by the glass, February and March.
Reserve a spot for this event. Please remember to provide a daytime phone number and credit card to hold your reservation. - 12 March: The Art of Wine and Cheese Pairing, in partnership with Provenance Food & Wine - $40, starts @ 7:30pm
There's a lot of needless confusion with wine and cheese pairing; while it remains an art, with clear methods, itÕs a lot simpler and more open to improvisation than is generally thought. With the generous assistance of Provenance Food & Wine (2528 N. California, 2312 W. Leland), learn the basic principles of pairing with 15-20 different wines, and practice on your own with an assortment of classic cheeses from around the world.
Reserve a spot for this event. Please remember to provide a daytime phone number and credit card to hold your reservation. - 26 March: Sprechen Sie (Rotwein) Deutsch? Red wines from Austria, Germany and Switzerland - $30, starts @ 7:30pm
German, Austrian and Swiss reds share a captivating character - a mix of tangy tannin, piquant spice, edgy, just-ripe fruit, and an unrestrained soulfulness - that stimulates the blood and gets your thoughts moving. If youÕre not familiar with their current high quality, join us as we taste through 20-25 of their top bottlings: from Ahr (German zone) to Zweigelt (Austrian varietal). Featured by the glass March and April.
Reserve a spot for this event. Please remember to provide a daytime phone number and credit card to hold your reservation. - 9 April: Off the Map in France: rare, forgotten, superb wines you've never heard of. - $35, starts @ 7:30pm
Where do the grapes Fer and Ondenc grow best? In which area of France, known for the Mauzac varietal, does sparkling wine production predate Champagne? Where are wines of famously Albariño-esque salinity and acidity made, from the Jacquéres grape? Taste through 20 of the very best red and white French wines, from these zones and more: some are made with 600-year old methods, some with new technology, but theyÕre all 'off the map' and palate-expanding.
Reserve a spot for this event. Please remember to provide a daytime phone number and credit card to hold your reservation. - 16 April: White Wines of Willamette Valley, Oregon: solving an identity crisis - $30, starts @ 7:30pm
It took a lot of work and research and tasting to forge a synonymy between Pinot Noir and Oregon; the same work is going on right now in the Willamette Valley with a whole host of white varietals. Come taste through 20 of their best efforts with us Š Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, etc. - and decide for yourself! Featured by the glass April and May.
Reserve a spot for this event. Please remember to provide a daytime phone number and credit card to hold your reservation.
The 2007 Second Story Festival
Don't miss another installment by Serendipity Theatre Company which has gotten rave reviews from the press. 2nd Story is a hybrid performance event combining storytelling, wine, and music that is produced by the Serendipity Theater Collective as both a Monthly Performance Series and an Annual Festival. A typical 2nd Story evening goes something like this: you hang out with your friends at Webster's Wine Bar and eat and drink and make merry, and four or five times during the night, the lights go down, a spot comes up on somebody-maybe the person sitting next to you!-and they tell you a story. It's a great time, and our hope is that if we do our job right, you'll leave telling your own stories. The next one-nighter is April 15th, while this year's Festival runs April 26th through May 13th.
For tickets and more info, visit Seredipity
Theate Company.
Introductory Wine Classes
After nearly a decade of conducting "intro" classes, my schedule simply no longer allows me the time anymore, at least for a while. However, I can highly recommend that beginners consider classes offered by Patrick Fegan, owner/director of Chicago Wine School. For a list of his current offerings, visit www.wineschool.com. Please note that all events require advanced reservations - contact us at 773-868-0608 or via email us to reserve your spot!
Our Reservation Policy
When you sign up, please include a credit card number (with exp. date) and a daytime phone number. Your reservation will NOT be held without a valid credit card. If you are signing up for friends, you may want them to sign up with their own credit card (if they don't show up, you will still be charged). Cancellations 48 hours or more before the event will be refunded in full. If you don't feel comfortable giving your credit card via email, you can call us and we'll take your information over the phone (773-868-0608).
