I’ll be the first to admit that, despite an extensive knowledge of beer and cocktails, I’m still pretty clueless where wine is concerned. The best way to remedy this deficiency, according to Lush Wine and Spirits General Manager Rachel Driver, is to “drink a lot of wine.” I’m sold. 

With one location in the South Loop, a second in Roscoe Village and a third slated to open near Wicker Park this spring, Lush is a good place to start. Its knowledgeable staff and diverse wine selection (including shelves dedicated to $10 reds and whites) makes the store both approachable and affordable. Curious about a particular style or region? Curl up in the armchair in the corner and read about wines at Lush’s mini-library, or belly up to the counter to sample a different varietals under a pair of wine glass chandeliers.

Driver developed a taste for wine as an anthropology student in Sienna, Italy, and continued to pursue her interest upon returning stateside. She tastes 50-200 new wines per week, but she still has a penchant for Italian vino—she recommends Castellari Bengaglio’s 2001 Pilin Gavi, made from 25 percent dried cortese grapes and known for it’s unusual, oxidized dried fruit flavors. Everyone knows that wine goes great with cheese, chocolate, and fine cuisine, but Rachel has a few suggestions for offbeat pairings, as well: spicy polish sausage with stone ground mustard and an Alsatian Gewurztraminer; the “bubbles and acidity” of champagne with fried chicken. Looking for a wine that goes great with pad thai or a cubano sandwich? Ask Rachel. She’s on a mission to prove that wine really does go with everything.

Lush’s main focus is on wine, but the airy, brightly-lit store also sells an excellent selection of craft beers (I recommend Hitachino Nest’s Celebration Ale), specialty liquors such as St. Germain Elderflower liqueur and North Shore gin and vodkas, and booze-friendly snacks including locally produced chocolate, olives, and crackers. If you’re really serious about wine, you can attend special Sunday wine tastings, enroll in Wine 101 courses (as well as more advanced tours of select regions), participate in a wine-themed book club, and sign up for a “wine club” where the shop will select bottles according to a particular theme and price range and deliver them to your door—the perfect pick-me-up for the winter months where you don’t really want to leave the house.

Lush Wine and Spirits, 2232 W. Roscoe (773-281-8888) or 1257 S Halsted (312- 738-1900), Mon-Sun. 12:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.