Something Wonderful Is Happening with Wine in Chicago's West Loop
An extraordinary wine list, two remarkable wine personalities, and a whole new way to experience wine at City Winery Chicago.
Chicago has no shortage of great places to enjoy a glass of wine. But how many places can you explore one of the West Loop's most extensive wine lists, meet the people actually making the wine, get a behind-the-scenes look at a working urban winery, and discover something entirely new about what's in your glass?
Welcome to City Winery Chicago, where wine isn't just something we pour. It's something we live, breathe, make, teach, and, most importantly, share.
And lately, there's even more to raise a glass to.
A Wine List Worth Exploring
Let's start with the wine list. With the largest wine selection in the West Loop, City Winery Chicago offers an extraordinary opportunity to explore the world of wine without ever leaving the neighborhood.
Whether you're devoted to Burgundy, curious about an unfamiliar grape, searching for the perfect California Cabernet, or simply looking for a really good glass of Chardonnay, there's something here for you.
Of course, what makes City Winery different is that we're not just selecting great wines from around the world. We're making our own, right here in Chicago.
By sourcing exceptional grapes from some of America's most celebrated growing regions and bringing them to our working urban winery in the West Loop, we offer something genuinely distinctive: the chance to enjoy wine where it's actually made.
And behind every great bottle, there's a story. Ours begins with some pretty remarkable people.
Meet Caroline Schrader: The Architect of Great Wine
From designing buildings to crafting beautiful wines, Caroline Schrader knows a thing or two about creating something extraordinary.
An award-winning Illinois winemaker, Caroline has been part of the City Winery Chicago family since 2014, overseeing winemaking for both our West Loop and Chicago Riverwalk locations.
But her journey to the cellar was anything but conventional.
Before discovering her calling in wine, Caroline was an architect, earning her master's degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Eventually, her passion for winemaking led her to study enology and viticulture at UC Davis.
Today, she brings that same combination of precision, creativity, and attention to detail to every bottle she produces.
Caroline's approach is deeply hands-on, rooted in craftsmanship and a respect for the grapes themselves. Her goal? To create wines that express their origins while offering something distinctive and delicious in the glass.
And if you're wondering what she likes to drink when she's not making wine, her favorite grape is Pinot Noir. Elegant, expressive, and endlessly fascinating. We think that says quite a bit about her.
A New Face in Chicago: Welcome Philippe Newlin
If Caroline is the creative force behind the wines we make, Philippe Newlin is here to help us discover even more reasons to love them.
We're thrilled to welcome Philippe, City Winery's National Wine Director, who has recently traded New York for Chicago.
A native New Yorker with more than two decades in the wine world, Philippe has worn just about every hat imaginable: wine journalist, Bordeaux importer, Fine Wine Director at Wine.com, educator, and sought-after speaker.
His career has taken him deep into the world of fine wine, but his greatest enthusiasm isn't for collecting impressive labels or reciting obscure vintages.
It's for sharing what he knows.
Ask Philippe what his favorite wine is, and he'll likely respond with a question of his own: "What am I eating?"
Ask about his favorite food? "What am I drinking?"
And his favorite wine region? Naturally, it's whichever one he's visiting at the moment!
That playful curiosity is exactly what makes Philippe such an exciting addition to the Chicago wine community.
For Philippe, wine is about discovery, conversation, and connection. Whether you're a seasoned collector or someone who's just beginning to explore, his philosophy is refreshingly simple: great wine should be enjoyed, not intimidating.