Wine Socials and Tastings Take the Mystery Out of the Grape, Right Here in Elmhurst

If you are a wine lover, Elmhurst is a pretty great place to be. Our town boasts many restaurants and bars that offer a great selection of wine. But to find expertise and true variety, oenophiles in and around the area can slake their appetites at Elmhurst's three intimate wine bars.

While the primary focus of each wine bar is to sell wine, both in their bar and through retail sales, they also offer an ample selection of fun and educational events.

At , 112 Park Ave., it's all about adventure. Through the seasonal wine and food menus, a variety of wine events, and other fun events such as clambakes and magic shows, owner Visal Kheam says they try to inject a sense of exploration and fun into everything they do.

"We change our menus twice a year and pick a theme or wine region, such as our Sonoma theme this spring," Kheam said. "We try to host different events that encourage people to explore wine, meet neighbors and have a good time.

"It's easy to find a great wine over $75," Kheam added. "We try to find great values both under $20 and at other price points."

One new Flight event is the monthly Wine Social, which debuts at 7 p.m. this Wednesday, April 18. During the socials, participants can not only try new wines, but learn and discuss a monthly topic. This month's topic is "How to Taste Wine like a Pro."

Flight 112's wine expert, Kristi Gallo, said the Wine Social, while being educational, is not a boring lecture.

"It's really going to be a conversation between wine lovers about wine," Gallo said. "We'll review the 5 S's of assessing a wine and actually apply what we learned as we try five to six different wines."

Gallo said the socials are great for beginning wine lovers, as well as the advanced wine drinker, as there's always something to learn—and learn from each other. And since Flight's online retail store carries nearly 100 wines that aren't available in the wine bar, you'll always be trying something different.

"We can all drink wine," Gallo advised. "But appreciating a wine makes it an even better experience."

On the south end of town, at 545 S. Spring Road, owners John Tremback and Craig Edgerley also make it their personal mission to broaden patrons' wine horizons. During a biannual trip to the California wine country, Tremback and Edgerley invite their patrons on a guided tour of some of their favorite wineries.

"Next weekend is our third Spring Weekend in Napa trip," Tremback shared. "We rent a bus, set up lunches at the wineries, and coordinate all the tours and tastings."

Tremback says that the tours are always a fun and sometimes crazy time.

The wine shop and online retail store focus on smaller producers, and they change their wines-by-the-glass monthly.

"Our focus is on wines from California, Oregon and Washington, though we do love our French champagne, too," Tremback said. "Our customers love pinot noir, and we go out of our way to pick the best."

The tour, which will be held again sometime this fall, is limited to 10 people and is priced at $525 per person, which includes a tour bus and all winery tour and tasting fees. They also obtain a discounted rate on hotels.

, located at 112 N. York Road, has been tempting Elmhurst palates for many years with its cultivated selection of wines. The wine shop offers numerous wine tastings and educational events, as well as a wine club.

Tannins is offering a special wine tasting event this Wednesday, April 18, featuring the highly rated and limited quantity wines of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain Estate.

The Tannin's event begins at 6 p.m., so wine lovers can sip wines and then head to Flight 112 at 7 p.m. for discussion and education.

All three wine bars offer live music on the weekends.

For more information and special events, sign up for their free newsletters and join their Facebook communities:

Flight 112 Wine House on Facebook 
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Cuvee Cellars on Facebook
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Tannins Wine Bar on Facebook 
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