Elgin's Red Bar Winery the perfect place to savor something new
Wine bars seem to be popping up all over the Chicago suburbs, but Red Bar Winery has a unique edge. The urban winery makes and serves its own wines and lets visitors learn about the process with tours of the facility and regular winemaking classes. It also backs up the novelty factor with excellent food and service and a relaxed atmosphere for sipping something new.
Motif: The exposed brick walls are decorated with wine-inspired paintings mixed with paintings of abstract color swirls. Racks of bottles are arranged against the wall and while there's a large flat screen TV, it's typically turned off if Notre Dame isn't playing. The red-topped bar has a wooden case displaying different bottles. Seating takes the form of white or black table-clothed tables with wooden chairs, with a few sections of couches and plush chairs and some tables with cushioned chairs outside. The atmospheric lighting comes from hanging lights and candles on the tables.
Service: The bartender at Red Bar was great, happy to chat while she poured us samples. She used them to gauge what we liked when we decided it was time to order some full glasses, and we were very pleased with all of her recommendations for drinks and food. The sociable and laid-back attitude seems to extend throughout the staff, as the owners were also talking with customers over wine at the bar.
Liquid consumption: Red Bar makes about 25 wines, which are available at different times of the year. About 40 more are available by the glass, with a total of 70 by the bottle served at the bar and sold retail. Fruit wines are the winery's specialty, with varieties like spiced plum pinot noir, cranberry apple chardonnay and their pleasantly sweet peach chardonnay. You can try samples of Red Bar's wines anytime, and the bar also hosts monthly wine tastings with special food pairings. Their fruity and sweet sangria is also very popular and beer fans will find a selection of bottled brews from Two Brothers, Stone Brewery and Metropolitan Brewing.
Food: The $9.50 spicy butter shrimp is one of the most popular dishes on the menu for good reason. The seafood is soaked in a rich lemon and butter sauce and served with four slices of bread that are perfect for dipping, so you can keep enjoying the flavor even after the shrimp have been devoured. The $16 bistro cheese board was also excellent. The varieties change regularly, but when we were there it included a cranberry cheese and sweet candied lemon Stilton. Their light tastes provided a great contrast to the more potent blue cheese and cheddar. The chocolate-covered walnuts served with the cheese were an added treat. The menu also includes a selection of paninis, pizzas and entrees, the most popular of which is the sauteed basa filet, a delicate white fish with a lightly breaded crust and pineapple and mango salsa.
Crowd: Friday is often a busy night, with crowds coming in after other events in downtown Elgin. Couples and groups of women come to relax and chat, typically dressed on the nice side of casual.
Music: On Thursday nights, tables are pushed against the wall to create a floor for salsa dancing and the menu switches over to tapas. You can catch live music or DJs sporadically, and bar owners also want to host other events like dueling pianos.
Parking: Free street parking is easily available.
Overall: Not only are Red Bar's wines unique, they're excellent. The bar is a great spot to relax and enjoy some local flavor.
Red Bar WineryInfo: 74 S. Grove Ave., Elgin, (847) 695-1659, redbarwinery.comHours: 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday; 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Open for lunch 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.False20001394Red Bar owner Doris Canfield and bartender Roxana Wober pour wine for patrons on a Friday night.Mark Welsh | Staff PhotographerFalse