Car strikes Barrington wine store

A car crashed into a downtown Barrington wine store Monday afternoon, knocking bricks from a supporting wall, breaking dozens of bottles of wine and forcing village officials to close the building until it is made structurally safe.

Jennifer Blair, a manager at Vin Chicago at 311 E. Main St., said she was in the store when the vehicle struck the wall.

"It was very loud, a lot of bottles breaking," Blair said Monday night. "I couldn't even guess - we had quite a bit of wine stacked up there."

The crash happened between 3:30 and 4 p.m. Fire Chief Jim Aries said everyone was out of the vehicle by the time an ambulance arrived on the scene. No one was hurt.

Village Manger Jeff Lawler said a village building inspector asked that everyone leave Vin Chicago until a structural engineer can examine the damaged beam and figure out a way to prop it up pending a permanent repair.

Damage was so severe that officials also closed the Yankee Doodle, a bar on the back side of the building, Arie said.

Owner Peter Schwarzbach guessed the store would be reopen Wednesday or Thursday.

"Don't worry - no one will have to go through New Year's without champagne," Schwarzbach said.