Milwaukee may have an international reputation for brewing beer, but there are plenty of people the area with a penchant for a winning wine selection.
Buying wine can be intimidating with so many grapes varieties, regions and tastes to choose from, but lucky for us, specialty wine shops are popping up with more and more frequency, and with them comes a knowledgeable staff willing to answer your questions.
Here a look at some of the best wine shops in and around Milwaukee.
Chuckie's House of Wine
7133 S. 76th St., Franklin
(414) 425-9800
chuckieswine.com
Hours: 3-8 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday; 12-4 p.m., Sunday.
Price range: Most bewteen $9-$60 (With some over $100)
Varieties: 600
Downer Avenue Wine & Spirits
2638 N. Downer Ave.
(414) 332-0880
downerwineandspirits.com
Hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m., daily
Price range: $5-$200 (Most are between $8-$20)
Wine varieties: About 1,000
Grapes & Grain
11301 N. Port Washington Rd., Mequon
(262) 240-0206
grapesandgrain.com
Hours: 9 a.m.- 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m.-5 pm., Sunday
Price range: $8-$400
Wine varieties: More than 1,000
North Shore Wine & Spirits
5544 N. Port Washington Rd., Glendale
(414) 962-6220
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday though Friday; 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., Saturday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday
Price range: $6-$150
Wine varieties: Over 200
Otto's Wine Cask
4600 W. Brown Deer Rd., Brown Deer
(414) 354-5831
Hours: 9 a.m.- 9 p.m., Monday through Friday; 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday
Price range: $3-$100
Wine varieties: 1,500
Sheridan's Finest Wines & Generous Spirits
400 N. Water St., Milwaukee Public Market
(414) 224-4900
sheridanhouseandcafe.com/TheStore.htm
Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday; 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday.
Price range: $7-$60
Wine varieties: About 150
Three Cellars
6955 S. 27th St., Franklin
(414) 761-1988
threecellars.com
Hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday
Price range: $4-$150
Wine varieties: About 1,100
Uncorkt
211 6th St., Racine
(262) 632-9463
uncorkt.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Wednesday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday; 12-4 p.m., Sunday
Price range: $4-$400
Wine varieties: 700
Vino 100
1442 Underwood Ave., Wauwatosa
(414) 456-9463
vino100-tosa.com
Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-12 a.m., Friday and Saturday; 12-6 p.m., Sunday.
Price range: $7-$45
Wine varieties: 130
Vintage
632 E. Ogden Ave.
(414) 220-4217
Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday.
Price range: $6-$175
Wine varieties: 400
Waterford Wine Company
1327 E. Brady St.
(414) 289-9463
waterfordwine.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 12-5 p.m., Sunday.
Price range $8-$350
Wine varieties: About 700
Wine Cellar of WI
12910 W. Bluemound Rd., Elm Grove
(262) 754-9463
winecellarofwi.com
Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday
Price range: $7-$70.00
Wine varieties: More than 1,000
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
