I have a couple of issues with wine bars, the first is when you order wine by the glass they are charging you for the whole bottle, a $11 glass costs them $11 per bottle, probably less there is a bit of profit in there too. So, no matter how great the wine list is, or how personable the bar staff, or how cool the ambiance is, in the back of my mind, I know I can do this at home for 25% the cost. Second, no matter how attractively decorated the joint is, I’m still sitting in a bar somewhere. Now, none of these things actually stop me drinking in a wine bar, they do have other qualities that transcend value and location. I know I’m asking too much, but I think a wine bar should be on a plaza in Rome or an outdoor bistro in Paris. If you live in Chicago where the weather does not always accommodate outside venues, what are you going to do?
Well, how about the City Winery Chicago Riverwalk River Domes? The Chicago skyline and the views from the Chicago River are world-class venues, unique experiences that are difficult to duplicate. To me, this is where you stick a wine bar, I don’t care if I can buy a bottle of wine and drink it at home for less money. At home I can’t watch the tour boats float by or watch the bustling traffic on the bridges and at night when the skyscrapers light up, it is actually a breathtaking sight. Here is a link to information for the River Domes
Reservations are needed, which makes sense, there are only so many Domes available and there is a per person cost, but for such a unique experience is actually fairly reasonable and no more (maybe a little less) than most Downtown establishments. The Domes go away on May 6th when hopefully it will be warm enough for regular outdoor seating. But for now, there is no reason to wait for warm weather to sip a nice glass a wine and soak up all the beauty the City of Chicago has to offer.
