Drinking Outside the Box at the Andersonville Wine Walk

Between sips of Bordeaux and Sauvignon Blanc, attendees of the Andersonville Wine Walk hit local businesses as well as the bottle.

The Oct. 6 event, organized by the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce and the liquor store In Fine Spirits, highlighted quality wines and independent stores.

The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce has hosted the Wine Walk for at least a decade, according to Director of Marketing and Communication Charlie Wein. The event takes place twice a year — once in spring and once in fall — and helps showcase small businesses in the neighborhood.

“Everything we do is about supporting the local businesses and getting people into Andersonville,” Wein said. “It’s about giving exposure to businesses you may not have walked into before.”

Attendees paid $45 for tickets and received a tasting glass to be filled at each stop strewn along North Clark Street, along with a pamphlet explaining the walk, the wines and how to taste them.

This year’s fall Wine Walk was a sold-out event, though its success was partially due to it coinciding with Andersonville’s Arts Weekend, according to Wein.

Attendee and Andersonville resident Katie Schneider said the Wine Walk helps her connect with her neighborhood.

“It’s a good opportunity to be with the community because as you’re standing around the wine table, tasting, you get into conversations,” Schneider said.

Each stop on the Wine Walk featured a tasting table with representatives from In Fine Spirits explaining the origins and flavor profiles of their wines. 

The selection of wines was diverse, with many coming from traditional wineries in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal as well as New World wineries in South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand and the U.S. Individual bottles were available for purchase at each stop.

A variety of red and white wines were sampled, ranging from dry to sweet, still to sparkling and floral to fruity. Older vintages dated to 2019 while the most recent were from 2023.

The 14 stores along the route weren’t strictly related to wine. Featured businesses included restaurants, salons and art stores.

Attendee Roxanne Nobels said she was surprised by the “titillating” wine descriptions in the event’s pamphlet.

“I was like, ‘Am I reading smut or am I reading how to taste wine?’” Nobels said.

Nobels said she moved from Andersonville to West Ridge but still makes the 20-minute walk to attend the Wine Walk every year. She described herself as a fan of wine in general and, while she’s not serious about its details, she enjoyed rating each wine in her pamphlet.

“If it’s delicious, I’ll drink it,” Nobels said.

For those who don’t drink, the Wine Walk offered non-alcoholic options like THC seltzers and charcuterie boards, Wein said. To change things up this year, gift card shop Foursided offered non-alcoholic wines.

Similar upcoming events in Andersonville include Aville-o-Ween Oct. 26 and a Viking Pub Crawl Nov. 17. The Chamber of Commerce plans to host a Coffee & Hot Cocoa Crawl in February, according to Wein. More events can be seen on the Chamber’s website.