While very few welcome winter with open arms, there is something undeniably charming about softly falling snow, the tiny white lights glittering from trees lining the streets, and the general warm fuzziness of family and friends around the holidays. In Chicago especially, there are tons of wintry events going on to keep the holiday cheer [...]

by Brett Ashley McKenzie
Wine truly is the ultimate gift–who doesn’t appreciate having an extra bottle or two on hand? Especially as we near the winter months, few people feel like trudging back out into the cold night because they arrived home from work to find nothing drinkable on their wine rack.
But many Just Grapes’ customers [...]

By Raquel Scianna
Good things come in small packages, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, don’t judge a book by its cover, blah blah blah. Looking beyond outward appearances is nice, but what if you want something that not only seduces the taste buds but dazzles the eye (and makes you look cool at [...]

By Brett Ashley McKenzie
There’s something spooky around the corner… Halloween! Whether you’re planning on spending October 31st answering the door for trick-or-treaters, dressing up for a costume party, or simply watching scary movies at home, you deserve a treat of your own, and Just Grapes has the perfect line-up of sinister spirits and sips for [...]

It isn’t love for warmer weather that keeps me firmly rooted in my craving for all things Chardonnay. And Chardonnay isn’t strictly a warm-weather white. Bigger-bodied, creamier-textured Chardonnay can be (and, in wine-savvy establishments, often are) served slightly warmer than your Pinot Grigios and Sauvignon Blancs.

By Raquel Scianna
Here at Just Grapes, we pride ourselves in having our fingers firmly affixed to the pulse of all that’s hot and happening in the world of wine making. on September 24–with a little help from our trusty Cream Wine Company rep, Shane Salois–we dug a little deeper into an up-and-coming [...]

by Brett Ashley McKenzie
Just Grapes Wine Buyer Maggie Smith and I were invited to attend the Iron Chef-style “Aloha Kitchen Challenge” at Roy’s Chicago on Monday evening, and we were thrilled to sample courses prepared by some of Chicago’s rising culinary stars. Three culinary students were asked to create a course keeping in theme with [...]

by Maggie Smith
Raised a Midwestern girl, I have never had a problem with your average weekend BBQ fare: grilling out, burgers and brats. But this past Saturday, as I was hosting a party for a number of area wine connoisseurs and noted foodies, I decided to “civilize” my soiree a bit.  Here’s how:
I hired Jaime [...]

By Brett Ashley McKenzie
As an associate at Just Grapes as well as  Food & Wine Pairing Writer for the Chicago Examiner, I’m regularly asked if there are suggested wines that a home chef should keep on hand, wines that cover all the bases, from a simple Tuesday night home-cooked meal to Thai take-out to a [...]

By Brett Ashley McKenzie
The whole gang at Just Grapes was psyched to learn from our Cream Wine Company rep Shane Salois that Cream had recently added an Italian portfolio to its stellar wine offerings. Their timing couldn’t be more perfect: Just Grapes is offering an in-store  “Wines of Italy” Master Class on Thursday, August 13th, [...]