What we’re about
🍷 Welcome to Windy City Wine+!
We’re a social crew of wine, food, and spirits lovers exploring Chicago’s best sips and bites—plus fun excursions to new venues and festivals around the city (and sometimes beyond 🍇).
I’m Giovina, your organizer as of 9/10/23, taking over from Tom Besore. We'll keep our beloved Millennium Park summer wine nights and add year-round events like wine dinners, classes, tastings, festivals, and vineyard trips.
I also run 1001 Things to See in Chicago Before You Die—an active sister group with 4–5 events weekly. Check it out!
Questions or ideas? Message me anytime on Meetup!
– Giovina Romandine, Organizer 🍷
Upcoming events
3
🏛️🕰️ Strolling Through Kenwood: Mansions, Myths & Megastars 🚶♀️🎩
Blackstone Branch, Chicago Public Library, 4904 South Lake Park Avenue, Chicago, IL, US🏛️🕰️ Strolling Through Kenwood: Mansions, Myths & Megastars 🚶♀️🎩
🏠📜Kenwood Treasures: A Walk Through Chicago’s Historic South Side
Step into one of Chicago’s most elegant and storied neighborhoods! From Gilded Age mansions and Prairie School gems to Civil Rights icons and President Obama’s former home, this walking tour reveals the rich legacy of Kenwood through architecture, activism, and culture.
📅 Saturday, October 25, 2025
🕛 1:00 PM – approx. 3:15 PM
📍 Start: Blackstone Branch Library, 4904 S. Lake Park Ave
🎯 End: Isidore Heller House, 5132 S. Woodlawn Ave (approx. 6 blocks from start)
💰 Cost: $20 (cash preferred; Zelle, Venmo, PayPal accepted)
🚶♀️ Distance: About 2.3 miles outdoors
⚠️ Tip: Walk Ends about 6 blocks from the start — if driving, consider parking midway
***
🔎 What You’ll See & Learn:
✅ Stately Gilded Age homes & early Prairie-style architecture
✅ Sites tied to Barack Obama, Muhammad Ali, and Julius Rosenwald
✅ Hidden gems by Frank Lloyd Wright, Shaw, and other local legends
✅ Historic houses of worship, activists, educators & entrepreneurs
✅ Insightful storytelling and great company across multiple meetup groups!📸 It’s not a photo walk but trust us—you’ll want your camera!
🎤 Led by a passionate, knowledgeable guide (that’s me!), this walk is perfect for architecture buffs, history lovers, and curious Chicagoans.
***🏛️ Featured Stops & Highlights Include:
🏛️ Blackstone Branch Library
🧱 George Blossom House (FLW)
🧱 Warren McArthur House (FLW)
🏠 Former Elijah Muhammad House
🏡 Howard Van Doren Shaw House
🥊 Former Muhammad Ali Residence
🏠 Charles Adams Goodyear House
🏠 Ezra S. Brainerd House
🏢 Rainbow PUSH Coalition HQ
🏛️ Julius Rosenwald House
🧱 Gustavus F. Swift Mansion
🧱 Moses Born Residence
🏛️ Martin A. Ryerson House
🧱 McGill House
🦅🏛️Former Obama Family Home
🕍 KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation
🏠 Isidore Heller House (FLW)
***🍽️ Optional Lunch After the Tour
Stick around and grab a bite at one of these local favorites:- 🥗 Can’t Believe It’s Not Meat (vegan)
- 🥪 Cafe 53
- 🍕 The Sit-Down Cafe
💵 Bring cash for lunch—some spots don’t split checks!
***👟 What to Bring:
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Water bottle
• Weather-appropriate attire
• $20 tour fee (exact change appreciated; cash preferred but Zelle, Venmo, PayPal accepted)🚗 Transit & Parking Tips:
• Free & metered street parking available on Lake Park, Woodlawn & side streets—watch signs
• Park midway if you’d like to be close to both start & end
• CTA-accessible – use the CTA Trip Planner for the best route
***📌 RSVP & No-Show Policy
✔️ Please keep your RSVP current
🚫 No-shows make future planning tough
🕛 RSVP updates close at the tour start time
***✨ Discover Kenwood — where elegance, activism, and architectural beauty converge. Come explore the stories behind the stones on this engaging neighborhood walk! 🏛️🌳👟
11 attendees
🌳🍂 Porch Stories & Park Paths: A Fall Walk Through Portage Park 🏡
City News Cafe, 4018 N Cicero Ave, Chicago, IL, US🌳🍂Porch Stories & Park Paths: A Fall Walk Through Portage Park 🏡
Discover the history, homes, and hidden gems of Portage Park’s east side — all while enjoying a lovely, crisp fall walk on a Sunday morning filled with color, charm, and community spirit. 🍂☀️
📅 Sunday, October 26, 2025
🕛 10:00 AM – approx. 12:15 PM
📍 Start: City News Café, 4018 N Cicero Ave
🎯 End: Biagio Banquets, 4242 N Central Ave
👟 Approx. 2 miles of walking | Ends ~1.2 miles from start
💰 Cost: $20 (cash preferred; Zelle, Venmo, PayPal accepted)
⚠️ Tip: The walk ends about 1.2 miles from the start — if driving, consider parking midway for an easier return.***
📚 Why Portage Park?
Named for the ancient “portage” route linking the Des Plaines and Chicago Rivers, Portage Park is a neighborhood packed with immigrant heritage, mid-century charm, and architectural gems. Annexed in 1889, it blossomed into a family-friendly working-class area after the Kennedy Expressway opened.🏊♀️ Home to the iconic Portage Park Pool, which hosted the 1959 Pan-Am Games and 1972 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, the area also boasts:
• National Veterans Art Museum
• Portage Theater & Patio Theater
• Six Corners Shopping District
• Merrimac Park
• And much more!***
🏘️ What You’ll Discover:
We’ll explore the history, architecture, and community of East Portage Park, including:
• Bungalow-lined streets of the “Bungalow Belt” 🏡
• Former movie palaces & classic shopping districts 🎬
• Historic churches & beautiful parks ⛪🌳
• Fun local trivia & neighborhood gems 💬📸 It’s not a photo walk—but trust us, you’ll want your camera!
🎤 Guided by a longtime Chicagoan with a soft spot for Portage Park (that’s me!), this tour is made for anyone who loves history, architecture, and neighborhood charm.
***
🏛️ Featured Stops & Highlights:
🎭 Fantasy Costumes
🎬 Portage Park Theater
🏢 Klee Building
🏛️ Historic Sears Building
🔥 Former Site of People’s Gas Building (Landmarked)
🏨 Irving Park Hotel
🎥 Northwest Historical Film Society
⛪ Cornerstone Anglican Church
🎞️ Grayland Theater
🏠 Bungalow Belt
🏊♀️ Portage Park Olympic-Size Swimming Pool
🎟️ Historic Portage Park Fieldhouse
🕍 St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church***
🍽️ Optional Lunch After the Tour
Join us afterward for a casual bite at Legno by Suparossa – all are welcome!
📖 Menu: https://www.legnochicago.com
💵 Bring cash for lunch—some spots don’t split checks!***
👟 What to Bring:
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Water bottle
• Weather-appropriate attire
• $20 tour fee (exact change appreciated; cash preferred but Zelle, Venmo, PayPal accepted)🚗 Transit & Parking Tips:
• Free & metered street parking on Irving Park, Cicero, Milwaukee & nearby side streets (check signs)
• Park midway for convenience
• CTA-accessible – use the CTA Trip Planner for best routes***
📌 RSVP & No-Show Policy
✔️ Keep your RSVP current
🚫 No-shows make future planning tough
🕛 RSVP updates close at the tour start time***
✨ Discover Portage Park — where porches tell stories and every path leads to history! 🌼
2 attendees
RESCHEDULED!🍹 Sip, Laugh & Celebrate! Happy Hour at Old Town’s Glunz Tavern 🎊✨
The Glunz Tavern, 1202 North Wells Street, Chicago, IL, US**RESCHEDULED TO TUESDAY 10/28/25 @5:45 pm**
🍹 Sip, Laugh & Celebrate! Happy Hour at Old Town’s Glunz Tavern 🎊✨
🎉 Let’s Keep the Party Going! 🎂🍻
My official birthday is October 22, 2025, but I love celebrating all month long in October with my friends and meetup family. 🥳 Come join me for a Thursday night get-together — the perfect way to round out the week and keep the celebrations rolling!
📅 Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
🕔 Time: 5:45 PM
📍 Location: Glunz Tavern, Old TownWe’ll gather at this classic Old Town spot 🍺🍷 — a cozy tavern known for its charm and great happy hour deals. It’s the perfect place to catch after-work specials, share laughs, and raise a glass together.
✨ Come toast October birthdays and enjoy an evening of fun with friends!✨ Weekly Specials at The Glunz Tavern ✨
Happy Hour
🕓 Weekdays from 4 PM – 7 PM- $8 Well Drinks
- $10 Aperol or Hugo Spritz
- $5 French Fries & Homemade Chips
Thursday Specials
- 🍔 $2 Hamburger Sliders
- 🍻 $25 Schlitz Buckets
- 🍺 $30 Corona, Michelob, or Modelo Buckets
- 🍹 $35 High Noon & NÜTRL Buckets
📍 Location: Glunz Tavern, 1202 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610
🌐 Website: https://www.glunztavern.com🏛️ About Glunz Tavern
The House of Glunz was founded in 1888 by Louis Glunz Sr., who emigrated from Westphalia, Germany, and settled in what is now Chicago’s Old Town. Over its long history, the business has functioned as a wine wholesaler, beer distributor, and, before Prohibition, a tavern.
During Prohibition, the shop remained open (supplying medicinal alcohol and church sacramental wine), but the tavern was shuttered.Revival & Restoration
After being closed for about 80+ years, Glunz Tavern was restored and reopened in 2012 under the stewardship of Barbara Glunz (great-granddaughter of Louis Glunz) and her son Christopher Donovan. The restoration was designed to bring back the atmosphere of the early 1900s. Many historic artifacts—woodwork, bar fittings, stained glass, glassware, and other items—were reclaimed from historic Chicago venues and integrated into the design.🚇 Getting There
- If you’re taking public transportation, please check the venue’s website for directions or use Google Maps or the CTA Trip Planner: https://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip/
- If driving, there are nearby parking lots and metered street parking. For the best rates, use SpotHero or ParkWhiz.
⚠️ No-Show Policy
To keep events running smoothly and fair for all members:- 3 no-shows without updating your RSVP = suspension from sign-ups for 3 months
- Cut-off time to update your RSVP is the event start time. If you’re running late, message the event host directly.
- For walks, tours, or festivals: you must check in with the host when you arrive.
- Continued no-shows may result in removal from the group.
12 attendees
Past events
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