Lauren D.
Yelp
LOVE & HAPPINESS; WINE & HAPPINESS!
I decided to stop off at this Binny's Beverage Depot after finishing a doctor's appointment near this Binny's. We had a Verdicchio white-wine with our dinner at Due Lire in the City. The wine is exceptional in terms of a subtle, crisp, clean white fruit flavors. As I swirled the wine in my glass, at Due Lire, I took a whiff of it and noticed it had aromas offset by nuances of citrus, almonds and tree blossoms. It also has a slightly bitter note which I detected on my palate, especially toward the back of my throat. It was light and smooth and I just had to find out more about this wine. Yeah, like the old song, "Love and Happiness" by Al Green I got my fix of love and happiness along with some wine and happiness!
I did a little bit of research on this particular wine, and learned that it has been cultivated for hundreds of years in the Marche region of Central Italy. It is a versatile variety, used both for light, easy-drinking table wines, and for more complex, age-worthy examples. Critics have commonly lauded Verdicchio as being one of Italy's best white-wine grape varieties. It has citrus flavors like lemon and grapefruit, along with a bit of almond flavor, accompanied by bitter notes when the wine is young. As it ages though it produces a sweet suggestion of honey and marzipan.
We collect wines from around the world and have over 100 bottles of wine at home. My husband had a wine room created with the "right" temperature years ago. The last time I had a Verdicchio wine was over three years ago. I had forgotten how incredibly superb this wine really is, and the wine bottle is a light greenish color shaped like a fish, which is really cool.
I am not one to go to a liquor store by myself. Usually, if I am going to such a place I am with a friend or my husband and we are purchasing something to bring to someone's house for dinner, Ravinia or a Summer time reunion with over 50 people. In that case, we need to pick up a lot more than just one measly bottle of wine! I was impressed with the selection of wines that they have at this particular Binny's and enjoyed browsing. I always seek out wines that are unique and are not in our collection of wines at home. I saw a few unique items here.
There are grocery stores for food and other things, but this place is a grocery store for all kinds of alcohol, from wines to spirits to gin to rum to an enormous variety of beers and even pre-mixed Margaritas in a can.
In terms of customer service, I will say they are A-OK, so 3-stars. It wasn't over-the-top customer service, but it was adequate. The individuals working here, on the day I stopped in, are average in terms of their wine knowledge. I asked questions, but got the "deer in the headlights" look from the young man who probably wondered what the frick-frack was I asking him. Yeah, whatever! There is ample free parking, but watch out for the potholes or you may end up in another galaxy!
The price-point varies from $6.99 for a bottle of inexpensive wine to over $800 for the world's finest cognac. I ended up spending close to $40 on three bottles of wine (two bottles were only $9.99). One was from Italy, and the other two wines from Argentina. We love, love, love Italian and Argentinian wines. Since I did not want to get a katzenjammer (hangover) during the week I decided to wait until the weekend to drink this fine wine. Pick your poison!
English - Cheers!
Japanese - Kanpai
Italian - Cin-Cin (pronounced "Chin, Chin")
Spanish - Salud
German - Prost